Lifting Belts!

[Primal]

Hey everyone! I recently just discovered that my gym has lifting belts! They were stored in the darkest corner and I'm pretty sure no one knew we had them LOL. We have two belts, I think both are 10mm and they both look like they are over a decade old. One is a bit smaller (made by Rombo) and is only a single prong. The other is double pronged with no brand name. I was wondering if I should consider using them for big lifts such as the squat, bench or deadlift? Also, does the single and double prong really make a difference?

Right now my lifts are at:
Squat: 225 lbs
Bench: 225 lbs
Deadlift: 400 lbs

Do you think that I should wait and get my numbers up a bit more before starting to use them? Also, how much does a lifting belt help? I'm planning on trying one on Monday to see for myself, but I think it is more beneficial to ask people who actually lift heavy than make an assumption myself :p

Thanks!

-Primal

[Hosehead]

Hey everyone! I recently just discovered that my gym has lifting belts! They were stored in the darkest corner and I'm pretty sure no one knew we had them LOL. We have two belts, I think both are 10mm and they both look like they are over a decade old. One is a bit smaller (made by Rombo) and is only a single prong. The other is double pronged with no brand name. I was wondering if I should consider using them for big lifts such as the squat, bench or deadlift? Also, does the single and double prong really make a difference?

Right now my lifts are at:
Squat: 225 lbs
Bench: 225 lbs
Deadlift: 400 lbs

Do you think that I should wait and get my numbers up a bit more before starting to use them? Also, how much does a lifting belt help? I'm planning on trying one on Monday to see for myself, but I think it is more beneficial to ask people who actually lift heavy than make an assumption myself :p

Thanks!

-Primal


Bench should never require a belt unless you are pushing enormous amounts of weight. I only use it for bent rows and deads anymore. I used to use one for squats but I found it made my form LESS strict. I cut the weight back and used better form , causing my core to get stronger , which in the long run upped my pundages. I just turned 45 and I can still squat 405 for reps without a belt. Having said that , if you do decide to use a belt , and I would say they are necessary if you are doing sets under 8-10 reps, I would use a good thick two pronged one - much like a pling belt. Don't bother with a barbie belt - the thin ones with velcro. Put enough weight on the bar and they'll blow out during a rep. Happened to me once. Get used to not using one and make your core stronger. Your deadlift seems to be far and away your best lift but if that 400 lbs is a one rep max I'd put a belt to use. And don't be one of these clowns who uses it for every single exercise in the gym. Arnold was wrong - using a belt all the time does not give you a thinner waist. Total BS.

[Primal]

Hmm I have never heard of or seen a barbie belt before. Probably a good thing. Yeah I should have specified a bit better, my 400 lbs deadlift is a 1 rep max, my 225 lb squat I can only hit 3 on and I just recently hit 225 lb on the bench last week for 6 reps, it was my first time ever trying 225 on bench. All lifts were done without a belt, straps, wraps or anything. Good stuff, I'll try it on my deadlift on tuesday then, to see how it feels. Thanks Hosehead!

-Primal

[Praetorian]

Belts, wraps, straps etc are used for safety when hitting higher end weights. When i was lifting really heavy I wouldnt use a heavy belt until hitting 5 plates on squats or deads. Knee wraps would start at 6 plates on squats. Wrist wraps at 405+ on bench press.

P

[TT Eric]

Ted, I have a questions about wrist injuries, I have sometime lots of pain in one wrist, I feel something is moving in the carpals area when I do some exercise like close-grip BP and after almost every sets of bench (it happens also on other exercises) I have to squeeze my wrist with my other hand to make it 'crack' and I can feel a slight movement among the bones.

Lately the pain have been pretty heavy as soon as I grab a bar for curling or bench pressing. The chiro says one of the carpal bones is moving out and that is causing the pain. I tried using wrist wraps, it helped a bit, but still there.

What is weird is that when it's painful, it can hurts the same with an extremely light pressure or with a heavy weight.

Do you any ideas/solutions on what to do with that!?

Thanks

Eric

[Praetorian]

When you do close grips how close are your hands? They should be shoulder width apart...if not you are not hitting the tris directly and you are putting excess strain on the wrist. Once this strain occurs you will feel it on other lifts until it settles down.

P

[TT Eric]

Yes I use shoulder width apart with a full grip like regular BP. Even though this is the exercise I feel the more movement in the carpal area, I'm not sure if it is this exercise that trigger the pain. I have been dealing with heavy pain since a month and the 2 worst episode of pain were upon waking up in the morning, the same day (Wed), what's weird is that Tuesday is a day off the gym and Monday is leg day, so it seems not to come from the gym, but from sleeping (on it maybe), so I try to be careful to let it rest straight when I sleep. Hope it will pass cause it affect many lift. I remember 25 years ago, I had pain at this same wrist and began to use wrist wraps to help and it helped at that time, pretty much why I bought some this time also.

Eric

[Primal]

Belts, wraps, straps etc are used for safety when hitting higher end weights. When i was lifting really heavy I wouldnt use a heavy belt until hitting 5 plates on squats or deads. Knee wraps would start at 6 plates on squats. Wrist wraps at 405+ on bench press.

P

Great stuff Prae, I see I still have a long way to go before I should start using them hahaha! I'll keep this in mind, thanks!

-Primal

[Praetorian]

Yes I use shoulder width apart with a full grip like regular BP. Even though this is the exercise I feel the more movement in the carpal area, I'm not sure if it is this exercise that trigger the pain. I have been dealing with heavy pain since a month and the 2 worst episode of pain were upon waking up in the morning, the same day (Wed), what's weird is that Tuesday is a day off the gym and Monday is leg day, so it seems not to come from the gym, but from sleeping (on it maybe), so I try to be careful to let it rest straight when I sleep. Hope it will pass cause it affect many lift. I remember 25 years ago, I had pain at this same wrist and began to use wrist wraps to help and it helped at that time, pretty much why I bought some this time also.

Eric

Are you squatting...iv seen elbow and wrist issues from holding the bar on the back.

P

[TT Eric]

No I can't squat anymore. I'm just doing (light) front squats with cross-armed grip, can't do the clean grip.

But, I do slow standing calves raise under the smith machine (usually using 405lbs), which is pretty much the same grip, I'll be more attentive to this lift the next time, to see if it's the triggering exercise.

Thanks for suggestion.

Eric

[TT Eric]

I think I found what caused the pain, my wrist was going better and now it's hurting really bad (hardly can hold anything even a glass of water) until I did dips!

I re-started doing dips maybe 2 months ago since my shoulders seems to be ok enough to get back at it.

Eric