Weight lifting belts

[brikis98]

I've recently experienced some pain in my lower back: it doesn't hurt when just walking/sitting, but when I need to stretch it out at all - such as bending down to tie my shoes - I feel a bit of strain on it. It's not especially painful, but it definitely doesn't feel right.

Moreover, after doing squats or deadlifts, it gets even more sore. It's certainly possible I don't have great form when doing these exercises, but I think it's really more of an issue of just putting a lot of strain on a somewhat injured area. I've taken the last ~8 days off from lifting to give my back time to heal and it does feel a bit better now, but I'm still worried of straining it again with heavy lifting.

Do you guys think a weight lifting belt would help (for just squats + deads)? If so, any recommendations on what belt to get? Would there be any reason to avoid them?

 

[KoolDrew]

The first thing I'd look at is form, not a belt. There's nothing wrong with wearing a belt for ME attempts though. My belt is by Inzer.

http://www.inzernet.com/

Throw in some direct low back work as well. Also, what does your routine look like?

 

[purbeast0]

be very careful man. i hurt my back over a year ago from squats and had to take some time off, but it never healed 100%.

last month I went and got an MRI cause over a year later it still wasn't 100% and I would reactivate it sometimes. turns out I had 2 bulging discs in my lumbar section.

my doc told me I can continue lifting but to just be very careful and to avoid certain movements. he also said that since i hadn't been using a belt thus far that using one now probably wouldn't be worth it.

i no longer can do squats or deadlifts due to this and probably never will be able to again. i mean i COULD do them, but with very little weight and a risk of injuring myself again.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
The first thing I'd look at is form, not a belt. There's nothing wrong with wearing a belt for ME attempts though. My belt is by Inzer.

http://www.inzernet.com/

Throw in some direct low back work as well. Also, what does your routine look like?

It's possible my form is not great, but I doubt the injury was caused by lifting, as I first noticed it hurting after 2 days off from lifting. I continued lifting for several weeks after, which definitely did make it worse, so now I'm taking time off. The thing I'm worried about is aggravating it again with heavy stress, so I was curious if a belt would help. I'll check out the Inzer line.

As for my routine, I'm doing the Bill Star 5x5 (Madcow intermediate version). I could toss in some direct lower back work as assistance one day a week... any recommendations? hypers perhaps?

 

[FallenHero]

Why would you continue to lift if you have pain in a certain area that goes beyond normal muscle soreness?

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: FallenHero
Why would you continue to lift if you have pain in a certain area that goes beyond normal muscle soreness?

I've taken off ~10 days because of this...

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
The first thing I'd look at is form, not a belt. There's nothing wrong with wearing a belt for ME attempts though. My belt is by Inzer.

http://www.inzernet.com/

Throw in some direct low back work as well. Also, what does your routine look like?

It's possible my form is not great, but I doubt the injury was caused by lifting, as I first noticed it hurting after 2 days off from lifting. I continued lifting for several weeks after, which definitely did make it worse, so now I'm taking time off. The thing I'm worried about is aggravating it again with heavy stress, so I was curious if a belt would help. I'll check out the Inzer line.

As for my routine, I'm doing the Bill Star 5x5 (Madcow intermediate version). I could toss in some direct lower back work as assistance one day a week... any recommendations? hypers perhaps?

If it's possible that your form isn't great, you need to make it perfect just to make sure you don't have any more problems. Good form is there to prevent injuries and to optimize the weight you can successfully move. I know it could be other things, but once it gets better, try to make your form exceptional. Then if it continues to hurt, go talk to a doctor. Hope you can get it all fixed and in working condition again. I'm dealing with some tendonitis in my hip as well as rotator cuff probs Once the tendonitis goes away though, I should be back in business. Again good luck, man.

 

[sash1]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: FallenHero
Why would you continue to lift if you have pain in a certain area that goes beyond normal muscle soreness?

I've taken off ~10 days because of this...

i had similar (exact?) pain to what you're describing, and i've taken 2+ months off doing PT and it's still not 100%

 

[imported_Irse]

You need to correct your form before you try these exercises again. Get someone who knows what they are doing and get them to critique you. I was a powerlifter so that's how I lift. Most of the guys I trained with never had any back problems. So I guess, I would recommend doing them like a powerlifter. Others may have different ideas. But remember, a powerlifter needs to lift the maximum amount of weight without getting hurt so his technique better be good.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: sash1

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: FallenHero
Why would you continue to lift if you have pain in a certain area that goes beyond normal muscle soreness?

I've taken off ~10 days because of this...

i had similar (exact?) pain to what you're describing, and i've taken 2+ months off doing PT and it's still not 100%

any idea what caused yours? I'm still not quite sure as I have done squats, deadlifts, rows, etc for years without issues. there wasn't any one workout where it suddenly started hurting or anything - it's just a soreness that seemed to slowly appear. after 10 days of rest, it hasn't really gone away. my symptoms are:

* leaning forward (to tie my shoes, for example) causes an unpleasant soreness in my lower back.
* it's not at all a sharp pain but just a feeling of soreness. i can easily ignore it, but it's obviously not normal.
* the soreness is in a horizontal line on my lower back (centered at the spine) around the height of my hips. in other words, it's a pretty small and specific area of the back.
* another weird symptom is this seems to have reduced the flexibility when trying to do motions similar to crossing my legs. for example, while sitting, if i put my right foot on my left knee and pull it towards my body, i feel like my back is stiffer.

what kind of PT did you do?

