Shameless Self Promotion

[Andrea Kirk]

Hey there.
I've started a website to support small CrossFit-inspired businesses. A lot of these are dream-businesses run by people like any of us. Or maybe weirder. Hard to say. Let me know if you want your small business posted about. Gotta be small. Please, no weird nutritional supplements or questionable baloney. The first post is about a clothing business started by two single CrossFit dads.

[Andrea Kirk]

I didn't know about the connections among genetics, folate intake, heart disease, depression and etc. Thought others might not either and wrote this up.

[Andrea Kirk]

What is the consensus on weightlifting belts for CrossFit training? I'm going to be writing an article and would love some well-considered opinions. Are they increasing in use or are people siding against them?

[Eric Montgomery]

Most smart people understand that they're a useful tool for getting stronger, just like wearing lifting shoes is making use of a tool that helps you get stronger.

The part in your post about reducing muscle activation is false though, and a belt won't stop you from "crushing your spine" or injuring your back if your form is bad. If you think a belt reduces muscle activation, then you've never worn a belt properly for a heavy squat or front squat day.....your abs should be screaming the next day from bracing against the belt.

[Brian Strump]

If you understand why and how to use the belt properly, they will be beneficial. By this, I mean...when breathing, think "get fat" push your belly against the belt.

If on the other hand you consider the belt something magical, and thus pay little attention to your form, or breathing when lifting; then it won't matter.
If, you suck in your stomach before the lift, and the belt loosens, then the belt is not beneficial.

[Milton Brisson]

"Weightlifting belts reduce muscle activation.
Weightlifting belts also reduce the intensity of muscle activation during a lift. This is part of why you can lift a heavier weight while wearing one. You don't need to work as hard."

no........

Here are a couple of great articles on belts from 70s Big.

http://70sbig.com/blog/2009/12/belt-me-up-scotty/
http://70sbig.com/blog/2012/07/belts-redux/

These are probably not WFS.

I dont know what the consensus is, but I definitely advocate the use of them. I wear it mine every time I squat or dead lift - even in timed WoDs, if we are going over 300# on the squat or DL, I take the time to belt up, its just smart.

[Jonathan Gohl]

I have only been around the CrossFit community for about 3 months but have been lifting for more than 20 years.

As stated above, belts are a useful tool. The caveat I would like to add is: depending on your goals.

Personally, I do not use a belt. I did in my younger years when numbers were my priority. Now my goal is functional strength. If a 600 pound log falls and pins my son am I going to tell him to hold on a few while I go grab my belt and straps or am I just going to attack the log?

My opinion is use a belt if you want to but please learn proper form first.

[Eric Montgomery]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Gohl

I have only been around the CrossFit community for about 3 months but have been lifting for more than 20 years.

As stated above, belts are a useful tool. The caveat I would like to add is: depending on your goals.

Personally, I do not use a belt. I did in my younger years when numbers were my priority. Now my goal is functional strength. If a 600 pound log falls and pins my son am I going to tell him to hold on a few while I go grab my belt and straps or am I just going to attack the log?

My opinion is use a belt if you want to but please learn proper form first.

By that logic you shouldn't train with barbells even though they're easy to grip and load incrementally, because they don't mimic the kinds of heavy things you'd see in a real-life situation. You also shouldn't warm up before attempting a max effort lift in the gym, because you're not going to have time to warm up before you lift that hypothetical 600lb log.

See how silly that sounds? Deadlifting a heavy barbell will still help you pick up heavy odd objects, and it's a lot easier to vary the load on a barbell than it is on a heavy log you could train with in your back yard.

You can get stronger faster by using a belt properly, and that belted strength will translate into increased un-belted strength. Period. Your strength doesn't disappear if you take the belt off.

Straps are a different story because using them habitually prevents your grip from ever getting strong enough to lift that weight without assistance from the straps.

[Jonathan Gohl]

Originally Posted by Eric Montgomery

By that logic you shouldn't train with barbells even though they're easy to grip and load incrementally, because they don't mimic the kinds of heavy things you'd see in a real-life situation. You also shouldn't warm up before attempting a max effort lift in the gym, because you're not going to have time to warm up before you lift that hypothetical 600lb log.

See how silly that sounds? Deadlifting a heavy barbell will still help you pick up heavy odd objects, and it's a lot easier to vary the load on a barbell than it is on a heavy log you could train with in your back yard.

You can get stronger faster by using a belt properly, and that belted strength will translate into increased un-belted strength. Period. Your strength doesn't disappear if you take the belt off.

Straps are a different story because using them habitually prevents your grip from ever getting strong enough to lift that weight without assistance from the straps.

I admit that my logic is not quantitative and I do regret how quickly I published it. I will restate though that it is my opinion not a scientific fact.

My ORM BSQ is 405 and my DL 535 unbelted. If I am not interested in making significant gains on those and I can do both with great form and no injury what is the advantage of using a belt?

I am not advocating either way, just saying what I do.

[Andrea Kirk]

Thanks guys. Eric, the decrease in muscle activity while wearing a belt was measured by electromyography at the Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Human Movement Sciences at Vrije Universiteit in the Netherlands. The paper I read was from 2006. Has more recent research shown that there was a problem with their methodology or statistics?