Weight Belts

Weightlifting is basically one of the most fulfilling yet dangerous activities of all time. Like any ordinary sports enthusiast, getting fit takes a lot of dedication and hard work. Along with these, proper equipments to ensure the weightlifter’s safety are one thing to consider about. Weight belts, or particularly the weight lifting belts, are the most important things to consider.

In previous times, the only ones who wear weight belts are the Olympic power lifting and weightlifting participants only. But over the years, even the recreational lifters already feel the need of wearing weight belts.

Weight belts have two main purposes. The first one is these belts reduce stress on your lower back, while you are lifting in upright positions. Another one is that these belts prevent your back from hyperextension, especially on overhead lifts. A weight lifting belt reduces the stress on your lower back by compressing the abdominal cavity’s contents. This, in turn, increases your intra-abdominal pressure, or the IAP, thus providing better support on your lower back and your bones.

With the use of weight belts, the muscles of the spinal erector-the one that normally provides back support- will not have to produce much force on your lifts. When your intra-abdominal pressure increases, the less chances your spinal areas shrink due to lower back compressions. If your weight belts are those that having a back that is wide and the front part that is narrow, it is advised that you wear them backwards, especially if you desire to increase the intra-abdominal pressure. This is because these areas give the abdominal cavity’s contents more areas in pushing against it.

Weight belts prevent back hypertensions thru a certain rigid wall that is formed around your lower torso, connecting your hip to your rib cage. This does not limits back movements alone, but also prevent sideward twisting and bending. For this purpose, the power-lifting style belts are more ideal than the other ones. Otherwise, having the conventional belt is still accepted, worn in its conventional manner, with its wide part on your back.

However, you should be aware of the fact that weight belts must be tightly worn to maximize the belt’s usefulness. There are certain researches that show that wearing weight belts in the tightest manner possible can cause your blood pressure to elevate. This is the reason why professionals advise only two major occasions where weight belts should be used: one, when you are performing maximal lift exercises like the deadlift or the squat, wherein your back is the one supporting the lift; and two: when you are having exercise like military presses, that can cause hyperextensions of your back. With these, weight belts should be immediately loosened after use to allow your blood pressure return on it normal levels.

Weight belts are also the main causes on decreased strength developments of the abdominal muscles. One research, the electromyographic research, shows that when you are wearing weight belts during lifting, the muscle activities, particularly your abdominal muscles, are relatively lowered. The muscles that are the ones that keep your abdomen stabilized, inhibits when weight belts are being used, that can result weaker muscles of your abdomens.

If you are looking for the right weight belts that fit in to your lifting exercise, always ask for professional advise at first. There are different styles and types of weight belts available in sports shops that vary according to certain factors of the lifters.

You can find weight belts in sports shops and authorized sports equipments distributors around your vicinity. Always keep a healthy way of having weight lifting exercises. They should not only be enjoyable and fulfilling, but they have to be safe as well.