Weight lifting belts?

Unusual question for the lounge. I'm spending more time at the gym so considering investing in a good lifting belt (general, not power-lifting). Anyone have experiences with solid-leather 6" wide (at rear) weight lifting belts? I've found everything locally to be stitched, padded, cheaply made items that really are not what I am looking for. Prefer a US-made option, one-piece belt and willing to spend $50 - 65 for a good one.

It just seems good lifting belts, like good jackets, are pretty challenging to find these days! Thanks for any help...

If not squatting or dead lifting no need for a belt. All other lifts engage your core.

But most dont know how to use a belt to begin with. There is more to it than strapping it on to be effective.... but maybe you do know that

Having said that i always preferred flat leather 6" back... the old school kind... always would find old ones on CL for cheap

Evens if squatting or deadlifting the belt isn’t strictly necessary. Only if you want to push your limit. For muscle building it’s often recommended to find a weight that allows you to perform a certain number of reps relatively comfortably.



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Unless powerlifting, I don't think you need one. An old school trainer told me you should build your own "belt" by developing strong core muscles and that belts can make you lazy in that regard. I always took that advice. I'm only squatting about 220lbs so if you are going heavier than that, maybe you need one?

ProteinNerd said:

Unless powerlifting, I don't think you need one. An old school trainer told me you should build your own "belt" by developing strong core muscles and that belts can make you lazy in that regard. I always took that advice. I'm only squatting about 220lbs so if you are going heavier than that, maybe you need one?

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This is true. If you’re trying your max or protecting an injured back belt might be ok, otherwise it will only hurt your gains. Squat and deadlift are lifts in which you see most people using belts. If they didn’t use belt and started with weights they can actually handle they would train their core muscles to support them instead of a belt.

If you actually need one, you should invest whatever money needed to get a good one. That said I have used dozens of different belts in my time and most of them were good enough as long as they weren’t broken in any way.

The Fedora Lounge is probably not the first place I would go to for advice on weightlifting belts! That being said, I used to do some competitive bodybuilding and powerlifting in my younger day and still train 5 - 6 days per week at age 60. I have owned and used a lot of belts in my day.

If you are truly serious about training (i.e. doing more than a few bench presses at your bodyweight, squatting a couple hundred pounds, playing around doing dumbbell curls in the mirror, followed by 45 minutes on the treadmill while watching TV! ), then you will need a weight belt.

A well constructed belt will run between $75 - $300 and is usually made of sole leather, usually with one or both sides lined with suede for comfort. You won't find a good belt on Amazon! The majority of belts that sell for <$60 - 75 do not even use sole leather, but more of a rigid compressed leather/cardboard material. Once you have used a real leather belt you will never go back to the cheap ones. That being said, many of the $200 - $300 belts offer no advantages over some in the $100 - $200 range.

Most serious lifters would never consider a 6" wide belt. It offers no advantages compared to a 4" belt and can actually provide less support while digging into your sides. You also want to avoid the "tapered" belts (wider in back then front). These were a fad in the 70' and early 80's. Contrary to popular opinion, the major advantage of the belt is not to provide lower back support but to keep the abdominal wall secure and tight (especially for compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts, and standing presses). The standard powerlifting belt is 4" wide and either 6.5mm, 10mm or 13mm thick. Unless you are totaling some pretty high poundages, a 10mm belt will suffice for the majority of lifters. I currently own both 10mm and 13mm belts and only wear the 13mm one when I am squatting in excess of 500#.

There are single prong, double prong, and lever belts available. A double prong belt is a solution in search of a problem...avoid them. Lever belts are preferred by some but are more expensive and tend to break more often. I am obviously a fan of a simple single prong belt.

While there are many popular brands such as Inzer and Rogue, there are other options from dedicated, custom manufacturers. Unfortunately many are relying on their brand name are actually made of a cheap "cardboard" insert sandwiched between leather panels. These tend to never really break-in very well, even years later.

