Hey fat guys: How do you wear your belts?

[JLB105]

For those of us that have extra layer(s) of jello around our waists, how do you setup and position wearing your belts. Sometimes I feel it moving up on me in the back. Sometimes I feel pinching. Sometimes I feel belt digging into top of my hips when in bottom position of squat.

[omaniphil]

For those of us that have extra layer(s) of jello around our waists, how do you setup and position wearing your belts. Sometimes I feel it moving up on me in the back. Sometimes I feel pinching. Sometimes I feel belt digging into top of my hips when in bottom position of squat.

I find I don't need to make the belt as tight as I used to think I needed it. Trying to get that extra hole by sucking in the gut when standing up leads to much pain when squatting. Going one hole looser still provides enough support once you're down in the bottom squat position. It still sometimes pinches though. My wife sometimes asks me if I had a heavy squat day at night when she sees red marks on my belt line.

[Danny Yarbrough]

I find I don't need to make the belt as tight as I used to think I needed it. Trying to get that extra hole by sucking in the gut when standing up leads to much pain when squatting. Going one hole looser still provides enough support once you're down in the bottom squat position. It still sometimes pinches though. My wife sometimes asks me if I had a heavy squat day at night when she sees red marks on my belt line.

I actually bought a belt recently, but I didn't use it for squats so far because I had the same problem as OP (especially pinching on my belly fat...that hurt terribly sometimes).

Thanks for your advice though, I will try to loosen my belt and hope this helps.

It would be unfortunate if I can't squat with a belt - it was a costly investment after all...

BR,
Phil

[TwoFours]

Im opposite of Omaniphil, when the belt is tight it doesnt move at the bottom of the squat BUT it does damage to my ribcage (i think I might currently have a crack in one of my ribs because of it). But when I've tried to go one belt hole looser, it comes up in the back when I hit the hole. SO Ive decided to deal with the ribcage pain instead of having the belt move around. As far as placement, now that my ribs hurt, Ive been testing out wearing the belt lower (ie below my belly fat) but once in a while in this position, the belt slip up in the back. Its a tough spot for me. 10 pounds ago the belt was perfect. Maybe I just need to lose a few.

[FatButWeak]

George Leeman, who at one time recently was the US record holder in deadlift recommends a higher belt position. He has a belly.

Here's a video from him on the subject: My Opinion on Belt Position for a Huge Deadlift! - YouTube

I have always worn a belt pretty low, around my navel/hips. LAtely, however, for back squats, ive been wearing it higher, like George. Althopugh it takes a workout or two to get used to it, I feel it gives better support for squats and deads. For Bench and press, however, im still wearing around my navel. Wearing around the navel supports my guts better, wearing high supports the back better.

[Les Hahn]

I wear a 4" belt for squatting and OHP. The bottom of my belt is set right above my navel, so it is a little high. For deadlift I wear a 3" belt that is also much thinner. I may buy a 10mm thick belt soon though. I wear it in the middle of my navel.

[tdood]

I wear it a little low for deadlifts, it kind of holds my gut in, helping my get in a better start position.

[Hans Bachmann]

George Leeman, who at one time recently was the US record holder in deadlift recommends a higher belt position. He has a belly.

Here's a video from him on the subject: My Opinion on Belt Position for a Huge Deadlift! - YouTube

I have always worn a belt pretty low, around my navel/hips. LAtely, however, for back squats, ive been wearing it higher, like George. Althopugh it takes a workout or two to get used to it, I feel it gives better support for squats and deads. For Bench and press, however, im still wearing around my navel. Wearing around the navel supports my guts better, wearing high supports the back better.

My torso is so short, that my 4" belt has a fixed position in the back, and 2cm of wiggle room in the front. 1cm down means i bruise my gut and hips, and 1cm up means that all the tension is in my upper abs, my lower abs can't contract as hard and my lower back has to do all the work.

I wear it a little low for deadlifts, it kind of holds my gut in, helping my get in a better start position.

I leave my gut hangin' out below, so i have to pull myself in position, built-in Deadlift-suit, yo.

[Michael Grantham]

For squats, I wear it slightly lower in the front than the back. For deadlifts, I wear it a bit lower in the front than I do for squats.
I use the rack to pull it tight without sucking in my gut.