Are WeightLifting Belts Bad For You? Pros and Cons

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Are WeightLifting Belts Bad For You? Pros and Cons
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• Trainers aspiring to become professional
  powerlifters may ask the question whether they
  should wear a weightlifting belt. The typical
  response is usually met with a patronizing no,
  wholehearted yes or an apathetic it doesnt
  make a difference. For many years the trend has
  experienced some noticeable differences in the
  practices of professional athletes.

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• Powerlifters have traditionally used specialized
  weightlifting belts, CrossFitters on the other
  hand do not and bodybuilders split in their
  beliefs have been observed with some regarding
  the weightlifting belt as an crucial feature for
  added safety and performance and others
  maintaining a contrasting belief that using a
  weightlifting belt increases the possibility of
  long term injury. 

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• Taking into consideration the vast information
  and rumored beliefs within the fitness industry
  we are going to take an in-depth look at
  principles behind the device and establish the
  pros and cons of using weightlifting belts.

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Pros and cons of using weightlifting belts

• The Pros
• One of the main factors to bear in mind when
  wearing a weightlifting belt during weight
  training is the intra-abdominal pressure exerted
  within the individual wearing the belt. 

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• Exercises generally consisting of a range of
  isometric lifts at the maximum potential coupled
  with Valsalva maneuvers are typically known for
  significantly increasing the intra-muscular
  pressure within the muscles of the erector spina
  whenever a weightlifting belt was worn thus
  creating better muscular stabilization and safe
  environment allowing the individual to increase
  their potential to safely lift much heavier
  loads.

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• In addition it has been proven that men who
  generally wore weightlifting belts during
  training were less prone to spine loading while
  inhaling before the lift.

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• The Cons
• Contrary to the benefits of wearing weightlifting
  belts some fitness experts have concluded that it
  lessen the motor learning ability of the
  abdominal muscles within individual. Most of the
  exercises aimed at strength training are known
  for routinely excreting the abdominal muscles and
  obliques when performing the motions.

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• As such beginners to weight training who opt to
  wear a weightlifting belt will sidestep one of
  the vital techniques to the strength training
  workout by failing to learn how to effectively
  contract their abdominal muscles to effect the
  lift. Given this fact most trainers will never
  recommend using a weightlifting belt as a
  supportive measure for exercises requiring proper
  stabilization of core muscles.

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• Although rarely considered as one of the most
  recognizable reasons for an individual not to
  wear a weightlifting belt, most men have stated
  that wearing a weight lifting belt during
  training gives the impression that they have a
  weak lower back. 

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• The truth to this statement however is, men who
  have customarily worn them during their strength
  training have been found to have weaker lower
  back muscles resulting from the weightlifting
  belt continuously reducing the amount of stress
  impacted on the lower back limiting the muscular
  development within those target muscles by
  restricting the natural adoption process of the
  muscle tissues to repair themselves after the
  workout to increase muscular build and strength.