first time user of weight belt, risk of hernia

[beltuser]

I am writing to ask you a question about use of the weight belt. I herniated a disc in my low back 3 years ago while deadlifting poorly. I've corrected those form issues, and I have the go ahead from my doctors. I am finally progressing toward my old maximums and the weight at which I hurt myself. My back twinges at those loads, and so I got a good belt for support and confidence: 4 inch all around, 10mm, single prong.

I am currently deadlifting about 300lbs with no belt. My back twinges at that weight, everything else is fine. I'm not hurting myself, but I do notice my back. I am doing low bar back squats correctly for the first time in life, so I am starting small and I am currently doing 150lbs. I decided to start with the belt at these lower weights rather than introduce it later so that I am familiar with it as I progress.

When I wear the belt, I "notice" my pelvic floor. That is, I understand for the first time where the doctor has been putting his finger before he says turn and cough. I focus on raising and tightening my pelvic floor when I lift anything. So now I'm getting scared about inguinal/scrotal hernia to my pelvic floor. I have never hurt myself in that way before, I am currently not hurt, and I don't want to get hurt. I can even feel it a little as I breath deeply into my abdomen before I even get the weight off the rack when I am wearing the belt. The belt is very new to me.

If I loosen the belt by one hole it moves around when I am in the low position. It's snug where it is, but not so tight as to affect my form in a negative way. I just don't understand how I can lift twice as much weight in the deadlift with no sensation that I might hurt my pelvic floor with no belt, and feel an uncomfortable sensation in that same area with half as much weight with the belt. I have never felt discomfort in that area before.

What are your thoughts on this? How do I proceed to take advantage of the benefits of the belt without hurting my guts? I finally have a head of steam, and I don't want a setback just as I am moving in the right direction.

[Mark Rippetoe]

How does one raise and tighten one's "pelvic floor"? Do you not have enough to think about when your squat already?

[Buchanan]

How does one raise and tighten one's "pelvic floor"?

Kegels. It's a strange world out there.

[Dave_G]

Kegels. 3 sets across.

[Bluntschli]

Just to be clear.... the pelvic floor is your taint, right?

[tertius]

Just to be clear.... the pelvic floor is your taint, right?

More or less, yes.

Kegels. It's a strange world out there.

I gather they can be useful for dudes?

What are your thoughts on this? How do I proceed to take advantage of the benefits of the belt without hurting my guts? I finally have a head of steam, and I don't want a setback just as I am moving in the right direction.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say you don't have anything to worry about, unless you already have a structural defect in the area in question.
And if you've got one of those, lifting may or may not make it more likely to fail, and a repair may be inevitable anyway.

So don't worry about it, do Kegels if you want additional work for your taint, and squat away.

[mdemauro]

My wife has pelvic floor issues for years after child birth. Her bladder was literally slipping out of place because of pelvic floor atrophy. I'm sure the basics are the same for men with a few minor differences, namely the lack of a vagina.

She was is physical therapy for months and I fought with her the entire time insisting she was wasting her time. I told her that squatting was the key. This point was all but proven when she admitted that they had her doing light leg presses as the primary exercise!

She has dumped PT and is on SS. Her doctor was blown away with her progress (she no longer worries about giving birth to her bladder). To wrap this up- One can't squat correctly without engaging the pelvic floor, thereby strengthening it. You are likely just feeling more pressure with the belt as your "guts" are more confined.

And keep up the Kegels! Perhaps you should post a vid of you doing 3x5 Kegels...

[Buchanan]

I gather they can be useful for dudes?

I don't personally do them so I can't comment on effectiveness, but they're used in treating male incontinence. Same muscles you use to stop mid-flow.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Pelvic floor. I seem to recall some of the devotees of Paul Chek, or Chekists as I have come to think of them, talking about this. They also talked about firmly pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth. Perhaps some believe closing the upper and lower alimentary and digestive chain has some value when strong exertion is required.

You can't focus on everything.

[tertius]

Pelvic floor. I seem to recall some of the devotees of Paul Chek, or Chekists as I have come to think of them, talking about this. They also talked about firmly pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth. Perhaps some believe closing the upper and lower alimentary and digestive chain has some value when strong exertion is required.

You can't focus on everything.

Pavel talks some about the importance of sphincter clenching during a lift in Power to the People, IIRC.