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What are powerlifting belts for? [Article]

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Nov 21, 2019 9:30:00 AM

What are lifting belts for

What are powerlifting belts for? 

 
Powerlifting belts help you lift more and protect your spine at the cost of underdeveloping your core in proportion to your overall strength. More details in this article.
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What is your why 

 
Before we go into the details of what powerlifting belts are for, let me ask you a couple of questions: 
 
  • Why do you want to lift 
  • Why do you want to change your body 
  • What happens when you do 
  • What happens if you don’t 
 
These questions will make all the difference between your success and failure. Research shows that people who write down their goals and reflect on them are more likely to make them a reality. When was the last time you did this? Can you even remember? If not, it is time to get a pen and paper and start. Many people go about their lives like this: 
 
  • What do I want 
  • How do I get it 
  • Why do I want it 
 
This can get you very confused. What you want changes hundreds of times a day depending on what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. Based on your senses your body will act instinctively and immediately. This was great to survive in the wilderness. It is suboptimal when the rewards are delayed which is the case for promotions, your pension and saving for a house. If you want to understand this on a deeper level read the excellent book Nudge. In short focusing on what you want in the short term will leave you fat, lonely and unsatisfied. Something interesting happens when you flip these questions on their head: 
 
  • Why do you want something 
  • How do you get it 
  • What needs to be done 
 
This way you will focus on fulfilling your purpose. Your eye will be on the long term goals and your thoughts and actions will become more connected. Success will follow with time and you will be happier even if it means that you to do the things now which you don’t really feel like doing whatsoever. If you want to know how this works on a psychological level read Daniel Kahneman's thinking fast and slow. Simon Sinek's Ted talk on the golden circle will change your life. 
 
 

Powerlifting 

 
Powerlifting is the sport of the total. Your total consists of three lifts. These three lifts are the bench press, squat, and deadlift. You have three attempts to lift your maximum for each lift. The best attempt for each lift will be counted towards your total. Based on your total you will be ranked against your competitors. 
 
A big difference in lifting weights in the gym is that you will be judged. Three referees will observe your actions from three different angles. They decide whether you performed according to the standards of the federation you are competing in. Two out of three judges have to agree for your attempt to qualify. You need at least one qualifying attempt for each lift to make it on the board. 
 
Your total usually splits into 40/40/20. Your squat and deadlift roughly contribute 40 percent each while the bench press adds up to 20 percent. You will be well advised to get strong legs to compete in powerlifting
 
Belts help you to protect your spine and lift more weight. Use them wisely to improve performance and train harder. You have several options for belts. 
 

Powerlifting belts 

 
There are a lot of different versions of powerlifting belts out there. The most common are: 
 
 
The best options for powerlifting purposes are lever belts. Especially for individual use. If you want a belt to share among the family or for multiple gym members this is not the ideal solution as they have to be adjusted with a screwdriver. 
 
Single prong belts are the all-around option in leather for Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting purposes alike. They are easy to get in and out of and provide a lot of stability. The only disadvantage compared to lever belts is that is a lot harder to get them as tight without a lever. The advantage is that the lever mechanism will not get in the way of Oly lifts. 
 
Double prong belts are often the ones of lower quality. If you get one look for high-quality leather which is thick. As these belts are smaller than their counterparts they are more likely to fall apart when they are of poor quality. They are also annoying to close. The advantage is that they are not as broad and can also be worn by smaller athletes for support without inhibiting mobility. 
 
Velcro belts are not powerlifting Belts. Forget about them for lifting heavy.
 

What are powerlifting belts for

 
Powerlifting belts will add about 5 to 10 percent to your maximum depending on how strong you are already. They protect your spine and create a more rigid midsection to lift heavier for longer. This bears the risk of creating weak abs which are more likely to rip at later stages of the process. 

Topics: Powerlifting