| Wearing a weightlifting
belt during a work out does not necessarily improve performance, according to Dr. Sohail
Ahmad, of the Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y. In fact, the end result of belt use
may be underuse of abdominal muscles and increased strain on the back. Ahmad looked at
50 weightlifters, aged 18 to 50, who worked out for 1-1.5 hours a day in a local gym. Half
the men wore a weightlifting belt and all the men performed the same exercise regimen. The
researcher looked at their strength gains and their abdominal and back strength throughout
the study, according to a report presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy
of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Ahmad found that the strength gains in both groups were
essentially the same.
"Most people had increased strength with exercise on a chest machine and
that's what I used to evaluate them," Ahmad said in an interview with Reuters. "However,
those patients who did not use the weightlifting belt had better abdominal and back
strength, as evidenced by the ability to do more repetitions in two exercises, called the
abdominal crunches and the hyperextensions."
Though this study is a little misguided in terms of real world usefulness of a weight
belt it does demonstrate that the dependency on a weight belt can impede muscular and
strength development in certain areas.
The belt works by increasing intra-abdominal pressure and helping the athlete lift more
weight above his head. In effect, it makes people use less of their muscles and more of
this intra-abdominal pressure to help lift the weight, Ahmad discovered.
"My theory is that without using the weightlifting belt and using your body
mechanics and posturing, you are able to recruit more of your muscles in your abdomen and
back to help you lift the weight. In effect, you are getting a better exercise load on
your back and abdomen," says Ahmad.
A person does not need a weightlifting belt if they use the proper form and technique,
Ahmad believes. However, competitors or power lifters are better off using a weightlifting
belt for those heavy, maximum lifts. But even for those individuals, Ahmad would not
recommend use of a weightlifting belt all the time.
"It affects performance in that you are able to lift heavier weights, but I
think it detracts from your strength gains in the abdomen and back if you do use a belt
all the time," Ahmad said. "Your strength gains are better without the
belt."
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