Today we're discussing the topic of weightlifting belts. When we step into the gym, we often see advanced lifters wearing thick, heavy belts around their waists. After each squat set, you hear that distinct “snap” as they release the belt—giving off an air of professionalism. Today we'll delve into whether you need one too. After reading this article, you'll have no lingering questions about weightlifting belts.

1. What is a weightlifting belt, and what does it do?

Simply put, a weightlifting belt—as the name suggests—is protective gear worn around the waist, much like a regular belt. Its purpose is to help us perform weight training more effectively. It provides support for your lower back and core muscles, enhances spinal stability, and maintains spinal neutrality. This is especially crucial when pushing your physical limits during training, helping reduce the risk of injury. Weightlifting belts have a wide range of applications. Primary exercises they benefit include squats, deadlifts, and more. They can help you lift heavier weights, typically increasing your capacity by 5% to 15%.

2. How Weightlifting Belts Work

Based solely on the definition, you might be eager to get one immediately to boost your fitness journey—after all, it promises at least a 5% lift increase while protecting your lumbar spine. But hold off for a moment. Let's delve deeper into the science behind how weightlifting belts function before deciding to order one online. How do belts protect us? When I first started working out, I assumed weightlifting belts relied on their stiff, wide straps to support the lower back. But the actual mechanism is different. Let's examine the science behind belts through specific exercises. Take squats as an example. See the diagram below (my beautiful hand-drawn illustration!!!)

As shown, this depicts an experienced lifter performing a barbell squat. The red arrows indicate the weightlifting belt. Below the athlete is a cross-section of the abdomen. The string of square segments resembling candied hawthorn berries represents our spine.

3. Breathing Technique for Barbell Squats

To understand how the belt functions, we must first explain the breathing method for barbell squats. After loading the barbell, take a deep breath before beginning the descent. Then, direct this inhaled air downward into your abdomen. As the air enters your belly, your abdomen will slightly expand. Next, hold your breath and engage your lower abdominal muscles—that is, activate your abs. While compressing the air into your lower abdomen, use your abdominal muscles to squeeze the space where the air is stored. This increases abdominal pressure, making it firm, and allows you to perform the squat.

Throughout the entire squat and rise, the deeply inhaled air must remain firmly locked in your lower abdomen (as indicated by the blue word “air”), not in your chest cavity. Throughout the squat, your lower abdominal muscles remain engaged, continuously compressing the abdominal space to firmly trap the air within your lower abdomen. As you rise, you can gradually exhale the held air from your lower abdomen until you are fully upright. However, I recommend holding the gas in your lower abdomen until you have fully risen before exhaling. This is especially advisable when lifting relatively heavier weights.

Why fill the lower abdomen with gas? Filling the lower abdomen with air and holding your breath allows the space around the lumbar spine to become air-filled. Engaging your abdominal muscles then compresses this air-filled space, creating a cushion-like effect throughout the abdominal cavity that protects your lumbar spine. As shown in the diagram, air fills the lower abdomen, making it resemble an inflated tire, with the entire spine surrounded by this air cushion. This gas provides stabilization, cushioning, and support for the spine. When fully inflated, it prevents compression between the vertebrae. During exercises like squats or deadlifts, protecting spinal neutrality and lumbar stability isn't just a recommendation—it's an absolute requirement!

4. The Role of a Weightlifting Belt

As shown in the diagram, the weightlifting belt is the small red circle.

The top image depicts the state without a belt, where air fills the lower abdomen, providing cushion-like protection. Imagine a plastic bag: we blow air into it until it's two-thirds full, then seal the opening. The entire cushion is limp and floppy. However, if we now take a string and tightly bind the entire limp, inflated plastic bag, pulling the string until the bag is about to burst, the same volume of gas is now confined to a smaller space. The entire air cushion becomes extremely compact, much like a tire filled with sufficient air, significantly enhancing its protective function.

The fitness belt serves this role of the string. The volume of air we inhale into our chest remains the same, but the belt's compression reduces the space in our abdomen. Yet the inhaled gas volume remains unchanged. Thus, when we hold the gas in the lower abdomen, the entire lower abdominal space, aided by the belt, experiences increased pressure. Like a tire filled with air, it becomes more compact. A tighter air cushion provides better support and protection for the spine.

In other words, by holding our breath and retaining air in the lower abdomen—essentially engaging the abdominal muscles to reduce lower abdominal space—we compress the air, increasing pressure and firmness within that area. This enhances the protective cushioning effect. The belt's compression further assistance abdominal muscle contraction, reducing lower abdominal space even more. This continues squeezing air, increasing intra-abdominal pressure and making the air cushion effect more pronounced. Consequently, the air cushion provides superior spinal protection. This is the working principle of a fitness belt. However, everything comes at a cost.

5. Drawbacks of Wearing a Belt

Let's examine the trade-offs involved when wearing a belt. Without a belt, after inhaling, we hold the breath in the lower abdomen and rely solely on abdominal muscle strength to compress the lower abdomen, creating the protective air cushion effect. But when wearing a belt, the belt assists the abdominal muscles in this compression. This means our abdominal muscles exert less force, as the belt takes over part of their function. Consequently, the abdominal muscles lose this valuable training opportunity. To achieve the same excellent air cushion support effect without a belt, the abdominal muscles must exert more force to reach or approach the support level provided by the belt. We are solitary lifelong trainers, and our training is remarkably efficient. When performing squats, the effort to compress air through abdominal engagement simultaneously provides excellent abdominal training. Why relinquish such an efficient abdominal training opportunity to a belt?

From another perspective, I recommend training muscles based on their functional roles. Our abs primarily stabilize the spine, compress the abdomen, and anchor the core. Only with a stable core can we isolate target muscles for effective training. When squatting, the abdominal effort serves precisely this functional purpose. However, isolated crunches—which rely on contracting and squeezing the abs—are notoriously difficult to execute with proper form. They carry a very high risk of lumbar injury, especially for desk-bound computer operators whose spines are particularly vulnerable. The risks of this dangerous exercise far outweigh the benefits.

Some may counter that wearing a weightlifting belt allows us to lift heavier weights. That's true—I don't deny it. But remember: we are muscle hypertrophy trainers. Our goal is muscle growth, not becoming bulldozers. Our purpose isn't to lift heavier weights; it's to effectively stimulate target muscles for growth. Weight, or load, is relative—it's one means among many to stimulate muscle growth, not the only path. Factors like training volume and metabolic buildup also play crucial roles. We can fully compensate for load through training volume to achieve equivalent stimulation. If we rely on weight belts, especially from the very start of our training journey, while neglecting functional training for the abdominal muscles themselves, the costs far outweigh the benefits.

Some might argue that weight belts provide cushioning protection for our spine. However, the abdominal muscles can also generate force to provide this cushioning protection for our spine. As hypertrophy trainers, there is absolutely no need to lift weights exceeding 85% of our 1RM during squats. In other words, hypertrophy-focused individuals have no requirement for ultra-heavy training. Our training loads can be managed without a weightlifting belt, relying solely on our abdominal muscles to fully protect our lumbar spine. Within the 30%–85% 1RM weight range, there's absolutely no need for a weightlifting belt to achieve optimal muscle stimulation and effectively engage your abs.

This applies not just to squats and deadlifts. Virtually all our regular strength training requires core stabilization, meaning every exercise can effectively stimulate the abdominal muscles. So, is it truly necessary to train with a belt all the time? My stance is unequivocal: As lifelong, solitary hypertrophy trainers, ditch your belts. Don't train with weightlifting belts—it's completely unnecessary. Throw away your belts and use your abs. Happy training, everyone!