| Hey there, To belt or not to belt? Poke around on the Internet, and you’ll find a lot of answers to that question, and a lot of heated debate. Many people believe that you should always wear a weightlifting belt under all circumstances because it significantly reduces your risk of injury. Others are adamantly opposed to belting for various reasons, including not actually improving performance, stunting core development, and undermining joint health. Others still are somewhere in the middle, believing that belts are appropriate for some people under certain circumstances and inappropriate for others. Who’s right? Well, there’s a bit of truth in each of these schools of thought because the reality is this: Multiple studies have shown that a weightlifting belt can improve your performance on key exercises like the squat and deadlift, but it probably doesn’t reduce your risk of injury. And that’s assuming you know how to use it properly. Most people don’t, though, and not only miss out on any possible training benefits, but actually increase their chances of getting hurt. Here’s the key to using a belt properly: You have to “activate” it by pressing your abs out and against it as you perform the exercises, thereby increasing intra-abdominal pressure levels. This helps stabilize the spine, creating a mechanical advantage that can result in slightly better performance on certain exercises. (You can achieve a similar effect with the valsalva maneuver, but not as forcefully and effectively.) That doesn’t mean you must use a belt, though. If you’re not a bodybuilder, powerlifter, or strength athlete who lives and dies by how much weight you can lift for how many reps, or if you find training with a belt particularly uncomfortable, you can do just fine without one. You should also skip the belt if you have high blood pressure or hernias, because spiking intraabdominal pressure also spikes blood pressure and can aggravate hernias. Also: If you want to learn more about the grammar of gains and how to use it to get fitter, leaner, and stronger than ever before, check out one of my bestselling books: For men trying to gain their first 25 pounds of muscle or get to 10 to 15% body fat: Click here ⇒ https://legionathletics.com/products/books/bigger-leaner-stronger/ For women trying to gain their first 15 pounds of muscle or get to 20 to 25% body fat: Click here ⇒ https://legionathletics.com/products/books/thinner-leaner-stronger/ For advanced lifters trying to reach their genetic potential for muscle and strength: Click here ⇒ https://legionathletics.com/products/books/beyond-bigger-leaner-stronger/ These books have helped tens of thousands of people of all ages and circumstances build their best body ever, and they can do the same for you. Go for it! Mike |