Things you've learned through experience

mzaruba423 · Post by **mzaruba423** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:35 pm

belts are for pussies.
ha jk but im pretty sure it works your core more if you don't use a belt? someone back me up on that

Heelus · Post by **Heelus** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:41 am

Exact if you were belt, you core will never strengthen ...

vamp · Post by **vamp** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:56 am

Belts restrict movement and possibly cause more damage than less. They offer a sense of false security that you won't hurt your back. Belts are for holding up pants not your back or core.

cheers

thekid24 · Post by **thekid24** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 11:41 am

well i hurt back like i said first post when i went too heavy the first time i did dl and squats so i use belts when i'm doing heavy loads.
i does ease some of the pain.

Boss Man · Post by **Boss Man** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:02 pm

Maybe, but a weightlifting Belt easing tjhe pain, is not the problem here. The pain needs, (if not already), to be addressed with some kind of protocol.

Obvious possibilities like RICEing, Cortisone shots, massage therapy, Physio, possibly steroid injections etc etc.

cassiegose · Post by **cassiegose** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:20 pm

Thekid24....

Also don't forget stretching. I've been having nagging back pain for the past 6 months and finally went to the chiropractor. It turns out that I have a natural curve in back thats causing the pain (I experienced it especially when doing squat). He got me started doing some very simple stretches every day and now back feels 100% better.

If you are having back pain please do get it checked out. It could be something serious... or it could be something simple that could very easily be fixed. If it is something serious, you don't want to make it worse. And if it is something simple, why not get just it instead of having to tolerate it.

Hope this helps!

Cassie

thekid24 · Post by **thekid24** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:06 pm

well its not as bad as it used to be. its actually healing up pretty quick.
i dont know if doing back extensions helped or not but since "injuring" back, i dropped the DL's and just sticked to squats and back extensions holding plates.

cassie....

what type of stretches would you suggest?

boss....

i think epsom salts helped alot too.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:49 am

cassie - we all have natural curves in our backs...

kid - squats are worse for your back then deads...

causes of sore back:

- lack of ankle mobility
- lack of hip mobility
- oppsoite side shoulder dysfucntion
- weak core
- inhibited glutes
- weak hamstrings
- dominant quads
- overactive hip flexors
- lack of thoracic extension

oh and lifting too much too soon

cassiegose · Post by **cassiegose** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:27 pm

LOL! Swanso... I realize that we all have natural curves in our backs. The lumbar region of back curves inward more than the average persons. For example, when i'm lying flat on a bench on back, the lower part of back doesn't touch the bench (there is a gap there). Anyways... this was causing me a significant amount of pain until I went to the chiropractor. Now I've found that simply stretching back in the opposite direction of the curve (pushing lower spinal region out or forcing lower back down while laying flat) has helped immensly in alleviating that pain. :)

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 6:50 pm

you're stuck in anteriour pelvic tilt dear and simply stretching your back in flexion may help now but long term it will probably come back again you need to improve all the things from the last post and get your posture in check

cassiegose · Post by **cassiegose** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 11:53 am

Swanso... I agree that the list you've provided are all common causes of back pain... however I pretty sure none of those are causing problem. The doctor took x-rays of back and found that I have an extra bone in the lumbar region of back that is causing lower back to curve inward more than a usual persons. He said that it isn't a totally uncommon issue, but can tweak the backs normal curvature. Anyways... that was his diagnosis so I'm going to stick to that and continue with the stretching as it seems to be helping immensly. :)

DianaB · Post by **DianaB** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:52 pm

vamp wrote:Belts restrict movement and possibly cause more damage than less. They offer a sense of false security that you won't hurt your back. Belts are for holding up pants not your back or core.

cheers

Oh crap and MEOW for whoever said belts are for pussies.
A belt gives a little something to push against in a heavy squat or DL. By heavy, I mean nothing more than a triple, BTW. A proper size belt hardly restricts movements, it offers and increased tightness on the eccentric contraction, which helps to prevent dive bombing into a squat, for one example.
There is an important place for gear in weightlifting, the trick is to be educated enough to know WHEN and HOW to use it.

Heelus · Post by **Heelus** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 6:17 am

DianaB wrote:
vamp wrote:Belts restrict movement and possibly cause more damage than less. They offer a sense of false security that you won't hurt your back. Belts are for holding up pants not your back or core.

cheers
Oh crap and MEOW for whoever said belts are for pussies.
A belt gives a little something to push against in a heavy squat or DL. By heavy, I mean nothing more than a triple, BTW. A proper size belt hardly restricts movements, it offers and increased tightness on the eccentric contraction, which helps to prevent dive bombing into a squat, for one example.
There is an important place for gear in weightlifting, the trick is to be educated enough to know WHEN and HOW to use it.

I have a question.

I've never used belt and I would like to know if you personally while wearing a belt on 3RM ++ attempt really increase the weight you can use by a significant amount ?

vamp · Post by **vamp** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:42 am

Okay, Yesterday (Friday) I hit 330lbs 2x5reps, too tired to push 2 more sets out. Been sleeping a little crappy lately and its started to show in the gym. So you think a belt would help with these lifts? I'm 235lbs. How can your core muscle strengthen to hold everything in place if you rely on a belt to do it for them? I understand in simplicity its like a cast keeping bones together so they knit properly, the belt prevents over compression and bending that could cause harm... If you train without a belt, you train your body to do that job as they were meant to... Is this not correct?

cheers

DianaB · Post by **DianaB** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 9:16 am

If you are trying for 5x5, maybe 330 is too much for you under the conditions you mentioned. A belt is not going to help you squat more weight, it just makes the weight easier to handle by providing tightness on the eccentric contraction. It helps to push against on the concentric. If you have a weak core, a belt is not going to that, you'll still end up bent over and GMing the weight up.
Start your squat by getting a good full of air. When you get out of the hole, do not exhale in one fluid breath. Push that into the belt and exhale in small breaths (hard to explain in writing, I'm usually very vocal when showing people this. This is not the Vasalva maneuver, I'm not advocating that). Push your knees out and spread the floor with your feet.
You can always tell when the weight is too heavy for a lifter, belt or not. The knees come inward and the chest collapses/head comes down, putting more strain on the back.
A belt helps more to stabilize heavy loads, it does not compensate a great deal for weak abs or lumbar spine.

EDIT: regarding training the body to do the job the way it was meant to-Vamp, do you really think your body was designed to squat 1.5 times your BW for reps? Don't get all functional on me! Yes, a basic squat is a functional movement, but where in "real" lift do you ever see a person putting that much load on their back and sitting down with it. For REPS. You don't. Squatting heavy weight repeatedly in not functional, it's weightlifting. That's where gear comes into play.