Lifting belt: do you need one and when to use it

A lifting belt doesn't hold your back straight. It gives your core something to push against when you brace, which raises the pressure inside your trunk and makes it stiffer. Most lifters can squat and deadlift a little more with one.

Do you need one?

• Not as a beginner. Learn to brace without one first, for the first several months.
• Useful later for heavy squats, deadlifts and overhead presses, at roughly 80% of your max and up.
• Not needed for light sets, machines, isolation work or most dumbbell exercises.

• Back squatQuads, Glutes
• DeadliftHamstrings, Glutes, Lower back
• Standing overhead pressFront delts

How to wear it

1. Wrap it around your belly, just above your hip bones.
2. Tighten it so you can just slide a flat hand between belt and belly.
3. Breathe into your belly and push out against the belt in every direction, then lift.

Which belt

A plain 10 mm leather belt with a prong or lever lasts years. Velcro belts are fine for lighter work and for carrying in a gym bag.

Belt or no belt in your log

Belted lifts are usually a bit heavier. Use the belt the same way each time, for example only on your top sets, so your numbers stay comparable. See how to increase your squat and how to increase your deadlift.