What Exercises Are Best for Weightlifting Belts?

Are you serious about weightlifting and want to maximize your performance while minimizing the risk of injury? You’re in luck—weightlifting belts are here to save the day! These belts support the core muscles, allowing you to lift heavier weights with greater ease and stability. 

When you fasten that belt around your waist, you’ll feel the difference in your posture and strength. No more worrying about your back or core giving out mid-lift—with a weightlifting belt, you’ll have the added confidence to push yourself to the next level. 

Why Use a Weight Lifting Belt?

Weightlifting belts have long been a staple in the fitness world, becoming the best friend of countless athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts alike. These trusty belts provide much-needed support and help reduce stress on the spine during those heavy lifting sessions. 

As you embark on your weightlifting journey, it’s essential to understand the numerous benefits of weightlifting belts, including the nylon weightlifting belt. They not only increase your safety but can also help improve stability, give you the ability to lift heavier loads and maintain better form during various exercises. 

According to a study, wearing a weightlifting belt can help lifters maintain a better lumbar position and reduce the risk of injuries. 

Exercises You Can Do Using Weightlifting Belts

Let’s explore some critical exercises that leverage the benefits of weightlifting belts, ensuring top-notch performances and workouts.

Deadlift 

Often hailed as the king of all weightlifting exercises, the deadlift targets multiple muscle groups, putting significant stress on your lower back. A weightlifting belt can provide extra support and reinforce proper form, reducing the chances of injury.

How to Do It?

• Put the bar over your shoelaces and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hinge forward and push your hips back to get your torso parallel to the floor. 
• Double overhand, grab the bar, and pull it just a little. Ensure that your armpits are pressed and raised above the bar.
• Pull up the bar as your hips are lowered.
• As you pick up the bar, ensure you have pulled it up straight.
• Be sure to distribute your weight throughout the entire foot evenly. 
• Reverse the motion to return to the starting position once your hips are locked out. 
• Repeat as many times as necessary. 

Overhead Press

While overhead presses don’t cause as much stress on the lower back as squats or deadlifts, using a weightlifting belt can still be beneficial. Overhead presses require a lot of core stability, and a weightlifting belt can help you maintain proper form throughout the movement. Pair the belt around your midsection, just above your navel.

How to Do It?

• Place your hands next to your shoulders while holding the bar on your front shoulders.
• Press it over your head when the bar is balanced over your shoulders and midfoot.
• As you raise your shoulders to the sky, lock your elbows at the top.
• Grasp the bar at the top for a little moment. Repeat by lowering it back to your front shoulders. 
• Use your legs sparingly and maintain them straight.

Back & Front Squat

Squats are crucial to developing lower body power, but improper technique or too much load can wreak havoc on your spine. A weightlifting belt aids in supporting your back in a safer position, allowing you to focus on driving the weight up without worrying about potential injuries.

How to Do the Back Squat?

• Put a barbell on your traps and securely load it behind your head.
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your chest raised, and your toes slightly pointing out.
• Set your legs to the side and sit back on your hips, lowering your butt to the floor. Make careful to extend your knees and maintain a forward stare.
• Pause when your thighs are parallel to the ground, then push with your full foot to stand back up.

How to Do the Front Squat?

• Place a barbell on your shoulders and securely load it onto your front side.
• Just outside your shoulders, hook your fingers in an underhand grasp, and lift your elbows.
• Squat down by starting with your hips, bending your knees, and lower your butt toward the ground.
• Avoid letting your chest drop, and your knees sag by fighting the urge to slump forward.

Bench Press

Belts aren’t just for lower body lifts! Utilizing a belt during the bench press can increase intra-abdominal pressure and stability, which in turn helps you lift more weight more efficiently.

How to Do It?

• Lay flat on the bench with your hands at your sides and your feet flat on the ground.
• Your shoulder blades must be pressed together and in contact with the bench.
• Lift the weight while inhaling, keeping your upper back taut.
• Make sure your upper back is taut at this time.
• Breathe deeply, unlock the elbows, and bring the bar to your chest.
• For the remaining reps, push it back and press yourself to the bench.

Barbell Rows

Strengthening your back muscles is no easy task, but barbell rows are a staple. A weightlifting belt can help alleviate spinal stress during this pulling exercise, ensuring your lower back remains safe and supported throughout the movement.

How to Do It?

• Initially, place your feet shoulder-width apart as you stand.
• Grab the bar as you squat down with your knees slightly bent and your hips lower than your shoulders.
• Brace your torso and maintain a flat back.
• Lift the bar and get to your feet.

The Bottom Line

Weightlifting belts are all the rage these days. They are super comfortable and sturdy, providing the best support any lifter can request. Using a weight lifting belt is essential for safe and effective lifting, but not all exercises benefit. Squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, barbell rows, and bench presses are some exercises that benefit from using a weightlifting belt. 

By providing additional support for your midsection, the weightlifting belt helps stabilize the spine, allowing you to lift heavier weights safely. So, if you want to take your lifting to the next level, invest in a weightlifting belt today!

Reference

Fong, Shirley S. M., et al. “The Influence of Weightlifting Belts and Wrist Straps on Deadlift Kinematics, Time to Complete a Deadlift and Rating of Perceived Exertion in Male Recreational Weightlifters.” Medicine, vol. 101, no. 7, Feb. 2022, p. e28918. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000028918.