See this video that gives a fairly unbiased review of the major belts on the market. I am currently using the General Leathercraft belts (specifically their new "Pioneer cut" models) and believe these are the best belts I have ever used - even compared to more expensive ones They require little break-in and provide great support.


https://generalleathercraft.com/

Bests Belts is another great option

Gromulus said:

If you are truly serious about training (i.e. doing more than a few bench presses at your bodyweight, squatting a couple hundred pounds, playing around doing dumbbell curls in the mirror, followed by 45 minutes on the treadmill while watching TV)

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Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..... I'll take my hat off to anyone who can suffer through the tedious months and months of weight-lifting required until you are able to benchpress your own bodyweight. I used to work with weights after my judo and krav maga sessions and at some point could benchpress my bodyweight plus some but grew so bored of the work-outs that I eventually dropped them and tried to get more martial arts sessions in instead.

That being said, @Gromulus clearly has lots of experience in the field of weight-lifting, I'd listen to him, invest a bit more than the 50-75 USD just to be safe health-wise and get a single prong belt if I had any ambitions to lift anything heavier than a crate of beer.

Gromulus said:

If you are truly serious about training (i.e. doing more than a few bench presses at your bodyweight, squatting a couple hundred pounds, playing around doing dumbbell curls in the mirror, followed by 45 minutes on the treadmill while watching TV! ) then you will need a weight belt.

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Stuart is that you? Damn those metrosexual non-belt-wearing sissy weight ladyboy lifters! Ps. Is my manly man Suburban jacket ready soon?

Ok a lot more answer than i expected. Great advice, probably will check out some of these options, Gromulus - nice work there. I watched the video and it's very informative. I am certainly not to the level of seriousness some of those folks (an yourself) are at.

I'll check out some of the one my co-laborers use at the (rather hardcore) gym I work out at. Thanks for the excellent advice and taking time here!

AeroFan_07 said:

Ok a lot more answer than i expected. Great advice, probably will check out some of these options, Gromulus - nice work there. I watched the video and it's very informative. I am certainly not to the level of seriousness some of those folks (an yourself) are at.

I'll check out some of the one my co-laborers use at the (rather hardcore) gym I work out at. Thanks for the excellent advice and taking time here!

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While I don't agree with Gromulus about "serious lifter" absolutely needing a belt, I agree with him that 4" wide straight belt is your best choice if you decide to buy one.

AeroFan_07 said:

Ok a lot more answer than i expected. Great advice, probably will check out some of these options, Gromulus - nice work there. I watched the video and it's very informative.

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No problem. Don't underestimate your potential or the need for a good belt. Heck, we spend hundreds (if not more) on leather jackets. A $100 - $150 belt will last you a lifetime.

yes, that's what I was thinking...
Sorry to sound "gross" but suede soaks up sweat like no other. Leather does after a bit but not perhaps as much. Nice stuff.

AeroFan_07 said:

yes, that's what I was thinking...
Sorry to sound "gross" but suede soaks up sweat like no other. Leather does after a bit but not perhaps as much. Nice stuff.

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The suede used is not like other materials and will not "soak up" that much sweat. I sweat quite a bit when training and my 13mm sole leather (sans suede) belt actually stains very slightly whereas the 10mm suede does not. I give it a quick brushing every few weeks and it looks nearly new.

The only belt you'll ever need...

https://titansupport.com/product/toro-prong-belt/

(EDIT: My toro is 13mm. This is 10mm, so shouldn't beat you up as bad and should break in a little quicker)
Had my titan toro for 8 years now and it's still going strong. Lift 5 days a week so it gets plenty of use. Have pulled 600 with it at 200lbs body weight. Toss it around drop weights on it get it covered in chalk. No problems. It will beat the hell out of you like no leather jacket ever could for a while though. I mean bruises all around until you break it in if you're seriously using it.

Whatever you do don't get a tapered belt if you're actually trying to protect your lower back and lift. When your back arches the middle of your back pushes a tapered belt away while your butt will do the same from the bottom leaving your core unengaged and your lower back spaced from the belt and thus unsupported.

Best of luck to you

ton312 said:

The only belt you'll ever need...

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I was wondering how long it’d take until someone here mentioned Dean Ambrose...

ton312 said:

The only belt you'll ever need...

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This must be made of Victory Hide!