Training Based on Beltlessness

[TTT]

The whole point of the belt (and even knee sleeves and relatively light knee wraps) is to allow you to load a little heavier and still work harder;

Gary - I know your reasons for the wraps and sleeves etc...
but from my point of view (as a no belt monkey) can you see how the quote above just shows "masking of weaknesses"

like MAD9692 - can't train without a belt.
sure it's probably all in his head but he has come to DEPEND on what is basically assistance gear.

makes for a weak lifter in my opinion

[Gary Gibson]

You can look at this as "a weakness" or you can look at it the way I do: as a chronic overuse symptom that I wouldn't be suffering now if I had added a bit more knee protection for my high volume training months ago.

Right now I couldn't train with 225 without wrapping my knees, particularly my left, so the wraps are helping me train through an INJURY more than they're masking a weakness.

"But you CAN'T SQUAT AT ALL WITHOUT THE WRAPS so something is horribly wrong!" come the response.

Well, I have experience with using aids to squat through injury. Back when I had that MCL sprain and chronic, huge effusion that caused muscle atrophy and months of daily draining, I kept training through the pain thanks to doubling up on knee sleeves on my right knee. Initially I had to wear my large Rheband over the medium one or I couldn't squat at all. Was I "masking a weakness" back then? I like to think I was using compression and support to get me stronger and rehabilitate my wasted leg as I took some rather drastic means (self joint aspiration) to get rid of the root problem.

So you can call it "hiding a weakness" if you must. I'm going to do what it takes to allow me to train through the niggling pains that would otherwise stop my training entirely. I want to do at least two more meets this year, maybe three, and I'm not going to work up from 135 to 315 1000% RAAAAAW for four months when using light wraps lets me push much harder while "unfairly giving" me 10 lbs out of the bottom and get closer to that 500 SQ in belt and sleeves at 198.

[TTT]

again.
I said I know why "you" do it.
you have injuries.

I get it.
you do what you have to do to train around the injuries etc.

but others who are using wraps because they feel more stable or get some sort of rebound effect or wear a belt to stabalise their backs due to having a weak back.
that is who I was refering to.

[Kyle Schuant]

plus I'm actually from the same forum of kyle aaron - its hard to justify your lifts when people think your not worthy because you wear a belt.

I don't think a beltless lift is more worthy. I just note that many people get very strong without them, and are no more injury-prone than their belted friends. In a healthy adult, I don't think belts are useful for beginners, they're counterproductive in fact. GG ain't no beginner.

In the end, it's your business. Feel free to tell Markos and those PTC goons at ausbb.com to bugger off. You have to do what feels best for you. Just make sure you know the difference between being careful of injury and being overly timid. Be bold in the gym, not stupid. In wearing a belt, GG is being careful of injuries, the healthy but scrawny guy who quarter-squats 225lbs is just being a dick.

[Gary Gibson]

again.
I said I know why "you" do it.
you have injuries.

I get it.
you do what you have to do to train around the injuries etc.

but others who are using wraps because they feel more stable or get some sort of rebound effect or wear a belt to stabalise their backs due to having a weak back.
that is who I was refering to.

Yeah, them too!

"If I don't belt, I can't squat more than about 185. So you want me to quit training because I'm old and beat up?"--Mark Rippetoe, Strong Enough?, p58

I had a whole bunch of other stuff explaining the benefits and wisdom of wraps/sleeves and a belt, but I deleted it. Some people will get very strong without ever needing these things. But most just don't have joints that robust. And getting ~400 SQ ain't really strong, but it's the 10000% RAAAAAW guys at exactly this strength level that bag on belts and knee support the most. All the really, really strong guys I know understand how smart it is for longevity and continued progress to use the appropriate apparel at the appropriate times, and how gear is allowing lifters to get their strongest into their middle years.

[Scott_Robison]

Some people will get very strong without ever needing these things. But most just don't have joints that robust.

Personally, I've got an L5-S1 grade 1 spondy, and I started wearing a belt on my work sets around 130 lbs. Made me feel safer, and now I squat more than that without a belt as a warm up. Stronger is stronger, however you get there.

[Gary Gibson]

Word, Scott.

I wanted to point out that when I'm training below a certain percentage, a belt doesn't make a difference and depending on my knee health at the time I will forgo even sleeves.

I like to do high volume starting with 50% of my meet max for a few weeks after my meet, adding ten pounds each session (Pins Into Pillars). This is great for breaking back in slowly after the max effort of a meet, for getting blood coursing through tissue and volume to spur new growth. 50% to about 70% I won't bother wearing a belt or even knee sleeves most of the time because there just really is no need and some exposure to naked training is a Good Thing. But when the intensity climbs (i.e. the weight gets heavier), the gear comes out.

If a belt and wraps help me get to a 600-lb squat with belt and sleeves, but a 500-lb squat without either, all at 198, then I would say that I've spent my training time well.

[bomb1977]

I have been leaving my belt at home for roughly the last 2 months or so. I lifts keep going up, so I really don't see the big deal.

I lift in my Nike's a T-Shirt and a pair of shorts, sometimes I wear underwear too

I'm not the heaviest lifter in the world by any means, but I'm pushing myself every workout.

[NolanPower]

Stop overthinking, put the belt on and squat the weight.

[K.Diesel]

I'm with Matt on this one. Belt up, unrack, go down, get up, repeat as necessary.

Gary, I'd especially go that route since, if I remember an earlier post of yours, you have no intention of doing an intensive phase anyway. So for all intents and purposes, there is no "base phase", there's just 3-4 weeks of tolerable hell! Move as much weight as you can during those 3-4 weeks, then get a new max when it's over.