Lifting Belt

GreenMachineX

GreenMachineX

Well-known member
Does anyone have a recommendation for a specific lifting or particular band? Or, any specific ones to stay away from? Or does it not matter much? It's time I give this a shot. My DL and squat could use a little boost.
 
I wanted an Inzer lever style but my buddy sold me his inzer buckle for like $40 when he bought the lever, so I've used that ever since. As it turned out, he ended up not liking the lever as much and said he couldn't get it as tight. I prefer single buckle over double buckle because it's easier to get out of and feels better on my stomach. the double buckle always poked me different for some reason.

whatever you get, once you have it stretched and broken in, will last until you out grow it lol

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Subbed! I use a cheap generic one for most of my lifting because I got some kind of lower back issue but I'm looking into getting a good one. I'm dieing to move some heavy weight again
 
Smont said:
Subbed! I use a cheap generic one for most of my lifting because I got some kind of lower back issue but I'm looking into getting a good one. I'm dieing to move some heavy weight again
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I used some valeo velcro belts when I was oly lifting to keep the buckle from getting in the way when snatching or cleaning but once the velcro gives you lose all faith in it. moving to a legit belt was the best move I ever made, I dont' even think about anything other than "oh ****, I'm on hole 2 and I used to be on hole 4" anymore 😅
 
Resolve10 said:
Do you want more of like a stiff powerlifting style belt?

I'd probably go with Inzer, they have been around for awhile and aren't really that expensive (and belts should last forever). I have a Best Belt, which is basically the same and it is so old.

If you want to save a little you could maybe look at the lifting large competition belts (they are around $50). I'd check reviews because I haven't been super in on the belt scene lately.



You should really work on fixing your back first, a belt isn't going to solve a back issue. I'd hate to see you get more hurt just because of some false security with a belt.
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The back injury was a slipped disc about 18 years ago, it just kinda is what it is. I been training around it (with occasional setbacks) for a while.

Yes a stiff sturdy PL type belt for my squats and deads, IL keep the cheap flexible one I got for me regular stuff.

Basically I do most pull workouts with a belt, I squat with a belt over 225 and I use a belt on pressing when I'm within my 3-5 rep max.
 
Resolve10 said:
Do you want more of like a stiff powerlifting style belt?

I'd probably go with Inzer, they have been around for awhile and aren't really that expensive (and belts should last forever). I have a Best Belt, which is basically the same and it is so old.

If you want to save a little you could maybe look at the lifting large competition belts (they are around $50). I'd check reviews because I haven't been super in on the belt scene lately.
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I don't know enough to know what I want, other then most likely 2 prong. Otherwise, I don't know the difference. But I just looked at the Inzer link above and it was $129! That's a bit much.
 
U made my point for me. I use to use a belt 95-99. No belt from 2002 onward. I did dead’s for the first time since 2015 Monday. Hit 275 for 5. And God Damn that felt good!!!
 
I have a titan belt from like 10 years ago that still works great. I would go with inzer based on overall longevity and feedback in the market over the years. I dont know who is really still in the game besides inzer and titan, both are good to go. I prefer a single prone belt myself, that is what I have, I have been able to use the same best weighing as high as 230 and as low as 185.
 
If using for powerlifting like squat and pull, I would go with a 10mm or 13mm belt. 13mm is pretty dense, so a 10mm is preferred by most lifters. I have a 13mm myself.
 
GreenMachineX said:
I don't know enough to know what I want, other then most likely 2 prong. Otherwise, I don't know the difference. But I just looked at the Inzer link above and it was $129! That's a bit much.
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any possibility there are extras at the gym that you can try on to see what you like or don't like?
$129 sounds like a lot, but I got mine around 2017 or 2018. So you can figure if I had paid full price, that's $20/year so far and dropping every day.

figure out your size and there are a few on eBay for like $30-40

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oops you said double prong, well there are some on eBay with a double as well, although not as good in price.
 
I don't know anything about the brand but if you are just looking for support and something to create internal pressure from I would imagine this would do the trick.
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Not a 10mm but a decent looking 7mm leather double pronged belt for $59. If not powerlifting competitively I would think it would suffice and also be a lot more comfortable and easier to break in.

Gym Reapers also has some lower priced leather 2 pronged belts.
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I wouldn't overspend for what you need just to have a big name belt. I would imagine either of these belts would do the trick. You are the one creating the internal pressure by pressing your abs into the belt so for general lifting support something like this makes sense IMHO.
 
Not sure what sports stores you might have around you. It’s a scheels here but they have a whole rack of belts and you can try them on and see how they fit etc.
 
