Whether to wear a belt on light day or not

[perman]

I'm not sure whether it's recommended you drop the belt on the light. I'm a dude who gets a lot out of my belt, or maybe I'm just weak unbelted.

Light day with a belt is pretty light, while if I don't wear it, it's not quite as hard as for instance a set on 3x5 day (did TM recently, but deload week followed by sickness and back issues made my squat plummet, so gonna do a couple of weeks of SS on the squat), but it's pretty close perception-wise at least.

Previously, I used to do light day beltless since I've seen many say never to wear a belt below 80% of 1RM (which is above for instance volume day I believe, but I still use belts on volume day), but since some back issues have resurfaced recently, I've done them with a belt since I consistently get less back pain during the workout then.

What are your thoughts here?

[Michael Wolf]

Sounds like you should wear the belt.

[Immortal_k]

I've yet to see any good reason for anyone to not wear a belt, given that they are technically proficient. "no-belt' is just part of the raw hysteria.

[perman]

Sounds like you should wear the belt.

Cool, but do people generally forego the belt on a light day? Never been sure exactly how heavy a light day should feel, and my intuition tells me it feels a bit too light with the belt.

[Michael Wolf]

Cool, but do people generally forego the belt on a light day? Never been sure exactly how heavy a light day should feel, and my intuition tells me it feels a bit too light with the belt.

I've seen and done both ways myself, there's no absolute rule. If you do both volume squats and your deadlifts on volume day, you very well may feel trashed on light day and it'll feel heavy even at much lower percentages than 80. If you squat and power clean, and save DL for intensity day, there's a better chance light day squats will feel light.

[perman]

I do the latter, because of the back issues mainly, hate deadlifting while fatigued. This answer is reassuring though, I suppose a better way to modulate how hard it is would be with the load? I've usually done 20% of 3x5 on advanced novice and 15% of VD on TM, beltless though. I can't quite get over the habit of wanting light day to be a little hard, but then again, never noticed any fatigue actually destroying ID either. So long as it doesn't interfere with ID, light day can be highish in the 80-90% range of VD right? Seen 90% be more commonly recommended for bench press/press, while 80-85 being more recommended for squats, but I've usually gone by whether light day felt "light enough".

[Michael Wolf]

I've usually done 20% of 3x5 on advanced novice and 15% of VD on TM, beltless though.

You mean 20% & 15% less, i.e. 80% and 85%, right?

I can't quite get over the habit of wanting light day to be a little hard, but then again, never noticed any fatigue actually destroying ID either. So long as it doesn't interfere with ID, light day can be highish in the 80-90% range of VD right? Seen 90% be more commonly recommended for bench press/press, while 80-85 being more recommended for squats, but I've usually gone by whether light day felt "light enough".

I view those %'s as the top end. If you feel good and not terribly destroyed from VD, up to 90% for 5 on pressing movements and up to 80% for 5 on squats. If you feel trashed, adjust down accordingly. There are plenty of ways to do this, including, if you need to feel a little weight, using those %s for fewer reps.

I've done my light day squats with 65% - and only for one set of five - of what I did two days earlier for 5x5 on volume day. The main purpose of recovery day is, shockingly, to recover. Don't undo this necessary part of the weekly cycle because you "want light day to be a little hard."

[perman]

You mean 20% & 15% less, i.e. 80% and 85%, right?

Yeah, of course I just usually work my mental arithmetic by for instance subtracting 10% off my weight, so I tend to think in terms of reduction.

I view those %'s as the top end. If you feel good and not terribly destroyed from VD, up to 90% for 5 on pressing movements and up to 80% for 5 on squats. If you feel trashed, adjust down accordingly. There are plenty of ways to do this, including, if you need to feel a little weight, using those %s for fewer reps.

I've done my light day squats with 65% - and only for one set of five - of what I did two days earlier for 5x5 on volume day. The main purpose of recovery day is, shockingly, to recover. Don't undo this necessary part of the weekly cycle because you "want light day to be a little hard."

Thanks, may have been overdoing it, not sure. Did crash pretty hard a month ago on ID day, perhaps that was why, though I didn't "feel" fatigued.