weightL & PowerL belts: Diff?

[MrChewiebitums]

whats the difference between them?
This site which sells belts etc.. has them split up as thread title states

i`m not sure which to get, they look almost identical
i just want a belt to do workouts with, not say just to squat

 

[El Freako]

Powerlifting belts are far superior IMO. They do what a belt should do, provide you with something to brace your abs against so your core is tight. That's why they are the same thickness all the way around. Whereas weightlifting belts are only thick in the back because you're meant to tighten them up as much as you can to "protect" your lower back. Although all you're really doing is leaving yourself open to injury by neglecting your core.

 

[The Creator]

Power lifting belts are the only ones that are going to serve a purpose. In order for a belt to be useful, you should need assistance getting it on OR come pretty damn close to needing some help. It makes me laugh when i see guys wearing them for a whole workout because it should be so tight that you have to loosen it right after every set.

Why do you want a belt just to wear during your workouts?

 

[El Freako]

Power lifting belts are the only ones that are going to serve a purpose. In order for a belt to be useful, you should need assistance getting it on OR come pretty damn close to needing some help. It makes me laugh when i see guys wearing them for a whole workout because it should be so tight that you have to loosen it right after every set.

Why do you want a belt just to wear during your workouts?

Actually they shoudn't be so tight you need help putting them on, just tight enough to brace against. If they're so tight you can't even tense your core properly then they won't work as well.

 

[The Creator]

Actually they shoudn't be so tight you need help putting them on, just tight enough to brace against. If they're so tight you can't even tense your core properly then they won't work as well.

I beg to differ. I will look for science but this came straight from my professor of exercise physiology at my university and cscs.

 

[Hypocrisy86]

^ Could vary with people who have injuries or past injuries.
but it does make sense, loosen it up till end of session where its barely breathable, helps heaps.

 

[El Freako]

I beg to differ. I will look for science but this came straight from my professor of exercise physiology at my university and cscs.

I can't remember where I read it but it was a pretty informed source, somewhere on Elitefts possibly. If you do it up as tight as you can it will still protect your lower back but at the expense of strengthening your core.

 

[Storm]

wearing a belt for the whole workout=fail

If you use it do it for your heavy,short sets of big exercises. Why would you need a belt for curls?

Just MHO

 

[MrChewiebitums]

I was watching the Ronnie vid "On the Road" (something like that)
and at one point doherty asks him how he managed to reduce the size of his waist for the previous olympia (forgot which one) and he stated that Weider and Chad N told him to wear the belt as much as he can even when not training, he didnt say how tight.

what are your thoughts?

 

[The Creator]

I was watching the Ronnie vid "On the Road" (something like that)
and at one point doherty asks him how he managed to reduce the size of his waist for the previous olympia (forgot which one) and he stated that Weider and Chad N told him to wear the belt as much as he can even when not training, he didnt say how tight.

what are your thoughts?

I think that is an absurd suggestion. Maybe, just maybe, (and even this is a long shot) somebody on astronomical amounts of aas could see a slight improvement from such a thing but, probably not. I am actually very surprised to find out they suggested that. Respect diminishing...

 

[MrChewiebitums]

but how can you be sure its a load of bull?
i`m not saying i disagree, but you know, how can we be so sure its rubbish?
i`ve seen a few pictures of these crazy cultures who make the people wear some crazy thing on their body and they kind of start to grow into it. obviously this is a much extreme example.

 

[The Creator]

but how can you be sure its a load of bull?
i`m not saying i disagree, but you know, how can we be so sure its rubbish?
i`ve seen a few pictures of these crazy cultures who make the people wear some crazy thing on their body and they kind of start to grow into it. obviously this is a much extreme example.

You know to be honest I have never seen any science on the benefits or lack there of in concerns to wearing a weight belt to decrease the size of ones midsection. However, through 5 years of university education in regards to exercise science and countless hours of independent study, I kinda start to recognize rubbish. If this were indeed the case that doing so would decrease the size of ones waist, I'm sure the mainstream would have caught on to it by now. I understand bro that it is hard to know for sure sometimes but I can pretty much guarantee you this one.

 

[tim290280]

I was watching the Ronnie vid "On the Road" (something like that)
and at one point doherty asks him how he managed to reduce the size of his waist for the previous olympia (forgot which one) and he stated that Weider and Chad N told him to wear the belt as much as he can even when not training, he didnt say how tight.

what are your thoughts?

I have a rock that keeps away bears. It really works, because I've never seen a bear.

You know to be honest I have never seen any science on the benefits or lack there of in concerns to wearing a weight belt to decrease the size of ones midsection. However, through 5 years of university education in regards to exercise science and countless hours of independent study, I kinda start to recognize rubbish. If this were indeed the case that doing so would decrease the size of ones waist, I'm sure the mainstream would have caught on to it by now. I understand bro that it is hard to know for sure sometimes but I can pretty much guarantee you this one.

I agree with you Creator.

I posted a review on weightlifting belts and have read a bit on them, I've battled to find anything that supports the use of belts for general training, let alone anything else (heavy lifts it is good). So as for Ronnies claim and the advice I can think of any number of things that could have made the difference. Not least of which is him practicing a vacuum pose where-ever he goes.

 

[miamiracing]

wearing a belt for the whole workout=fail

If you use it do it for your heavy,short sets of big exercises. Why would you need a belt for curls?

Just MHO

well some older people wear one for the whole workout because they have/had lower back injury and would have too much pain without it..

you never know the purpose why they wear it..

 

[tim290280]

^^ That isn't the case. They have done workplace studies on back injuries and belts and found it offers a placebo effect at best.

Doesn't lessen pain, doesn't help with correct spinal position, doesn't help with lowering chance of injury or reinjury.

 

[Duality]

I beg to differ. I will look for science but this came straight from my professor of exercise physiology at my university and cscs.

tightening it to that point leaves no space to inhale before completing
whatever lift you're doing is counterproductive, is widely uncomfortable, and having done it a couple times myself to try it out, has hindered my max effort set i was trying to use it for, namely deadlifts.

 

[El Freako]

tightening it to that point leaves no space to inhale before completing
whatever lift you're doing is counterproductive, is widely uncomfortable, and having done it a couple times myself to try it out, has hindered my max effort set i was trying to use it for, namely deadlifts.

QFT.

A belly full of air and abdominal contraction is better than any belt. Adding the belt is a bonus.

 

[Duality]

QFT.

A belly full of air and abdominal contraction is better than any belt. Adding the belt is a bonus.

word. the ability to inhale is the most important as it's that action that really allows you to brace as you lift. you need that belly of air in you. i've tried it the way where you tighten it as tight as physically possible, it is absolutely counterproductive.

 

[El Freako]

From Dave Tate:

Now that your upper back is tight you'll need to tighten your midsection. First, expand your abdomen as much as possible. When you pull air into your body it should be into the diaphragm, not the chest. Expand you belly and push it out against your belt. This will stabilize and support the lower back and not elongate the spine. If you're having a hard time trying to figure this out, then wear your weight belt one notch loose and push into it with your belly so it becomes tight.

From Thomas Phillips:

Style Issue #6: How do you get the most out of your belt? When you deadlift, don’t make the belt too tight. I like to go one notch looser than my squat. If the belt is too tight, you’ll find it hard to pressurize your abs when you go down to get the bar. Also, you’re likely to feel very uncomfortable in that bottom position. Instead, go one notch looser. Take a nice deep breath at the top while you are standing over the bar. Then squat, pressurizing the abs at the bottom, and PULL!

 

[El Freako]

He's Terry's big brother...