Belt help with prioproception?

[John Dickens]

I literally cannot feel if I am keeping everything tight at the bottom of the squat. I've tried the fixes mentioned in the book. Didn't work. I've been in the belly on the floor, legs up, upper torso up so often that I'm afraid I'm going to wake up in that position one day.

I've tried resetting weight a couple times, and it didn't do anything, aside from wasting progress. As soon as I start getting around two plates on the squat, my prioproception goes to hell. About halfway down, all I get is a sense of pressure and weight that overrides pretty much everything else. So, it's a crapshoot whether I'm still tight or not on the way back up.

Would a belt help with this? Or am I missing something?

[MikeC1]

Yes, belt helps when used correctly. Are you using the valsalva?

[John Dickens]

Well. I thought I was. Just came back in from lifting.

Upon rereading a few things, including how belts work, I think I've figured out something. One, that I'm a bit of a moron. And two, part of my problem was technique.

I've been holding my breath for squats. Deep breath in before I go down and holding it. What I have not been doing is pushing my belly out. That makes all the difference in the world.

That said, it's still there a little bit, so belt time.

[halbritt]

I'll wager that you're holding your belly tight, but you just don't realize it. This assumes you're squatting heavy. There's just really no way to come up out of the hole and preserve your torso angle without keeping your belly tight. If you get a belt, then I assure you that it will become abundantly clear.

I got a nice leather one because I have back problems. It's probably overkill for my present 5RM (260). If you get one, make sure it's single-prong. I'm thinking a cheap velcro one would've done the trick and would more usable for power cleans (the leather one gets in the way).

[Carlos Daniel]

Don't think about pushing your belly out while using the belt. If you wear it tight enough, it will come naturally.