DL belt

[iamgmo]

Coach Rip,

I read the article you wrote, and i have a question. For a very long time i've had a 3" belt for DLs (Dean did not use to have 2.5"). The more and more time passes, the more i realize that even the 3" belt does not let me get in as good a starting position as it should (already had an injury due to the issue). Do you think a 2.5" would make enough of a difference to be worthwhile? Or should i try and find a 2" one?

Thank you!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Two inches isn't much of a belt.

[quad]

How much do you weigh? I weigh 180 lbs and I can get in position with a 4'' 10 mm thick belt, the 3'' makes no difference in back position but gives noticeably less support.

If you are sure that you can get in good position without a belt and you don't plan to compete why not just pull beltless?

[Bill Quick]

Well, I find that a belt helps a good deal with the Valsalva maneuver.

[Meshuggah]

Two inches isn't much of a belt.

Either is 2.5"

[Mark Rippetoe]

Experience has shown that 2.5 is useful.

[Immortal_k]

Are you sure this is the case? Because I'm about 99.9% sure that Dean used to exclusively have 2.5" belts and started producing 3" belts almost entirely based on the request from this board. In fact, I ordered a 2.5" belt maybe a month or two before the whole discussion started. I would have got a 3" belt if it was available at the time.

the .1% of uncertainty is due to the obvious possibility that this is an alternate universe and I have been transplanted here without my knowledge, probably while I was sleeping.

2.5" Belts? What? I'm pretty sure the standard is 4", unless you mean those semi-useful Olympic weightlifting tapered belts.

[Gwyn Brookes]

Are you sure this is the case? Because I'm about 99.9% sure that Dean used to exclusively have 2.5" belts and started producing 3" belts almost entirely based on the request from this board. In fact, I ordered a 2.5" belt maybe a month or two before the whole discussion started. I would have got a 3" belt if it was available at the time.

the .1% of uncertainty is due to the obvious possibility that this is an alternate universe and I have been transplanted here without my knowledge, probably while I was sleeping.

The reason I got a Bob's Belt is because at the time I decided to get a 3" belt, Dean was only making 2.5" belts. It is not your imagination.

[Robert Santana]

Are you sure this is the case? Because I'm about 99.9% sure that Dean used to exclusively have 2.5" belts and started producing 3" belts almost entirely based on the request from this board. In fact, I ordered a 2.5" belt maybe a month or two before the whole discussion started. I would have got a 3" belt if it was available at the time.

the .1% of uncertainty is due to the obvious possibility that this is an alternate universe and I have been transplanted here without my knowledge, probably while I was sleeping.

He may have taken them down temporarily because I'm 100% certain that I did not see them on his website during the winter.

[hollismb]

Are you sure this is the case? Because I'm about 99.9% sure that Dean used to exclusively have 2.5" belts and started producing 3" belts almost entirely based on the request from this board. In fact, I ordered a 2.5" belt maybe a month or two before the whole discussion started. I would have got a 3" belt if it was available at the time.

the .1% of uncertainty is due to the obvious possibility that this is an alternate universe and I have been transplanted here without my knowledge, probably while I was sleeping.

They probably always sold the 2.5 as a special order, because he already had the buckles from the tapered belt, but it wasn't listed on their site until very recently, probably in response to requests after Rip's article, actually. Unless it had been there before, and then was later taken off for some reason. Right now, it's listed as 'NEW', with 'Image Coming Soon' underneath. They weren't able to offer the 3 inch for a while because they didn't have the buckles, and he had to order them, back in 2011.