Weight Belts … Friend or Foe ?
I was given Stuart McGill’s Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance by a client , great book. After reading the chapter discussing this I bring it to you . Personally , Iam not a fan of the weight belt . To me it’s a “wait” and see belt , wait to see how deconditioned your back is after using it. When I see gym goers weraing them I shutter.
Here are some of the key points of Stuart McGill’s research :
If you never injured your back, wearing a belt adds no safety.
If you injure yourself while wearing a belt, the injury is more severe.
To get the most out of weight belts, you must lift with bad technique.
If you want to lift a few more pounds, wear a weight belt.
What do you think ? Friend or Foe ?
/Agree with above posts.
Great for some, but badly used by many. Someone needs to be able to efficiently lift without one within their means before they start to use one.
Back exercises are something to always be carefully approached because they can be extremely dangerous.
When they’re ready to lift higher than their erector spinae can resist, then its time for a belt.
Hello Chloe,
Same here, there is a time and place for just about anything. The weight belt debate will probably never end.
I believe in strengthening the body so it does not need the extra outside support. Only professionally training power lifters/athletes should be using the belt. I do not think it is worth the risk for others to go beyond their means.
Take care.
Not for everyone. There might be an exception for the heavy lifting done by power lifters, but for the rest of the population I will not agree with the use of weightlifting belts. I prefer to teach them proper form and then work their way up with the weights than go the other way around.
Best,
Harris