Weight lifting belts are a common sight in gyms. From beginners to advanced lifters, weight lifting belts can provide numerous benefits that enhance performance, safety, and overall training effectiveness. But does everyone understand why they are using them? Perhaps not. And perhaps by understanding how they help, you will gain even greater benefits from one.
Lifting Belts help you target the muscle for better gains
In short, a lifting belt will help you to perform more reps or add weight to exercises. By doing this you will train the target muscle more effectively and thus achieve your desired results faster 📈
Let’s use the fan-favourite Romanian Deadlift as an example. In a Romanian Deadlift (RDL) you are aiming to target your glutes and hamstrings. However, it is common that your lower back may become tired before the target muscles. In this case, you may be forced to stop your set early before you can really feel it in the target muscles. In an RDL a lifting belt will provide physical support to your lower back. This means that your lower back will get less tired during the set, allowing you to train your hamstrings and glutes harder. Training the target muscles harder results in better gains. 🍑
What about a Squat? Bear with me here because it might get a little technical, but I promise that it will make good sense in the end…
When squatting you are aiming to train your leg muscles (mostly quads and glutes). We know that for effective training you need to push a muscle close to failure. So in a squat, we need to be able to get the quads and glutes close to their limit. However, in a squat, your core needs to remain strong in order to support the weight loaded on the top of your back. The problem here is that your core may not be strong enough to allow your legs to reach anywhere close to failure. Let’s say you are squatting 50kg. Your legs may be strong enough to complete 12 reps. However, if your core is tired by rep 7, you will have to stop at rep 7. Thus, you have been prevented from pushing your legs sufficiently close to failure. And because you haven’t pushed your legs close enough to failure, your gains will be below par. 🙁
Research has shown that wearing a belt during a squat can significantly increase intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). IAP acts like an internal support system that stabilises the core during lifts. In other words, it makes your core feel stronger.
So, when you strap a belt on and increase your IAP, your core strength is improved. This prevents your core from being a limiting factor in the squat and allows your legs to be pushed closer to failure. Therefore, your leg gains are improved. ⬆️
Form Improvements and Reduced Injury Risk
There are further advantages to having increased core strength. When your core strength is no longer the sole focus of your squat, your mind will not be preoccupied with staying upright. Similarly, with an RDL you will no longer have to focus on keeping your lower back straight. This ability to lock in and focus during your lifts will likely help you improve your form. Better form will improve your performance, hit the target muscles better, and reduce the risk of injury.
Who should use a lifting belt?
Lifting belts are suitable for gym goers at any point in their lifting journey. You do not have to be lifting a lot of weight for a belt to be beneficial. Also, remember that the purpose of a belt is not necessarily to lift heavier weights. Lifting belts will also help you to target the muscle better and perform more reps. This means that a lifting belt is just as beneficial to a gym goer with purely aesthetic goals as to one who wishes to lift heavy.
However, it is advisable that newbie gym goers should train for 4-6 weeks without using a lifting belt. This is important because it will allow you to learn the fundamental techniques of different lifts. Furthermore, the gains that you will see from the first 4-6 weeks in the gym are so good that you simply do not need any extra help.
What are the best lifting belts for women?
If you are a gym girl looking to get yourself a lifting belt, there are a few features that you should look out for. Most importantly, you should make sure that the lifting belt is not too wide. Most lifting belts are designed for male lifters who have longer torsos on average. This means that the belts are wider. Therefore, they may cause discomfort for gym girls by pressing into your ribs or hips.
Other features you should look out for are a stylish design and colour options. Why spend a small fortune on a cute gym wardrobe to ruin it with an ugly lifting belt?
We believe that our Lolli Lifting Belts are the best lifting belts for gym girls (not that we are biased or anything 😉). They are designed specifically for women to ensure comfort and maximum performance. They also come in a trio of pastel colours that will compliment your gym fits.
Reference List
- Similar muscle hypertrophy following eight weeks of resistance training to momentary muscular failure or with repetitions-in-reserve in resistance-trained individuals, M C Refalo, E R Helms, Z P Robinson, D L Hamilton, J J Fyfe, Journal of Sports Sciences, 2024, Vol. 42, No. 1, 85–101.
- The effectiveness of weight-belts during multiple repetitions of the squat exercise, Lander, Jeffrey, Hundley, Joey R, Simonton, R. Leslie, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 24(5):p 603-609, May 1992.