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: Irse
You need to correct your form before you try these exercises again. Get someone who knows what they are doing and get them to critique you. I was a powerlifter so that's how I lift. Most of the guys I trained with never had any back problems. So I guess, I would recommend doing them like a powerlifter. Others may have different ideas. But remember, a powerlifter needs to lift the maximum amount of weight without getting hurt so his technique better be good.

just for clarification, when I say it's "possible my form isn't perfect" i am NOT saying I think i have bad form. i have been squatting/deadlifting for several years and I've watched/read plenty of material on proper form and replicated as best as i can. To the best of my knowledge, i'm doing the exercises properly, but as i'm not an expert, it's possible i'm doing something wrong. moreover, at the last gym i went to, i had two personal trainers approve my form as well. however, neither of them were powerlifting experts, so again, it's possible they aren't seeing some critical mistake.

in short, my squat/deadlift form is as good as I can make it. I don't have access to anyone more "expert" than me or the trainers I've talked to, so I don't have any good way to check.

having said all that, it's also worth noting that i'm not convinced it's actually squats/deadlifts that are the CAUSE of my injury. i suspect something else injured it and these exercises - which by design put lots of strain on the back - are just aggravating it. in other words, even if i had PERFECT form, I still think these would increase soreness in an already injured back.

so, to restate my questions:

1. assuming my form is perfect, would a weight lifting belt help reduce strain on my lower back?
2. are there any negative side effects from using a weight lifting belt?
3. any recommendations?

 

[KoolDrew]

Used correctly, the belt will reduce strain on your lower back. Just don't become too dependent on it, only use it for heavier sets and make sure to do some low back / core work. Too many people depent on their belt way too much, causing themselves to have a weak core, resulting in even worse problems.

I use this belt...
http://www.inzernet.com/detail...UCT_ID=ECON_POWER_BELT

 

[imported_Irse]

1. assuming my form is perfect, would a weight lifting belt help reduce strain on my lower back? Yes
2. are there any negative side effects from using a weight lifting belt? Yes if you use them all of the time. Then smaller stabilizing muscles won't get the work. Only use on heavier sets.
3. any recommendations? Unless you're going real heavy, I think a single thickness leather belt will do. Real heavy, you may want a double thick leather belt that powerlifters use.

Questions on your squat and deadlift technique. When you squat or deadlift, where are you looking? Are you looking into a mirror? If you are, your leaning a bit forward and putting a strain on your back. Look at the the junction of the wall and ceiling. That will get you leaning more back and have the bar over the center of gravity. When you deadlift, is the bar touching your shins? If not, sit back more so the bar rubs against your shins. That will get the bar closer to you and you will be lifting less with just your back and your legs will play a role. Also, pull back and up. I ahve fallen on my butt on lighter warmup weights because I sit back and pull up and back. Embarrassing but at least I know I doint it right. Believe me on the heavier weights, you will not be falling backwards.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: Irse

1. assuming my form is perfect, would a weight lifting belt help reduce strain on my lower back? Yes
2. are there any negative side effects from using a weight lifting belt? Yes if you use them all of the time. Then smaller stabilizing muscles won't get the work. Only use on heavier sets.
3. any recommendations? Unless you're going real heavy, I think a single thickness leather belt will do. Real heavy, you may want a double thick leather belt that powerlifters use.

Questions on your squat and deadlift technique. When you squat or deadlift, where are you looking? Are you looking into a mirror? If you are, your leaning a bit forward and putting a strain on your back. Look at the the junction of the wall and ceiling. That will get you leaning more back and have the bar over the center of gravity. When you deadlift, is the bar touching your shins? If not, sit back more so the bar rubs against your shins. That will get the bar closer to you and you will be lifting less with just your back and your legs will play a role. Also, pull back and up. I ahve fallen on my butt on lighter warmup weights because I sit back and pull up and back. Embarrassing but at least I know I doint it right. Believe me on the heavier weights, you will not be falling backwards.

thanks for the info KoolDrew and Irse. I only plan on using them on sets 4 and 5 of squat and 3 and 4 of deadlift.

I'm guessing that 325lbs squat and 405lbs deadlift is not "real heavy" (as far as powerlifting goes), so it looks like single thickness. does the material (leather, synthetic, etc) matter? what about the height of the belt?

in terms of technique, i tend to look just above the mirror during squats. for deadlifts, i'm always left with bruises/scrapes from the bar on my shins.

 

[imported_Irse]

The weights you're doing should be heavy enough for a double thick belt.

Looks like your technique is pretty good. One thing about the deadlift. I had problems with sciatica and when I went to a chiropractor, he said that my lower back on one side was more developed than on the other. I attributed it to the deadlift since most times its done with an overhand/underhand grip. The overhand grip side was weaker because I was using the grip to keep it closer to my thighs and would get help from my legs whereas the underhand grip had no help. So after I started alternating my grip, no sciatica problems. So alternate your grip during every workout (but not on your heaviest set) to keep things in balance. Also most guys use their index finger when they do their hand placement. Always use your middle finger.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
Used correctly, the belt will reduce strain on your lower back. Just don't become too dependent on it, only use it for heavier sets and make sure to do some low back / core work. Too many people depent on their belt way too much, causing themselves to have a weak core, resulting in even worse problems.

I use this belt...
http://www.inzernet.com/detail...UCT_ID=ECON_POWER_BELT

after reading around online, i ordered this belt. will report back once i've gotten it and tried it out.