belt question again (sorry) - a belt that is too loose?

[danlightbulb]

Hi guys,

Question 1: What are the signs/symptoms of a belt is marginally too loose? Context: I can't get my belt any tighter, but have been thinking recently that it still may be too loose, which brings me on to question 2.

Question 2: My belt has a quick release buckle i.e not a traditional roller and pin. The way you would tighten a traditional roller and pin belt is to use the leverage of the belt against the roller by pulling it outwards, then slip in the pin. With a quick release buckle (see: http://www.zuluglove.com/sold-out--p...et--l-46-p.asp) it is not possible to use leverage to tighten the belt beyond how far you can pull it with your hand. The question is, could it be that the design of this belt is preventing me getting it quite tight enough? Has anyone else had this issue with this design of belt?


I have still not got fully comfortable with my belt (after several months messing about with it). After much thought I have partially concluded that its not quite tight enough (or doesn't fit right in some other unidentifiable way) but I'm having trouble identifying the root cause of this.

Thanks

[hollismb]

Have you tried using the rack to help you get it tighter?

[Adam Skillin]

Hi guys,

Question 1: What are the signs/symptoms of a belt is marginally too loose? Context: I can't get my belt any tighter, but have been thinking recently that it still may be too loose, which brings me on to question 2.

Question 2: My belt has a quick release buckle i.e not a traditional roller and pin. The way you would tighten a traditional roller and pin belt is to use the leverage of the belt against the roller by pulling it outwards, then slip in the pin. With a quick release buckle (see: http://www.zuluglove.com/sold-out--p...et--l-46-p.asp) it is not possible to use leverage to tighten the belt beyond how far you can pull it with your hand. The question is, could it be that the design of this belt is preventing me getting it quite tight enough? Has anyone else had this issue with this design of belt?


I have still not got fully comfortable with my belt (after several months messing about with it). After much thought I have partially concluded that its not quite tight enough (or doesn't fit right in some other unidentifiable way) but I'm having trouble identifying the root cause of this.

Thanks

Well, how tight is it? Got video?

[Sean Stangl]

Lever belts are typically adjusted by unscrewing the lever hardware and moving the mounting plate. Does yours not have screws?

[danlightbulb]

Have you tried using the rack to help you get it tighter?

This is what Im trying to say, this method cannot be used with the design of belt because its not got a roller/pin buckle.



The only way to tighten it is to pull the end and the buckle in opposing directions. There is no way to use additional leverage to do it.

The reason Im asking is that Ive exhausted other options and so find myself looking again at the belt as the cause. If the belt was too loose (ever so slightly) can continued use cause or exaggerate postural problems, or cause or exaggerate problems holding a valsalva. If tightness is fluctuating marginally during a squat, then could that cause physical problems?

[Josh K]

I have this exact belt and I can crank it just as tight as my lever belt. Tight enough that the hole I use has stretched to twice the size.

To get it as tight as I like it I exhale completely, stretch up and suck my gut in. If you do that you can get it tighter than you'll ever need it to be and with no struggle.

Not sure how you'd tell if it's too loose. When you take a big breath and contract your abs does the belt resist it a little bit? Really, when it's tight enough, you'll just know.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Wow! It's great to learn something new about belts and buckles. Clever idea, that, especially with the unique, grip friendly shape of the tongue.

Anyhoo, to your questions and some of my own.

Question 1: If it's too loose for you feel a solid base for the valsalva in your midsection when you suck in air and hold it before starting your rep, it's probably too loose to be effective in stabilizing your spine like want it to.

Question 2: I don't have any issues with belt or design, it's damn clever. I note that the link says it's IPF compliant, and if so, if you intend to compete, you might want get a reading on that from the federation you lift might choose to lift in. But for training? Looks great!

My Question: When you say you can't get you belt any tighter, are you saying you have cinched it up to the last hole? If so, get or borrow a drill or leather punch of the same size as the other holes and punch a few more. I recommend following the same hole spacing already on the belt (which looks like it has a pretty standard hole spacing to me) if you feel you can cinch it up to that additional degree. If not, you might have the new holes a little closer, but then you run the risk of tearing through. The standard spacing is what it is to prevent that from happening.

Hmmm, maybe I could talk Rip into getting behind a belt technician certification. Yeah, that's the ticket!

[danlightbulb]

I have this exact belt and I can crank it just as tight as my lever belt. Tight enough that the hole I use has stretched to twice the size.

To get it as tight as I like it I exhale completely, stretch up and suck my gut in. If you do that you can get it tighter than you'll ever need it to be and with no struggle.

Not sure how you'd tell if it's too loose. When you take a big breath and contract your abs does the belt resist it a little bit? Really, when it's tight enough, you'll just know.

Thanks for this. I just tried your technique and got it onto hole 4 whereas Id been using it on hole 3. On hole 3, how ive been using it, is that to get a feeling of tightness against the belt my abs had to protrude quite alot. I am wondering if this is screwing up my posture (causing my abs to stick out / lordosis) and causing the issues I'm having with my throat/valsalva. Ive been round the houses several times on this whole theme and not solved it.

If the belt is just loose enough to give way slightly in the hole, can this cause physical problems like ive described? For the past three weeks Ive dropped the weight and not used the belt at all, and my abs/stomach has felt better, my posture improved (less lordosis) and my throat problems subsided significantly, so somewhere there is a link even though I can't figure out what that link is.

[Josh K]

I don't have any issues with belt or design, it's damn clever. I note that the link says it's IPF compliant, and if so, if you intend to compete, you might want get a reading on that from the federation you lift might choose to lift in. But for training? Looks great!

I think that was written before there was an approved list, so it fit the dimensions specified before, but it's not IPF legal anymore. It's a shame because the design is awesome, the belts they make are fantastic and a huge amount of people have zuluglove belts in the UK.

On hole 3, how ive been using it, is that to get a feeling of tightness against the belt my abs had to protrude quite alot. I am wondering if this is screwing up my posture (causing my abs to stick out / lordosis) and causing the issues I'm having with my throat/valsalva. Ive been round the houses several times on this whole theme and not solved it.

Yeah, if you were actively trying to shove your abs forward into the belt, that can fuck up your posture and put you in hyperextension. That's not how you should use a belt. You just put it on and forget it's there, don't try and push your stomach forward into it, just squeeze your abs and the belt will do it's thing.

[danlightbulb]

Yeah, if you were actively trying to shove your abs forward into the belt, that can fuck up your posture and put you in hyperextension. That's not how you should use a belt. You just put it on and forget it's there, don't try and push your stomach forward into it, just squeeze your abs and the belt will do it's thing.

I dont think i was pushing my stomach out deliberately, but as it was slightly loose maybe that was happening unknown to me in order to contact the belt. It wasn't enough to put me in hyperextension but it must have been enough to be giving me overall tightness issues. I just squatted with it on hole 4 and its was very tight but felt more solid on the descent and at the rebound position. Deadlifted with it on hole 4 as well but struggled to squeeze my chest up with it so tight.