Proper belt tightness

[ianperez7]

In SS, on page 59 where it talks how to wear a belt, you mention that it is possible to wear a belt too tight. My question is how do you know if it is too tight or tight but ok?

If I am able to able to assume a proper deadlift starting position, does that mean that the tightness is ok or are there other factors to consider? I have been wearing my belt just barely snug, but recently tried 1 hole tighter, which made it fairly tight, but I'm not sure if it's a problem. I recorded a set with the tigher belt, and it looked ok, but I really felt a lot of pressure in my abs during the lift and I felt a little queasy after 1 or 2 of the reps during a very heavy 4x5 with ascending weight, but the queasy feeling passed very quickly. Does that sound like a problem?

I appreciate your help. Thanks!

[Mark Rippetoe]

If you have to stretch your abs up to get the pin in the hole, it's too tight because you won't get squeezed back down into position. The belt will literally keep you from making an effective ab contraction. But this may not be the problem with your deadlifts; sometimes a thick belt interferes with deadlift position since you have to get into the start position without the help of the loaded eccentric contraction that carries you into the bottom of the squat. A thinner belt helps my deadlift start.