# is using a weightbelt "cheating"



## Flex (Jan 21, 2004)

Before 3 weeks ago, i had never used a weightbelt when squatting. Then viola, i used one, and my squat went up 100lb.

before you guys go out a buy a weightbelt, there are a few things that went into it also, not just the belt..........

i had never previously attempted the max weight i got when i used the belt, so i actually dont know if i couldve done it before then. 

the biggest thing i believe is cuz i alwasy used to only  pyramid.............do 135x15 (warmup), then i'd go 225x15 to failure, 275x6 to failure. by the time i got to 315, i could get 6 by killing myself.

2 weeks ago, a guy suggested i use his weight belt. and for some reason, a thought came to my head that for whatever reason took me sooooooooooooo long to figure out. DONT FAIL TILL I GET TO THE HEAVIER WEIGHTS. 

using a weightbelt and "jumper" sets, i did warmups of 135x8, 225x6, 315x4, 365x4, and then finally did a failure set and i got 405x7, then 405x6. 

ANYWAYS, u guys consider using a weightbelt as cheating? using it, i didnt have to worry about stabilizing my lower back, and when taking a deep breath at the bottom for the ascent, you get almost like an extra boost from having your waist all tight.......


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## PreMier (Jan 21, 2004)

I always use a weight belt for heavy squats and deads.  Never on a warmup set.  I dont really consider it cheating... Do you use wrist wraps?  Do you think those are cheating?


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## Flex (Jan 21, 2004)

ya, i use straps on back day and when i shrug. BUT, i had to do back w/o straps, and i found that i really didnt have that much of a problem w/o them........


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## gr81 (Jan 21, 2004)

use them sparingly, like when you actually need those things. Its not "cheating" htough. what does taht mean anyways, you are in this game by yourself, so you do what you have to do. I don't see how it would be cheating in the traditional sense. Just use the belt when you feel that it can benefit your body and help reduce teh risk of injury on heavy stesand you will be fine. Don't be one of those idiots taht walk around teh gym doing everything with their little leather belts on. Building up the stabalizing muscles are very important in movements like the squat and dead. As long as you are not neglecting that part of your training you will be fine.


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## Dale Mabry (Jan 21, 2004)

It is not cheating, but you are not doing yourself any favors by using one on every set.  If you must use one, use it on only the heavier sets.

I guess this quote of mine best sums up my thoughts on weight belts.  One day I was squatting with a friend and the head of fitness came in with a friend who wanted to work in.  His friend was wearing a weight belt and my director said, "Now Dave, don't give him shit because he is wearing a belt, he has a strong core so he can use one."  My reply was, "If he had a strong core he wouldn't need a belt.


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## vanity (Jan 21, 2004)

Belts are a crutch and should be avoided like the Plague.

By using them you cheat your core muscles setting yourself up for a nasty injury down the line.

Unless you're a powerlifter, don't use them.


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## Mr.No (Jan 21, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by vanity *_
> Belts are a crutch and should be avoided like the Plague.



What about hernia? 

Today I was doing bent rows with a barbell and was going heavier than usual. All of the sudden I felt this pain in my lower stomak. I shit my pants even thinking about hernia, but apparently I just pulled my lower abdominal muscle a little because of the weight. From now on i'm using belts for heavier lifts.


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## vanity (Jan 21, 2004)

Hernias protrude through a weak point in the abdominal wall.

Maybe you need to strengthen your abs rather than rely on  a belt.


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## Mr.No (Jan 21, 2004)

I was on my power week for back today and was doing barbel rows with 205lb. I usually do it with 185lb but today I went overboard. I think this is heavy considering that my bodyweight is around 185lb. You might be right about strengthening my abs, but I think it's gonna take a lot of strengthening for it to support this kind of weight. (even though I do abs regularly)  I thought it might be a good idea to use the belt in the meantime...


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## supertech (Jan 21, 2004)

I never used a belt,but may do so when I do squats.My lower back has been aching lately,


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## Mudge (Jan 21, 2004)

Belts ARE a hernia waiting to happen. If you see those bodybuilders with massive outies, thats what it looks like in the aftermath.

If you cant lift the weight then lower it down a notch, get rid of those stupid crutches, strengthen those abs on your own.

When I do bent over rows, besides going 70º I always put my left leg out front to help stabalize. I am 6'2" and would not lean over entirely and expect my spine not to curve, keep your head forward or slightly upward when rowing for spinal alignment.

SLDL + crunches = citadel


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## vanity (Jan 21, 2004)

If you strengthen your abs as well as lower back these muscles 
will create a natural girdle and act much like a belt would,  with the exception that as you get stronger these core muscles get stronger. The opposite happens if you use a belt.