How do you all feel about Schick. It's more comfortable on my sides so I've been recently using it more

Edit schiek belts.
 
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Stoic Belt ! Highly recommended. I was not a belt guy before buying this. (I’ve tried a few and didn’t like ‘em)

It has held up for the last 3 years extremely well! ( I see the price has gone up slightly) This is also approved by IPF/USAPL/USPS

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Resolve10 said:
Ya you got me going down the rabbit hole now because I've been meaning to look at belts (although I was looking more for velcro one since mine is getting a bit run down) and knee sleeves again.

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That is the official lifting large store on Ebay you can check their listings for other options if 10mm or single prong isn't what you want to go with.

I wouldn't overthink it as hard as I am though (personal problem), you may even be fine with just a velcro belt if you'd just like to dip your toes into using a belt and not deal with how uncomfortable some of the thicker ones can be.

Just food for thought.
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Just ordered the 2 prong lifting large belt. Thanks.
 
Resolve10 said:
Pretty sure I’m going to blame you for me buying a new belt though. Making a choice on a Velcro belt soon for when I want to start using one again (my thick belt is still going strong..).
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I am actually thinking about a good locking velcro belt as well. With my current lifting I definitely don't need a thick stiff belt, but I wouldn't mind having one that just gives some support and offers warmth to warm up faster. Similar with my knee sleeves. Right now the Inzer ones i have are definitely overkill for my current lifting but some decent neoprenes to keep me warm and lubed up would be great. Let me know which belt you go with. I assume you are looking for one that "locks" the velcro as well so it doesn't pop loose under high pressure.
 
Resolve10 said:
Ya I am blanking on what my current one is, but maybe grabbing a Gym Reaper one.

Looking for knee sleeves possibly too for same kind of concept, it is getting cold again and anything to help keep me warmed up would be nice. I started looking, but got overwhelmed because it all just seems like people trying to not use knee wraps, yet also wanting to get benefit from their knee sleeves (and not caring if it feels like they are going to die as long as it adds some pounds to their squats :p).
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Yeah, I was eyeballing the Gym Reaper ones. I assume they are not as bound up for performance. I am not looking for spring just support and warm joints.
 
Pioneer is the best belt hands down period. Either get the PAL2.0 adjustable lever (amazing) or if you like a pin belt, get the pioneer cut which has two sets of offset holes and floating pin so you can go up or down incrementally.

Their quality is unmatched, and their customizations are endless.

The only other belt I would even remotely consider is the SBD adjustable lever belt. But for that price you could get a custom pioneer bet and their adjustable lever is superior to SBD's.
 
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Smont said:
The back injury was a slipped disc about 18 years ago, it just kinda is what it is. I been training around it (with occasional setbacks) for a while.

Yes a stiff sturdy PL type belt for my squats and deads, IL keep the cheap flexible one I got for me regular stuff.

Basically I do most pull workouts with a belt, I squat with a belt over 225 and I use a belt on pressing when I'm within my 3-5 rep max.
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I bought a Rogue 13mm single buckle a few years ago. I use it for squats and deadlifts with no issues. It’s a great belt but expensive.
 
Pioneer, SBD, Cerberus, Inzer, Titan are going to be some of your flagship, premium belts.

You get exactly what you pay for in a belt - buy nice, or buy twice. That can be okay; a lot of people don’t realize what they really need or want so starting with a cheaper one is a good justification to upgrade when you realize you wanted a different color/finish/personalization/animal skin/thickness/buckle style.

I have had a Titan Longhorn 10mm suede leverbelt for over a decade now that has been used routinely, looks & works as good as when it was new, and just as comfy on day 1. Only crappy or cheap belts need to be “broken in”.
 
I just read that you went double prong 🫣

NEVER go double prong. That’s for people who want to forever struggle getting the second prong in or out when you need to set the belt tight. This is how people get trapped in their belts and then need help getting them off when they’re exhausted.
 
Smont said:
I was looking at the rogue belts last night and I'm probably going with one of those
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With the back issues you have I think it will give you the support you’re looking for. I really like mine and that fukker will last forever.
 
Resolve10 said:
Ya I am blanking on what my current one is, but maybe grabbing a Gym Reaper one.

