Weightlifting belts are popular among men who lift heavy weights, but women wear them too. In fact, you can buy weightlifting belts designed just for women. Belts for weight training are wider and thicker than a fashion belt and made to fit securely around your waist. They come in several materials, the most popular being leather and Velcro. Belts made of Velcro are less popular as they don’t provide as much support and stability as those made of leather. Despite the cheaper price, ones made from leather are more secure and durable.
Why Do Weightlifters Wear Them?
The purpose of a weightlifting belt is to support your core when you lift. When you lift a heavy weight, the pressure inside your abdominal cavity increases and it does so even more if you hold your breath when you lift. The belt pushes back on your expanding abdomen and creates greater stability. With the counterpressure the belt offers, you can generate more abdominal pressure and lift a heavier weight than you can without a weight belt. Studies show that people can lift 10 to 12% more wearing a weightlifting belt. A belt also gives your back and spine more support.
A weightlifting belt is also helpful when you do overhead lifts. Many people hyperextend their back when they do overhead presses, a habit that can lead to injury. A weight training belt counters this tendency so you maintain a more neutral back and spine when you lift above your head
Should Females Wear One?
Protecting your back and spine when you lift is a benefit of wearing a weightlifting belt. However, the additional safety for your back may be risky for your pelvic floor. The base of your abdominal pelvic cavity is supported by a group of muscles called the pelvic floor. Without a strong pelvic floor, your bladder and uterus can fall, a common problem in women after menopause.
What does this have to do with weightlifting belts? When you increase the pressure in your intra-abdominal cavity over and over, it places stress on the muscles in your pelvic floor. Over time, the muscles can stretch and cause problems like urinary incontinence when you cough or sneeze. You might also find yourself running to the bathroom to urinate and barely making it in time when your bladder becomes stretched!
Other Downsides of Wearing a Weightlifting Belt
Another concern about wearing a weightlifting belt is that it can make it hard to develop a stronger core. If you have a belt on, the pressure of the belt against your back and abdomen means you don’t have to contract your core muscles as hard when you do exercises like squats and deadlifts. The belt gives your core support, but your core muscles become lazy in response. You can become too dependent on the belt and not brace your core when you train, and your core muscles don’t work as hard.
A weightlifting belt could make you feel TOO secure too. It might tempt you to lift a heavier weight than you can handle with good form and end up injured. Weightlifting belts are supposed to lower the risk of injury, but if you use one carelessly, it could increase your risk of getting injured.
Should You Wear One?
Whether you wear a weightlifting belt should depend on your medical history and your goals. If you have a history of weak pelvic floor muscles, wearing a belt may do more harm than good. If you don’t have weak pelvic floor muscles, strapping on a belt for compound exercises, like squats and deadlifts, when you’re working with a heavier than usual weight makes sense. But that doesn’t mean you should wear a belt for every exercise. There’s no advantage to wearing one if you’re working with lighter weights and doing high reps. It’s also important not to have a belt on when you do exercises on a mat or when lying on a bench.
It’s best to master an exercise first using lighter resistance and no weight belt to get your form down. Then, once good form is second nature, use a weightlifting belt only when you work with heavy resistance. Using it all the time can weaken your core muscles. You need a strong core to support your spine.
Also, don’t wear a weightlifting belt if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure or a hernia. A large increase in intraabdominal pressure can increase the size of a hernia or even cause one if you’re at high risk. In addition, pressure in the abdomen goes up substantially when you strain and wearing a weightlifting belt increases this rise. Such an increase also elevates blood pressure. For people with uncontrolled high blood pressure, this can be dangerous.
The Bottom Line
Weightlifting belts make you look like a serious lifter and they allow you to work with a heavier weight, but they also increase the pressure on your pelvic floor. The added pressure and stress can be a problem for women who have given birth and already have some weaknesses. There’s nothing magical about wearing one. If you use poor technique, you can still get injured. If you wear one, strap it on only for compound exercises, like squats and deadlifts, and when you’re working with heavy resistance. (80% or more of your one-rep max).
There’s no need to wear a weightlifting belt all the time, especially when doing floor exercises. Strapping on a belt when doing abdominal exercises on a mat can also reduce your gains and increase your risk of injury. Also, don’t get too confident when you’re wearing one and try to work with more weight than you’re ready for. A weightlifting belt is an additional tool that can help you train but know when and when not to wear it.
References:
- Applied Ergonomics. Volume 23, Issue 5, October 1992, Pages 319-329.
- org. “Pelvic Floor Dysfunction”
Related Articles By Cathe:
Can Wearing a Weightlifting Belt Lower Your Risk of Injury?
5 Tips for Working with Heavy Weights
Related Cathe Friedrich Workout DVDs:
STS Strength 90 Day Workout Program
All of Cathe’s Strength & Toning Workout DVDs
Total Body Workouts
Lower Body Workouts
Upper Body Workouts