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## Mr.No (Jan 21, 2004)

Roger that, thanks guys.


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## Mudge (Jan 21, 2004)

They can also shoot your BP through the roof, not a good thing


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## P-funk (Jan 22, 2004)

no belts for me either......threw mine out years ago.


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## Deeznuts (Jan 22, 2004)

I HAVE to use a weight belt on deadlift and squat. I don't consider it cheating at all. It helps me keep my back straight on squat so I don't accidently pull anything...same on deadlift. It's never been about putting up more weight - just keeping my back 100%.


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## Randy (Jan 24, 2004)

I agree with you Deeznuts...I do the same.
To me, using a belt simply provides extra support.
If you have the bullet proof abs/strong back and don't need the belt, that is great.  But not everyone has them...   For me, that is one of my goals is to focus more on my diet and cardio so I can stengthen my abs, and work more on my back as well.


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## plouffe (Jan 24, 2004)

I don't consider anything that assist's your lift, and keeps yourself from getting hurt - "cheating". It's not like your just using it to lift more weight to brag, it just assist's you in your workout.


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## Randy (Jan 24, 2004)

Interesting article relating to the pros and cons of weight belts...
(Makes ya want to work harder on your abs and wean yourself off the belt).

Learn something new every day 

Weight Belts - The Pros and Cons 

To understand the pros and cons of weight belts, it is important to understand the purpose of the abdominal muscles in all activities, not just weight lifting.  Basically, the abdominal muscles, both the superficial (your 'six pack') and deep muscles, activate to support and stabilise the spine from the ribs all the way to the pelvis.  When performing any strenuous activity, these muscles contract to maintain the correct relationship between the chest, abdomen and pelvis, ie: good posture.

It is true that weight belts do increase the pressure on the abdomen by allowing the abdominals to press up against the belt. However, pressure can be generated by the contraction of these muscles without the use of a weight belt. The weight belt alone will not create stability. Relying on the belt for stability during weight training will end in causing muscle deficits. The abdominals are just like any other muscle, if you don't train them you will lose them.

The pros of using a weight belt rest solely with power lifters who lift exceptionally heavy weights (once only) and are used to offset the extreme load.  Weight belts were never designed for safe weight training and are not necessary for safe exercising.  

The cons are that prolonged, improper use of a weight belt will cause deficiencies in abdominal strength and stability. Imbalances between core strength and that of the arms and legs may lead to injuries due to the weak link.

For strategies and exercises to assist in the improvement of core strength to aid in reducing the reliance on a weight belt, please see an Exercise Specialist.


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## Randy (Jan 24, 2004)

So now that we determined that using a weight belt is not a good preventative tool to avoid injuries during lifting.....

What is the best exercises or routine that will strenthen the abdominal muscles to keep them strong and supportive so they are in line with the spine and chest (i.e.) proper posture.  I would like to work on this myself so that I can prevent injury during my common weight lifting routines?   I recently read an article where they indicated that crunches can be avoided all together, and are not necessary to build strong abs... and basically the key is burning the fat to expose the muscle.  But don't you have to build and stengthen the muscle in the abs first?    I am asking these questions cause I am no abs expert.  In fact that is my weakness.  So I just wanted to hear the variety of opinions on this subject here.


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## Premo55 (Jan 24, 2004)

^^ Not to sound snide but...I told you so! The best exercises are the dragon flag, swiss ball crunch, twisting cable crunches and cable crunches, all weighted, 4 sets of 6-8, you should take about 3 or 4 seconds to reach the top of the movement, pause 2 seconds at moment of peak contraction to really feel the abs contracting, then take another 4 seconds to slowly control your way back down. Never allow tension to escape the abdominal area. Hypers are good, so are good mornings, and Obviously deadlifts (you should try one-armed deadlifts as well for oblique development) are great for the lower back and abs as well. The key to core training is mind-muscle connection and focusing on squeezing the midsection as hard as possible throughout the entire movement.

Peace.


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## Randy (Jan 24, 2004)

The only thing I'm really doing for my abs right now is I do cable crunches 4 sets of 50 reps (200) with like 60 pounds just for some resistance.  It seems to get the blood flowing and act as a pretty good warmup before I workout..   I also try to do side bends twice a week. But to be honest I know I need much more ab work.  I know I have to discipline myself more on diet and I want to add a good cardio program in this summer like maybe jogging for 30 minutes a day as well.

