belt & press?

[MBasic]

Do think the belt helps w/ the strict press? . . . as far as total weight lifted?
Just like the belt help w/ everything else . . .

Or hurts? because the belt may keep you more upright? (reduces tendency to lay back, no matter how hard you try, there's always some subtle layback w/ heavy attempts)

[Sean Herbison]

Or hurts? because the belt may keep you more upright? (reduces tendency to lay back, no matter how hard you try, there's always some subtle layback w/ heavy attempts)

I don't know about you, but the belt doesn't stop my layback. I still end up doing a standing incline press at times.

[John Hanley]

Immense help here too.

[bugbomb]

I feel like the belt adds more % to my press than to my squat. Certainly more than for the deadlift.

[Adam Skillin]

Helps lots. CJ had some thoughts on this at one point, not sure if he's willing to share or saving for a future article.

[SpinyNorman]

It helps, but not enough. Press is sad.

[Adam Skillin]

It helps, but not enough. Press is sad.

Mercurial, at the very least.

[hollismb]

The belt absolutely helps with my press. I wear it a notch tighter for pressing as well. I find this to also be true for heavy curls.

[MBasic]

great, thanks for the quick responses.

I had got my press up to 205 for 2x2 . . . could 5x5 185# vol worksets. . . . hvy dbls were belted. . . vol work was unbelted.
That was I while back when I was training pretty hard.

Recently, I've been trying to re-prioritize the press (for my main upper body lift).
Finding I can just barely 5RM 185 a few weeks in a row . . . but realized/remembered w/ no belt. (Lost some body weight and/or strength too no doubt)

[dhalli]

My press absolutely sucks... I skip it often, don't prioritize it, etc. My best 3x5 has been 140, and the last set starts resembling an incline press, with mutterings of "effing press, so boring"

That being said, the belt helped me when it was new, not-broken-in, because it'd dig in and was so uncomfortable when I started laying back that I'd notice what I was doing. Now that it's broken in, it's comfortable and the lay back has probably returned.