Charles Barkley, an NBA Hall of Famer who retired due to a lower back injury, is credited with saying this.
After witnessing my friend experience episodes of lower back pain early in his lifting career, I can vouch for this quote. He exhibited poor form and technique throughout.
Poor mechanics and a persistent lower back injury were the end results. He found it challenging to walk, sleep, sit, and pretty much all other activities.
He would take a few days off and walk it off once he felt better. He got stronger and his back pain went away after learning the right form.
He improved, but he developed a new bad habit that I see in gyms all the time. Every time he performed a strength exercise, he would wear a lifting belt.
He confirmed that once he started using a lifting belt to support his lower back, he didn’t experience any lower back pain. I was perplexed because a lifting belt is not intended to treat lower back pain.
I therefore conducted research on the subject, and you’ll be surprised by what I discovered. Let’s discuss the widely held belief that weight lifting belts can reduce back pain.
I’ll start by explaining why you should use a lifting belt and how to properly lift heavy objects.
WHY USE A BELT?
Let’s first talk about why someone might wear a belt before we discuss its use in the context of back injuries. According to research, a weightlifting belt gives your lower back more stability. 1 It does this by aiding your core muscles.
Take a deep breath and brace your trunk muscles as you approach a heavy barbell to prevent being bent in half by the weight of the bar. Breathing and tightening our abdominal muscles together increase the pressure inside our abdomen and greatly increase stability. Think “fill the tank” as you push your breath into your gut; this can be a useful cue for some people. Your stomach will rise and fall if you do this correctly. Not your chest. Then, hold this breath for the duration of one repetition.
In essence, when we take a deep breath, the volume of the intra-abdominal cavity of the body will increase. If we brace our trunk muscles in conjunction with this expansion in the core, the pressure inside the abdominal cavity increases because the volume can no longer expand. This is how intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is created.
Think of IAP like an unopened soda can. A full, unopened soda can will remain sturdy and not break under your weight if you place it on the ground and stand on it. This is due to the can’s strength and stability being provided by the pressure inside.
The breathing instruction “inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up” is frequently used by coaches. If you’re attempting to lift a lot of weight, this is not the right move. If you let your air out too soon during the ascent of the squat (or you don’t take a big enough breath at the start), you have already started draining your “tank,” and ultimately cause a loss of stability. This is equivalent to opening a soda can, draining the contents, and then attempting to stand on it once more. Obviously, once the pressure inside was released, the can was instantly crushed under your weight. Hold your breath until you have passed the ascent’s sticking point, which is typically about halfway up, and only then can you begin to slowly let it out in order to maintain the desired stability.
The “natural weightlifting belt” in our bodies is activated when we lift weights with proper breathing and core muscle bracing mechanics. Therefore, a weightlifting belt is simply another “layer” on our body’s “tank. The belt serves as yet another restraint rather than serving to replace our core muscles. This can be very beneficial if you want to lift a lot of weight. %20In%20fact,%20research%20has%20shown%20that%20when%20use%20of%20a%20belt%20is%20combined%20with%20a%20correctly%20braced%20core%20and%20a%20held%20breath%20IAP%20values%20can%20increase%20anywhere%20from%2020-40%,%20which%20means%20more%20trunk%20stability 2,4-6.
HOW TO USE A BELT
When most use a weightlifting belt, they do so incorrectly. Ask yourself if this scene sounds familiar. When you turn to face the squat rack, you see a competitor exerting all of their effort to buckle their belt as tightly as they can around their midsections, as though they were donning an 18th-century corset.
In order to use a belt properly, you must breathe “into the belt” rather than just wearing it tightly around your stomach. You won’t get the benefits of the belt if you only tighten it up. Always consider putting more of your stomach into the belt before bracing against it.
According to studies, athletes who wear belts properly tend to lift heavier objects with greater force. In higher rep maximum lifts, such as an 8 RM attempt, they are also able to keep their trunk stiffness for longer repetitions. 2,3.