Thanks Premo for your recommendations..
I used to do good mornings, don't know why I stopped.  I think I will add them back into my routine..  I'm affraid of deadlifts due to my weak lower back.  I want to strengthen my abs and lower back first before I attempt dead lifts.   Squeezing the mid section during ab movements sounds like a great tip..  It's like squeezing at the top of curls and holding helps build the peak..


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## Premo55 (Jan 24, 2004)

Well you can start light on deadlifts, you know. There's no need to kill yourself pulling the first time you try them out. It is, in my opinion, the best exercise you can do in the gym as far as overall mass is concerned (I know a lot of people say squats, but deads in my opinion involves more musculature), and will get your core stronger in no time, provided you have adequate diet and rest.

Peace.


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## Randy (Jan 24, 2004)

You do have a point Premo, and I will definately consider that.
Mucho Gracias amigo


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## Mudge (Jan 24, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by Deeznuts *_
> I HAVE to use a weight belt on deadlift and squat. I don't consider it cheating at all.



If you "have too" then its because you are used to using the crutch in the first place. It obviously means your abs and back suck on thier own and cant support themselves without said crutch.

I'm 6'2" so dont tell me its because your tall


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## Mudge (Jan 24, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by Randy *_
> If you have the bullet proof abs/strong back and don't need the belt



Diet and cardio has nothing to do with ab strength, you lazy, lazy man.  

I used to fold in half on deads when going over 400 pounds, why? Weak ass abs.

I bet you could add 75 pounds on your bench if I help yank up the weight when I spot you too, try it


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## Randy (Jan 24, 2004)

Yeah I would say that diet and cardio is responsible for stripping the fat off to show your ab muscles.  Now if you have little to no ab muscles to begin with,  then I suppose that no six pack would be revealed  . This would be the case with even the most intensive diet and cardio program.

So Yes, I definately need to build my ab muscle first by doing crunches and I guess situps and leg lifts and whatever else I find suitable to add to my program.   

And I bet your absolutely right Mudge, if you helped me yank up the weight I'm sure I could do another 75 .  To bad your not there to do it every time I bench Mudge  
I did 270 today... Almost at 300.   I was considering trying some of that 1T or T1 or whatever it was that Prince recommended.   I thought a little testosterone boost might help me jump the hurdle.  But I know that building my abs is important too, and I do appreciate your input Mudge.



> _*Originally posted by Mudge *_
> Diet and cardio has nothing to do with ab strength, you lazy, lazy man.
> 
> I used to fold in half on deads when going over 400 pounds, why? Weak ass abs.
> ...


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## Premo55 (Jan 24, 2004)

^^ Randy, everybody has abs. Anybody can get visually appealing abs through cardio and diet. There is no need to 'develop' them because they are already there. How they look for you is genetic, some people have an eight, some people have a six, etc., you can't really change these things.

Peace.


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## Randy (Jan 24, 2004)

Ahhhhh I wouldn't know that Premo, my gut has been preventing me from seeing any abs for several years ...See what the god damn beer did.    Well I knew everyone had them, just thought you would have to work and develop them kind of like any muscle.  Everyone has biceps and triceps, but they do not appear defined unless you work the hell out of them and burn off the fat to expose them.


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## squanto (Jan 24, 2004)

hrm.... ive been usinga weightbelt for the past month or 2.... becausei kept hurting my lower back doing deadlifts... strange thing is, ive been excercising my abs and lower back fora long time, and have seen significant gaints, yet kept injuring my lower back. i suppose i mustve had bad form, and my weight belt seemed to be helping me. but now im thinking twice, i suppose ill try lifting without the weight belt again.... im confused


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## Randy (Jan 24, 2004)

I hear ya Squanto....I'm not a newbie and yet I didn't realize that it is bad to wear a weight belt.    I've always used one just for lifting heavy benching 200 and above.   I think the point here is that some people over do it with the belt. They believe that it is a tool to prevent injuries and wear it for everything.  Doing that I can see could prevent your body from using and defining its natural muscles that are essential for preventing injury.


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## JerseyDevil (Jan 25, 2004)

In the past I used belts and straps all the time. I have long since ceased using them.  The reasons for not using a belt are cited above.

Dropping the straps have really improved my bent over rows and pulldowns by increasing my gripping strength. Also, I swear my upper forearms grew close to 3/4" after dropping the straps.


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## Mudge (Jan 25, 2004)

My gym will kick you out if you wear a belt on the equipment, that stuff too easily rips up the padding. You dont need it benching if you have proper form, now if I lay flat on the bench it hurts my back.


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## PreMier (Jan 26, 2004)

Well after reading this I have since stopped using my weight belt.  Feels nice!


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## Randy (Jan 26, 2004)

Yeah, me too Premier.


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