So where’s the balance? When should you really use belts and wraps?
A FALSE POSITIVE
>> If you’re a beginner, keep the belt and wraps in your gym bag, at least for a while. It’s more important to focus on strengthening the target muscle as well as your abs, core, joints, ligaments and tendons. Not only that, but you need to strengthen your confidence, which is often clouded by the need to have a belt on or your knees wrapped before you think your body can handle the weight. The more you use supportive equipment when lifting submaximal weights, the more dependent on such gear you’ll become, ultimately weakening your overall progress.
>> If you’re an advanced lifter who’s guilty of overusing belts and wraps, the first thing you should do (after losing the gear) is to decrease the amount of weight you’re lifting by about 20%. In other words, if you normally deadlift 350 pounds with a belt and wraps for 10 reps, then reduce that weight by 70 pounds and train without the support. If you fail to get 10 reps or you feel vulnerable without the tools, reduce the weight even more. In fact, 20% won’t be enough of a drop for some of you since you begin your entire workout all wrapped up.
For both the beginner who’s new to bodybuilding and the advanced lifter who’s trying to retrain his body, focus on this one basic aspect: proper technique with a full range of motion. You must get your body used to going through each lift without a crutch so you can strengthen your joints and overall musculature.
In other words, you want to train your body to be able to handle as much as it safely can before needing the next level of support. Then, at the appropriate time, just when your natural protective abilities would fall short, you use a belt and wraps to protect what’s already strong. Trust me, it won’t be long till you’re doing reps with weight you couldn’t, or rather wouldn’t, touch without a belt or wraps.
WITH ALL THAT SAID
Don’t burn your belt just yet, because there is a time to use supportive equipment. When our bodies are incapable of providing the necessary support structure or system, such as the intra-abdominal pressure necessary for, say, a 1RM squat, then it’s absolutely recommended and necessary to wear a belt. Why is it okay to use gear with super-heavy weight? Because doing so is imperative for safety and success on the lift, and using it in this instance won’t cause you to depend on it when you’re lifting submaximal weight.
Sean Waxman is a strength and power expert, NSCA guest lecturer and owner of Pure Strength, Inc. Sign up for his free newsletter at shutupandlift.com