Check out Cardillo belts if you want to buy a high-quality belt that will last a lifetime.
WHEN TO WEAR YOUR BELT
Most athletes start wearing a belt for the following reasons:
- They believe they should wear one after seeing professional athletes wearing them.
- They want to lift heavier weight.
- They believe a belt will help when their back starts to hurt or is already hurting.
You don’t necessarily need to wear a weightlifting belt just because an elite athlete (who has spent years training and competing) does. Are you currently engaged in a strength sport, such as weightlifting or powerlifting?
If the answer is yes, I urge you to train for that sport without a belt for the first couple of years. During these formative years, it is essential to focus on mastering proper technique. Take this time to cultivate your “natural weightlifting belt. This will assist you in establishing a strong base of stability so that you can use better form when attempting to lift heavier weights in the future.
I strongly advise keeping belt use to a minimum if you don’t want to compete in weightlifting or powerlifting and instead use the gym to prepare for other sports (like football, basketball, or baseball). You wouldn’t wear a belt while participating in any of these sports, so wearing one in the weight room is probably not a good idea. Spend your time developing a stable torso and perfecting your lifting technique instead.
The desire to lift heavy weights is perfectly acceptable, but it should never come at the expense of technique. While using a belt on heavy lifts can be very beneficial, doing so continuously on ALL lifts may have some negative consequences. By consistently wearing a belt, the body develops a dependency on the passive support it provides. If you use the belt as a crutch, you might weaken your core. Therefore, the first priority for all lifters should be to learn how to brace and create stability on your own with lighter weight. I advise scheduling days of training with and without the belt for serious lifters so they can continue to develop their ability to maintain stability while doing heavy lifting.
Additionally, a belt should never be worn with the intention of relieving back pain or soreness. It would be equivalent to taping a hole in your car’s tire. Although it might provide you with some short-term relief, it is not a wise long-term solution. Simply put, using a belt during back pain rehabilitation is inappropriate. You can introduce a belt once pain has been completely eliminated through appropriate rehabilitation and an athlete has proven their ability to maintain adequate technique and stability while training with moderate weight.
The initial step in receiving treatment for back pain is to undergo a thorough screening procedure. Visit this BLOG POST to learn how I advise evaluating low back pain.
Always strive to lift in a secure manner and using the best technique possible. A belt can facilitate this, especially with heavy weights. Even with their best efforts, some athletes refuse to wear a belt. That’s okay, as long as they maintain good technique. However, you should be aware of proper belt usage if you intend to use one.
- Cholewicki J, Juluru K, Radebold A, Panjabi MM, McGill SM. An abdominal belt and/or higher intra-abdominal pressure can improve the stability of the lumbar spine. Eur Spine J. 1999;8:388-395.
- Lander JE, Hundley JR, Simonton RL. The efficiency of weight belts when performing several sets of the squat exercise Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1992 May;24(5):603-609.
- Zink AJ, Whiting WC, Vincent WJ, McLaine AJ. The impact of a weight belt on joint kinematics, trunk, and leg muscle activity during the squat exercise J of Strength Cond Res. 2011;15(2):235-240.
- Lander JE, Simonton RL, Giacobbe JK. The effectiveness of weight-belts during the squat exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1990;22(1):117-26.
- McGill SM, Norman RW, Sharratt MT. The impact of an abdominal belt during squat lifts on the activity of the trunk muscles and the pressure inside the abdomen Ergonomics. 1990;33(2):147-60.
- Harman EA, Rosenstein RM, Frykman PN, Nigro GA. Effects of a belt on intra-abdominal pressure during weight lifting. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1989;21:186-90.
Weightlifting Belt Benefits | Weightlifting Belt Back Pain
Reference:
https://squatuniversity.com/2019/08/07/warning-stop-wearing-a-weightlifting-belt-for-back-pain/
https://www.menshealth.com/health/a22063944/do-lifting-belts-work/