The bodybuilding belt is used for strength training. It ensures stabilization of the lumbar spine and increases the safety of performing complex exercises. However, the bodybuilding belt also limits the work of the muscles responsible for stabilization. What does training with the bodybuilding belt give and how to use it? See what the expert says on this subject in the attached video!
Exercise belt , otherwisebodybuilding belt(similar to a regular belt, but much wider) is used primarily by bodybuilders, people doing powerlifting, crossfit. The powerlifting belt has a constant width (approx. 10 cm) along its entire length and is thicker than the bodybuilding belt. The bodybuilding belt, on the other hand, is wider at the lumbar region, and narrower at the belly - this is what people training at the gym, including crossfitists, use most often.
Contents:
- What does the bodybuilding belt do?
- Is it worth training with a bodybuilding belt?
- How to put on a bodybuilding belt?
- Which bodybuilding belt to choose?
- How to take care of the bodybuilding belt?
- How much does the bodybuilding belt cost?
What does the bodybuilding belt do?
When lifting heavy weights, the abdominal and back muscles are intensely tense, which are designed to protect the lumbar spine during training - they are to stabilize it. If the muscles are not strong enough, the tension may turn out to be too high for them and result in, for example, protrusion of the disc or hernia. Too weak stabilizing muscles can also lead to too much muscle tension in the limbs, which can also lead to injury.
The bodybuilding belt is supposed to prevent this kind of danger - it causesto increase the pressure of the abdominal press and to better stabilize the lumbar spine . A 2001 study by scientists from the University of California1showed that the participating group of 14 he althy men performed squats with the bodybuilding belt more dynamically and for them it was noticeably easier than without the belt.
On the other hand, training with the bodybuilding belt artificially stabilizes the muscles in the central section and stops themto engage in work. This weakness can also lead to injuries, including spine injuries, ankle sprains.
Is it worth training with a bodybuilding belt?
Opinions on training with an exercise belt are divided: some are convinced that it does more harm than good, others point out that it makes it much easier to perform exercises with heavy loads, which require intensive work of the muscles stabilizing the spine.
The answer to the question about the use of a bodybuilding belt is: it's worth it, but remembering that …
1.The use of the bodybuilding belt is recommendedonly when working with heavy weights- when exercising 80% or more of the maximum weight .2.Using the bodybuilding beltis not recommended for beginners- their stabilizing muscles are not yet strong enough, and they do not work with heavy loads yet .
3.The bodybuilding belt is intended to increase training possibilities, so it should only be used when trying to break your own records and during specific exercises.
4.These exercises include, among others: deadlifts, pressing the barbell (e.g. above the head, in the supine position, in front of the chest, from behind the neck), squats (with the bar on the neck, on a Smith machine).5.If you are exercising with a bodybuilding belt, remember to include (or increase the number / intensity of) exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles in your training plan.6.It is best to remove or loosen the bodybuilding belt after each repetition, it is definitely not advisable to perform more than 10 repetitions or one series of a given exercise with the belt.7.Do not wear the bodybuilding belt for the entire training, and only for the most difficult series with the highest load.
Is it worth using the exercise belt during training?
See what our expert - Jacek Bilczyński, personal trainer, physiotherapist and nutritionist, tells about the advantages and disadvantages of wearing an exercise belt!
This will be useful to youHow to put on a bodybuilding belt?
A well-worn bodybuilding belt does not restrict movement and does not cause discomfort to the person wearing it. The exercise belt should be put exactly on the navel line, and before putting it on, exhale as much as possible and slightly pull in the stomach. The seat belt should be tightened very tightly, but not so much as to prevent you from breathing in and out freely. When exercising with the bodybuilding belt, do not perform apnea exercises, but it is advisable to breathe in the chest type.- mainly the upper chest moves when inhaling.
Too tight a belt may cause pressure on the body, hammer into it, too loose, in turn, will not fulfill the expected functions.
Which bodybuilding belt to choose?
1. Size and width
The choice of a bodybuilding belt is best consulted with a specialist - your trainer or a person working in a sports shop. The belt must be tried on first, so if you intend to buy it online, we advise you to visit a brick-and-mortar store first. Exercise belts come in different sizes and widths - you have to choose them individually. The choice of bodybuilding belts for women is smaller, but it should not be a problem to choose an S belt, and less often also a unisex XS.2. Material of workmanship and method of donning
Bodybuilding belts are made of either natural leather (cow or calf) or plastic (neoprene). Most often, bodybuilders indicate that leather belts are more durable.
Exercise belts can be fastened with buckles, Velcro, put on both the body and clothes. However, it is worth remembering that if we want to wear the belt over the "bare body", it may end up irritating the skin, especially in the case of the belt fastened with a buckle.
How to take care of the bodybuilding belt?
Exercise belt, especially the leather one, requires proper care. It is not a good idea to throw it into the wardrobe immediately after training - it is enough, for example, to hang the belt over a chair and wait for it to dry at room temperature. It is best to wash the belt with a slightly damp cloth - no detergents that could damage it.
It is also worth remembering that when the belt is clearly worn and the material from which it was made will lose its properties, it should be changed because it will no longer properly perform its function - stabilizing the spine in the lumbar region.
This will be useful to youHow much does the bodybuilding belt cost?
Although bodybuilding belts are available in many gyms, it is worth investing in your own - we will be sure that not only will it be properly selected for our body structure, but also will not wear out so quickly. And we will avoid waiting for another person to stop using it.
The prices of good quality products start from PLN 30-40, although there are also those for which we will pay PLN 100-150 (unfortunately, it often happens that the smaller - less common - size, the higher the price of the belt ).
Sources:
1. Access to the study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11710410