When Should You Wear a Lifting Belt?
This a question I get a lot of the time when seeing athletes with back pain.
The short and long answer is: it depends (I know, I hate that answer too).
Most of the time when lifting using whole body movements (ex. Squat, deadlift, Olympic lifts, etc), especially with heavier loads, a point of performance is keeping a straight back. The point of this is to prevent yourself from “throwing your back out” and getting hurt.
First lets, talk about a common breathing technique during lifting.
A way we can train with a support straight spine is by using a “valsalva maneuver.” A valsalva maneuver is taking in a deep breath in filling up your belly with air from all sides, I like to think about building up pressure in a can or water bottle from all sides. What’s happening is you are using your biggest lung muscle, the diaphragm, and torso to use the deep muscles in your core and back to generate a big pressure ball that helps to support your spine while lifting. At the top of the lift, don’t forget to breath out and reset your breath.
Now for the whole point of the post: The purpose of a lifting belt is to be used with the Valsalva maneuver as mentioned above, not as a sole tool to support your back. The belt acts as a barrier so you can feel the pressure you’re creating from all sides of your core, and increase your intra-abdominal pressure for spinal support to lift heavier and prevent injury.
So when should you use a lifting belt? It’s our opinion that using your own intra-abdominal breathing with lighter weights is likely best so you can train your breathing and core stability, but it is reasonable to use a lifting belt when learning how to use a belt effectively, with heavier weights, or lots of repetitions.
Be sure to consult with a healthcare professional to make sure a valsava maneuver is safe for you to use. When completing this skill, all the compression force may make it difficult for blood flow, and there is a possibility you can black out, especially if you have issues with blood pressure or a history of dizziness.
Enjoy your training,
Dr. Luke
If you have any specific questions, we are excited to teach you how to take care of yourself so you can keep training in the communities you love to be a part of. You can email us at team@trainingnationpt.com, or shoot us a text at 937-802-4283.