Yes or no?

I've never used one. Not sure why you'd need to. Also because it is artificial support, it could hinder the development of your back/abs which may lead to injury in the future.

It's all about intra abdominal pressure. If you remember to keep your abs tight during every single exercise you do, you'll be fine.

Try it if you like, see how it goes. Some people hate 'em, but hey, Ronnie Coleman used to wear one 24/7.

I wear one every time i do heavy squats and deadlifts. I do my first couple warm up sets without one, but once i'm doing >75% of my max i strap one on for lower back support.

Wearing a belt does not take load off of the abs or lower back muscles, but helps prevent damage to the lower lumbar by increasing the intra abdonminal pressure. You basically create a more solid "gut" that places pressure on the anterior part of the spine while the belt is pushing on it from the back. They are made to prevent injuries and will not lead to any underdevelopment of stabilizing muscles when only used for max or near max lifts on the major power lifts.

Imho youre not going heavy enough if you feel like you dont need one on your heaviest sets. Heavy squats are my best/favorite lift and I'd feel like a dummy if a injured myself because i thought i was too tough to wear a belt during my final 2-3 heavy sets.

Never. Not for maxes, or super maximal efforts. Nor for bench.

Side note: I once saw someone hanging a weight from their weight belt and doing pull-ups, anyone here do that, and if so, how did you rig it?

Yea, the ones with the chains are perfect for weighted pullups/dips.

We had them at the school weightroom. Lately I've been grabbing dumbells with my feet though. There's a cute and skinny girl at my gym who brings her own and does a few chinups with a 45-plate. Hotness.

No to weight belts, gloves and lifting straps as support products.

Weight belts are OK to use for weighted dips and chins.

i was thinking of getting one, but i have a pre-existing back injury and trying to do perfect form squats last month almost killed me.

A weight belt will likely not help, concentrate on strengthening your core and rehab'ing your injury before squatting.

Use google books and search:

Low Back Disorders: Evidenced-based Prevention and Rehabilitation

Page 158 has information on weight belts.

I love my belt for doing back workouts. I feel naked when deadlifting without my belt.

Two things helped me raise my deadlift and squat numbers: abandoning the belt and almost never using grips/straps.

really that much hate on gloves?

can I get an answer why w/o flaming plz

Lotta reasons. Some better than others.

Grip strength is often the limiting factor in certain lifts (esp deadlifts). Using straps prevents you from developing that which slows you from ramping up true weights.

Develop your grip strength; it's useful for a lotta stuff. (Preempt jack-off jokes here).

I sometimes use straps for deadlifts just to test a new range on the last set. Most recommend chalk over any other grip aid/callous guard.

what about just plain gloves without straps? my brother used to use them, i own a pair but have never really lifted enough to need them until possibly now or maybe in a couple months, just to avoid callouses and whatnot. and i feel like i would feel pretty cool if i was wearing them, so that's a bonus.

"If you insist on wearing gloves, make sure they match your purse", Mark Rippetoe as quoted from Starting Strength Basic Barbell Training 2nd Ed.

Do you still get callouses with gloves? My buddy does. Also, I use a callous file to take care of my hands and it works great.

I just choke it much more carefully.

Gloves just add extra loose padded fabric between your hand and the bar. At best, if your hands are sweating they may prevent slippage but you sacrifice grip strength development.

Are you guys seriously worried about calluses? I'm not trying to be a jerk but come on...what the hell do you need girly-soft hands for anyways?

zycon,

You don't spend much time with women or lifting it seems. The two aren't really suitable for one another.

I've had some pretty rough hands from using grippers and martial arts. It's only a problem when there's enough callous that a heavy bar or gripper gets leverage to peel the skin off you, which is nasty indeed.

I dunno, women sometimes seem to like rough hands too. You don't have to use them roughly.

Belts are a badddd idea if you're not maxing out. Peple who wear weight belts ALL the time are just total morons. Putting too much reliance on the belt = weak lower back

I would say only use it for maxing out on squats + dl's


oh and gloves are for women; so is that pad that some people like to put on the squat bar because, "it hurts their neck"

**** people, grow a pair will ya?

/gym rant off

This is true. Sometimes I get a couple that rip or in the vague middle between needing to be clipped or ripping or whatev... That annoys me somewhat.

That's mainly why i was asking, to see if you're actually sacrificing some sort of development i hadn't thought of, but i don't see how it could hurt your grip strength. I don't really mind having callouses, i did rowing in high school and got them 5x worse than i ever would from lifting, just didn't know what most people did.

what is better gloves or lotion?