Weightlifting belt

[sgarciac]

Hi all, I was wondering when should I start using a belt, I'm still a novice, my lifts are:

Squat: 89kgx5
Deadlift: 102.5kgx5
Press: 35kgx5
Bench: 57.5kgx5

I'm currently perfecting my form in all these exercises, and wanted to know if it was wise to start using a belt right now?
thanks

[Mark Rippetoe]

Type less, read more.

The Belt and the Deadlift | Mark Rippetoe

[Ben Baker]

Usually when you begin to ask whether you should be using a belt or not, it's time to start using a belt. Read the article Rip linked above and you'll be off to a good start.

[sgarciac]

Usually when you begin to ask whether you should be using a belt or not, it's time to start using a belt. Read the article Rip linked above and you'll be off to a good start.

Yeah I read it, it's a pretty good article, next workout I will start using my belt, however I think I need to watch some videos on how to properly use it, to take the best advantage of it, thanks.

[Devyn Stewart]

I've been wondering about this too. My numbers are quite a bit higher than yours (though I'm also probably quite a bit taller, so I don't know how close we are relatively), but I've avoided a belt for a long time now because I was told it would help me to learn how to properly brace. Also, I read Rip's article, and it really only made the question more difficult to answer. The article really only answers the question, "Should I wear the same belt deadlifting that I do while squatting?" It doesn't really answer the question of, "Should I wear a belt at all?" But it sure sounds like the SS community as a whole tends to advocate the use of a belt and/or belts.

[Fulcrum]

The belt will help you ...

use the largest weight possible with the most muscle mass over the most effective range of motion.

[sgarciac]

I've been wondering about this too. My numbers are quite a bit higher than yours (though I'm also probably quite a bit taller, so I don't know how close we are relatively), but I've avoided a belt for a long time now because I was told it would help me to learn how to properly brace. Also, I read Rip's article, and it really only made the question more difficult to answer. The article really only answers the question, "Should I wear the same belt deadlifting that I do while squatting?" It doesn't really answer the question of, "Should I wear a belt at all?" But it sure sounds like the SS community as a whole tends to advocate the use of a belt and/or belts.

Yeah, I never used a belt before because people said to me it takes out completely the core/ab work, however it have a lot of benefits and gives support to the lower back which I'm having problems right now.

[A Schenck]

Yeah, I never used a belt before because people said to me it takes out completely the core/ab work

1) Wear a belt 2)brace hard against the belt while lifting 3) Immediately understand how silly it is to say that wearing a belt takes away core work.

Should I wear the same belt deadlifting that I do while squatting?

You should probably use the same belt. How tall are you?

[Eric Schexnayder]

I never used a belt before because people said to me it takes out completely the core/ab work

How does a belt "take out the ab work" if it allows you to squeeze your abs even harder than you could without it?

You may want to purchase - and read - a copy of SSBBT3. Basic questions like this are answered therein.

[Devyn Stewart]

You should probably use the same belt. How tall are you?

I know that I should probably wear the same belt. I'm 6'3" with a particularly long torso in relation to my body (my head hits the ceiling in just about every car I sit in). I'm considering buying a 4" leather belt here soon. I'm currently on LP and working my way into PR territory. But I wasn't asking the question, I was simply point out that that was the question Rip's article was answering, not the OP's question.