question on weight belts

[Iamjennmedic]

I was advised to get a belt to use on my 1 rep pulls for deads and squats. Sortof as a preventative measure and to help me focus on the lift and not my back. I was diagnoised with siatica when I was 16 or so. It never really bothers me much, just on occassion when I wake up or have been sitting for a long time. So my question is - Is it a good idea to lift with a belt for my deads and squats or should I just scrap it?

[Blackjack]

I'll defer to other experts, but I was always under the impression that belts should only be worn for competition or testing 1 rep maxes...never use them in normal workouts. They'll only make your back/core weaker. Unless you're ordered to by a doctor. But I've learned that doctors aren't always the experts on fitness/nutrition they claim to be. Mine prescribed leg extensions for some kneed pain I've been having. Then on a fitcast, Alwyn, listed them as the exercise to avoid to keep from having knee pain.

So...for what it's worth.

[Lisa~]

Your understanding is pretty much correct. I love to quote Eric Cressey because he's just so very, very smart. In his Debunking Exercise Myths, Part I article he states (the bolding is mine):

Adage #5: You should wear a belt.

This issue has been addressed quite a bit, but for some reason, the message never seems to hit home with people. Perhaps the problem is that a lot of the research cited only investigates the use of belts in workplace safety scenarios and not resistance training contexts.

As is the case with a lot of these adages, the decision to use or not use a belt is goal-dependent. First, let's make it clear that you should not be using a belt for anything below 90% of 1RM; for most, this comprises sets of no more than three reps.

One of the most common misconceptions regarding belt use in a resistance training context is that simply because the belt assists in increasing intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), it must automatically reduce the compressive load on the spine. This is completely false; the belt certainly doesn't have a favorable impact on compressive forces, and may even increase the compressive load! (5)

It's readily apparent that wearing a belt has helped many lifters to move heavier weights than they would under "raw" conditions, but the question remains: do they decrease the risk of injury? Well, in consideration of the fact that they restrict the end of the range of motion in lumbar spine flexion, one would have to agree that they do, especially in those who cannot maintain a neutral spine.

Interestingly, this is one of the reasons belts can add pounds to your total; they facilitate the elastic response to torso flexion; the more neutral the spine is (as it should be), the less profound this effect is. Oddly enough, as McGill puts it, "to obtain the maximal effect from a belt, the lifter must lift poorly and in a way that exposed the back to a much higher risk of injury."(5)

An additional mechanism by which belts increase one's ability to move big weights are via expansion of the base of support to increase torso stiffness when placed under heavy loads. This stiffness helps to prevent the spine from buckling. (As someone with a pretty sound knowledge of biomechanics, I can assure you that buckling is a bad thing.) Belt use and "natural" methods to increase IAP are both effective in enhancing stability, both individually and in tandem.(8)

So what's the problem with belt use? It alters firing patterns such that the belt becomes a crutch, and important core musculature is not called upon to stabilize the spine. Considerable evidence exists to suggest that wearing a belt causes individuals to unknowingly alter their motor patterns.

Cholewicki et al. (1999) compared belt use and increasing intra-abdominal pressure "naturally" under situations where lumbar spine stability was challenged via a sudden load release (in either trunk flexion, extension, or lateral flexion). The investigators found that belt use caused activity to decrease for the thoracic erector spinae in extension and the lumbar erector spinae in flexion (8).

With all this in mind, here are four broad recommendations for belt use:

1. Gym-goers with purely physique benefits in mind have little to no use for belts.

2. Powerlifters and those most interested in optimizing strength should use belts as a means of increasing spinal stability only on their heaviest attempts. A noteworthy exception is when the belt is used to hold other equipment (e.g. squat suit, bench shirt) in place.

3. When used, belts should be coupled with natural methods of increasing IAP.

4. Use belts for winning competitions, not improving core strength.

[wannabe]

Nice point. I agree. It really annoys me when people wear their belts for everything. I think the funniest thing I saw was this guy on a treadmill with his belt and gloves.

Has your back ever bothered you during or after your workouts?