Why use the strength belt in bodybuilding?

Build muscle with the belt!

When we get into muscle building and muscle gain, a whole bunch of bodybuilding accessories can help us, and, we are quickly lost when faced with the choices and possibilities. You have the weight lifting gloves, the hooks, or even elastics for workout. Thus, one of them is necessarily the bodybuilding belt, which can be an ally in this sports course!

The different kinds of belts :

First of all, there are several kinds of belts: the sweat belt, also called perspiration girdle. Its principle is to make you sweat and thus lose the water that our body contains.
There is also the slendertone electrostimulation belt, which projects electrodes that stimulate the belly fat. To use this slimming belt, you must download the brand's application and configure your belt through it.

You can also use the lumbar belt in your weight training. The latter is a support belt that is frequently used to protect and relieve the back during physical activities that can put it at risk. Wearing a lumbar belt prevents bad posture and reduces the impact on the vertebrae. This belt amplifies the muscular movements and brings a feeling of heat on the body allowing an analgesic effect on the potential pains. There are also people who do not practice bodybuilding who use it for their back pain. It looks more like a corset or a girdle since it is scratch and elastic.

But the belt that is the focus of our attention today is the power belt. The latter has several names: bodybuilding belt, but also weightlifting belt. On the same principle as the previous ones, it allows to bring a comfort to our muscular chain and a help in the practice of the sport.

The recommended belt is the strength belt, since it combines the effect of sweating by providing heat, strengthening the muscles and helping the activity by weakening the blows on the muscles and allowing the body to position itself better. It is also, a support to relieve pain and discomfort that can cause fatigue during exercise. It protects the spine and reduces the pressure on it.

But what type of power belt should I choose?

With all the belts at our disposal, it is difficult to know which one to take. What thickness to choose? what width to choose? what material? nylon or leather?

First of all, you have to choose a belt adapted to your morphology: it must be comfortable to wear. Do not hesitate to make tests. The second element to look at when choosing a belt is the material, since it will be more or less pleasant to wear it. Finally, it is necessary to select the belt according to your practice of the physical activity, but especially according to your objective to be reached. The strength belts, are more access on the work in depth and the help to the support of the back. The wider it is, the better it will support your back. It accentuates the gestures made during the series.

How to put on the power belt?

The belts, for the most part, are cinched at the bottom of the stomach. They are put on your sportswear on the waistline. There are no particular instructions. It is also necessary to pay attention to the way of tightening this last one; too much and you risk to cut your blood circulation and to hamper the movements, not enough, and you will be embarrassed in your movements, but especially you will lose the effectiveness of this belt.

For which bodybuilding exercises should I use it?

The exercises to be favored while wearing a back belt are all of the following:

• The deadlift
• All types of squats
• Rowing with bar
• Military developed and variants

They will help you to solicit the abdominal strap in depth. You can also wear it when you do pull-ups, but also for all exercises that require the contraction of the abdominal muscles such as the squat or deadlift. Wearing it allows the abdominal muscles to work better and to remove visceral fat.
The possibilities of use of such a bodybuilding belt are therefore varied and allow to put it almost during a whole training session. You can also supplement it with heavy loads and thus deepen its effect on the abs deep.

The advantages

There are several advantages to wearing such a lifting belt. More than an accessory, it is a true ally in the practice of a physical activity. In particular, during the practice of bodybuilding, since it allows to absorb the shocks linked to such an intensive practice and to such a thorough use of the body.

It allows a better body support and a better posture during the training.

It helps to lose the fatty mass present on the abdominal belt by stimulating the key zones. Their regular use therefore promotes fat loss and waist refinement, but also muscle gain.

The disadvantages

The cost of a bodybuilding belt can be a deterrent for some, depending on the model chosen. There may be the discomfort of wearing such an accessory when practicing sports.

However, you should know that your weight belt will last you at least 10 years. It is therefore an investment for your many future weight training sessions.

Conclusion

Whether you're a novice or an expert, the practice of bodybuilding is rich and varied. It never ceases to push the body to prowess in order to achieve a set goal or simply to exceed its limits. Various tools or techniques exist to help you. Among them: the belt, a bodybuilding accessory. Although there are a multitude of models, some are more recommended than others because they are more complete.
Nevertheless, it must be borne in mind that wearing a seatbelt is no substitute for a varied and balanced dietIt is not only a matter of losing fat, but also of regular physical activity and sports, especially with a good bodybuilding program and good movements! Indeed, the belt alone cannot guarantee you a loss of fat and a gain of muscles.  

My personal opinion

Despite the fact that I am not a powerlifter, I have always used a leather belt. I can tell you that even though it is more expensive than the nylon one, you will certainly keep it during all your sports career. In other words, the more expensive and the better the quality, the better the leather will hold up. In addition, it has double-pin buckles that are extremely strong.

It is used mainly on certain exercises such as the squat, deadlift or rowing, but I use it for almost all my exercises. I take it every day to go to the gym and I use it for almost all my sessions. As a precautionary measure and to avoid injury, it is a reflex that I have adopted. It forces me to pay attention to my posture during training. It remains my habit but if you are more comfortable using it only for certain exercises, feel free.

Whether you want to build muscle in a specific part of your body, or gain muscle, following a complete weight training program established by a sports coach will allow you to reach your goals more quickly, while avoiding any risk of injury.

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Electrostimulation as a complement to weight training

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10 natural vasodilators and pre-workouts for bodybuilding