Looking for knee sleeves possibly too for same kind of concept, it is getting cold again and anything to help keep me warmed up would be nice. I started looking, but got overwhelmed because it all just seems like people trying to not use knee wraps, yet also wanting to get benefit from their knee sleeves (and not caring if it feels like they are going to die as long as it adds some pounds to their squats :p).
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Gym Reaper knee Sleeves and wrist wraps are good. I dont often wear a belt but theres a gym reapers belt at my gym that has a nice "lever" buckle situation. Invalid Link Removed
 
AwakeningAlpha said:
Gym Reaper knee Sleeves and wrist wraps are good. I dont often wear a belt but theres a gym reapers belt at my gym that has a nice "lever" buckle situation. Invalid Link Removed
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Did you feel that belt? There’s some brands I’ve noticed that are making belts with powerlifting dimensions that fold up like a damn joke when you hold the belt. I’m not saying Gym Reaper is like that, but I was not impressed with their sleeves/wraps I’ve seen at all. Did not seem very strong, or built to last.

Inaka Strength is one company who makes terrible belts like this. Looks like a power belt but zero stiffness; you could double the material over and damage it if you tried, almost like it had foam inside it or something.

I have EliteFTS entry level wrist wraps from 12 years ago that I STILL use for heavy lowbar/comp squats. I competed in them again 3 weeks ago. My stepdaughter is now using them 3x a week for her training no issue. All brands are not equal in quality, even if at similar price points.
 
Hyde said:
Did you feel that belt? There’s some brands I’ve noticed that are making belts with powerlifting dimensions that fold up like a damn joke when you hold the belt. I’m not saying Gym Reaper is like that, but I was not impressed with their sleeves/wraps I’ve seen at all. Did not seem very strong, or built to last.

Inaka Strength is one company who makes terrible belts like this. Looks like a power belt but zero stiffness; you could double the material over and damage it if you tried, almost like it had foam inside it or something.

I have EliteFTS entry level wrist wraps from 12 years ago that I STILL use for heavy lowbar/comp squats. I competed in them again 3 weeks ago. My stepdaughter is now using them 3x a week for her training no issue. All brands are not equal in quality, even if at similar price points.
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No I think you're right @Hyde . The belt material felt quite solid but I don't have much experience with it. Just liked the 'lever' aspect as it didn't have a buckle that could potentially dig into you. The knee sleeves have served their purpose as well but I've only had them for about 3 months so no sense of longterm durability. For me they were what were available, and you are right about there being higher quality. Seems to me Gym Reapers is not actually a manufacturer but a brand that is put onto stuff already made. Each item could be hit or miss.
 
AwakeningAlpha said:
No I think you're right @Hyde . The belt material felt quite solid but I don't have much experience with it. Just liked the 'lever' aspect as it didn't have a buckle that could potentially dig into you. The knee sleeves have served their purpose as well but I've only had them for about 3 months so no sense of longterm durability. For me they were what were available, and you are right about there being higher quality. Seems to me Gym Reapers is not actually a manufacturer but a brand that is put onto stuff already made. Each item could be hit or miss.
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I’m a big fan of levers. They just save so much time and energy in training. On/off like a light switch; definitely worth the cost of the lever mechanism.

Neoprene knee sleeves, some are better or lower construction quality, but as long as they keep you warm and don’t come apart too fast I think it doesn’t matter much (disregarding the new very expensive competition ones that are trying to add lbs to a squat).
 
Hyde said:
Did you feel that belt? There’s some brands I’ve noticed that are making belts with powerlifting dimensions that fold up like a damn joke when you hold the belt. I’m not saying Gym Reaper is like that, but I was not impressed with their sleeves/wraps I’ve seen at all. Did not seem very strong, or built to last.
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I've seen Valeos do that. you put on a 3" belt that ends up offering about 1" of support in the middle as the top and bottom folds around.
 
Dustin07 said:
I used some valeo velcro belts when I was oly lifting to keep the buckle from getting in the way when snatching or cleaning but once the velcro gives you lose all faith in it. moving to a legit belt was the best move I ever made, I dont' even think about anything other than "oh ****, I'm on hole 2 and I used to be on hole 4" anymore 😅
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I'm currently looking for a new belt. My last one was also valeo velcro and I know after it failed on me I had a hard time trusting it again. I actually went a few months after with that crap in mind no matter what type belt I used. Lol
 
Resolve10 said:
When you say failed what do you mean?

If you mean the velcro, a lot of velcro belts now use the locking system that (Schiek I think?) came up with. Even if the velcro comes undone the belt stays secure.
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Ya it was the velcro. Sorry, shoulda mentioned that. Ya man, it was only after maybe 6 months and I only ever did dead and rack pulls with it. I was doing sumo-deads when it happened and I had just started to be able to get 400 up for a 1rep-max. I freaked and kept worrying I was gonna feel something yucky happen in my nether regions. Lol
 
Resolve10 said:
When you say failed what do you mean?

