Should you wear a weightlifting belt at every workout?

Among the numerous sports, a significant part of people (mostly men) prefer to engage in those that make them more beautiful and stronger. And in this matter, bodybuilding and powerlifting have no equal. Now these sports are very popular and distributed throughout the planet.

If you are already involved in one of these sports (or are just planning to go to the gym), you should seriously prepare, because strength training can bring not only benefits, but also serious harm to the body. This happens not only due to improper exercise technique, but also under significant loads that exceed the capabilities of our body.

To avoid such problems, you should use special equipment, among which the weightlifter’s belt is the most effective and relevant. Let's take a closer look at this device...

What is it and for what purpose is it used?

Even people who are far from power sports probably know what such equipment looks like. In essence, this is an ordinary wide belt made of durable leather. You can buy it now at any sporting goods store. You could have seen it either in your gym on athletes lifting serious weights, or in photographs of professional athletes, both bodybuilders, lifters, and weightlifters. It is mostly used when performing traction exercises, as well as squats. However, its benefits are undeniable even under any sub-maximum physical activity in general.

How does a weightlifting belt work?

In order to better understand the need and principle of the influence of a weightlifter’s belt, let’s take a closer look at the essence of the work of our muscles during training with serious weights. When we perform an approach, our spine (especially the lumbar region) receives a tremendous load. To reduce it and prevent injury, our body reacts in the following way: the abdominal and lumbar muscles tense (often even involuntarily), breathing is delayed. As a result, there is an increase in pressure inside the abdominal cavity, which additionally fixes the intervertebral discs in their places and reduces the load on them.

Now it will be very simple to understand the principle of operation of a weightlifter’s belt: when working with serious weights, you tighten it tightly on the lower back, thus artificially increasing the pressure created inside the abdominal cavity and increasing the fixation of the spine. Thanks to these measures, the risk of injury is significantly reduced, and you can lift quite a lot of weight.

Disadvantage of using a weightlifting belt.

Despite the undeniable benefits and safety when working with large weights, this accessory still has a significant drawback. It is as follows: with frequent use of the belt, the abdominal and lumbar back muscles can very quickly lose tone, having become accustomed to relying on the help and support of the belt. This can have serious consequences - weakened muscles, even when working with light weights, may not fully perform their function, which can easily lead to spinal injury. That is why you should not use a weightlifting belt regularly, but wear it only during power approaches with maximum load, and also pay special attention to working the abdominal and torso muscles.