If you mean the velcro, a lot of velcro belts now use the locking system that (Schiek I think?) came up with. Even if the velcro comes undone the belt stays secure.
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Mine faild too, the ducktape lost its stickyness🤪

Now i got @MrKleen73 's belt and im breaking it in still, its a monster of a belt lol. Im excited to use it! Im afraid im gonna do something stupid like test all my 1rm's as soon as its ready 😂
 
Good to know, I always thought the velcro belt was pretty comfortable so l will have to check into one with a locking mechanism. I was looking at lever style but I've never used one and feel like I need to learn more about them
 
reforged said:
Good to know, I always thought the velcro belt was pretty comfortable so l will have to check into one with a locking mechanism. I was looking at lever style but I've never used one and feel like I need to learn more about them
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You flip the lever and it gets tight. You flip it off and it becomes loose so you can unclasp it. If it’s too tight or loose when flipped, you use a screwdriver to adjust the buckle position. Which lets you know if your waist is getting thicker or thinner over time, since you normally won’t need to adjust that often at all.

They are VERY user friendly and save a lot of time/energy in the gym. Absolutely worthwhile, unless you like your belt set to different tightnesses all the time for different lifts.
 
Thank you, I was kinda embarrassed to ask how ya adjust em . Lol. I see in like wsm n meets all the time n I guess it flew right over my head. Lol. I guess I just feel like they might be more durable?
 
reforged said:
Thank you, I was kinda embarrassed to ask how ya adjust em . Lol. I see in like wsm n meets all the time n I guess it flew right over my head. Lol. I guess I just feel like they might be more durable?
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Oh a quality powerbelt with a lever is very durable, as long as you aren’t banging the lever abusively on things. I have had my Titan lever belt for 12 years now - it’s as good as the day I got it, including the original lever. Two screws if I have been gaining or losing fat and need to adjust the lever. Some companies these days like Pioneer even have levers that micro adjust, so you can micro adjust for different lifts (looser for deadlifts, tighter for OHP, etc).

Buy nice, or buy twice. Do not get the cheapest one you can find.
 
Thanks guys, that helps the decision. Ya, I kinda figured on this one it's best to put legitimate $ into it. Not gonna break the bank but definitely won't cheap out either
 
Resolve10 said:
Ya there are a few that use the locking mechanism so even if the velcro fails it'll stay snug. Could be worth looking into if you still want a belt of a similar style.
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Hyde said:
You flip the lever and it gets tight. You flip it off and it becomes loose so you can unclasp it. If it’s too tight or loose when flipped, you use a screwdriver to adjust the buckle position. Which lets you know if your waist is getting thicker or thinner over time, since you normally won’t need to adjust that often at all.

They are VERY user friendly and save a lot of time/energy in the gym. Absolutely worthwhile, unless you like your belt set to different tightnesses all the time for different lifts.
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This is all new to me. I just started looking up these belts and i Definitely have seen them before, but never put any thought into it being different, just thought it was giant clip instead of velcrow or holes
 
I'd be lying if I said that seeing big ol Eddie Hall, or Thor locking some giant ass strap down didn't have something to do with it 😂
 
reforged said:
I'd be lying if I said that seeing big ol Eddie Hall, or Thor locking some giant ass strap down didn't have something to do with it
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So there are a few types of belt to consider. Velcro ones like “deadlift belts” often have a lock ring you lace the strap through a couple rings to cinch it, then Velcro it down. The Velcro wears out fast.

There’s a power belt, which has standard dimensions and that’s really what you want for a lot of heavy lifting or strength training. You can get a prong (like a traditional pant belt) to go through the holes, or a lever like I was advocating to save a lot of energy/time.

Lastly, there are some belts of various/non-standard dimensions that use a ratchet strap mechanism (just like a towstrap). These were invented before levers really, and already provided the solution for constantly variable tightness without having to mess with the effort of a prong every set. But they are not legal in powerlifting or standard in dimension the way powerbelts are, so more of a gym or strongman thing. Definitely not a bad option.

There’s also bodybuilding style and weightlifting style belts, but these really don’t give a lot of support at all because they are tapered down in the front - the entire point of a belt is to allow you to brace your abs harder. If there’s almost no material to push off of in the front, the erectors are the only thing that gets a boost. You also want to be engaging the abs & obliques maximally.

And soft/neoprene belts, but these are more like low back/ab warmers. Sometimes guys will wear these under their powerbelts or ratcheting belts in strongman if they want the extra support & heat.
 
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