To start by making a general idea clear, if you do not have a goal linked to competition, or you are a person with proven sports experience, the recommendation should be that you forget about the lumbar belt. Without denying that it has its function, the risk of the lumbar belt is that many people begin to integrate it into their workouts without having previously had the opportunity to strengthen their body. But not only that, on top of that they do it with the false perception that it is cautious and helps prevent injuries. Although in the weightliftinghe powerlifting or the CrossFit the use of a lumbar belt is quite common, the truth is that it hurts to look at that image of a ghost from the gym that walks from one side to another with a tight belt so that everyone thinks ‘oh, but how strong’.
The fact that in the videos of the great champions of strength disciplines they are all wearing a lumbar belt, does not mean that it is optimal in your case. Imitating the stars sometimes leads us to make decisions that are not necessarily the right ones for us, and the lumbar belt is no exception. Here we have Ronnie Coleman Giving it all with a belt so tight it hurts to look at it:
What may be essential for some is equally harmful for you. Let’s see what it is for, what it is not for and why, in general terms and for the vast majority of people, it is not recommended.
Why is the lumbar belt used?
There is a general feeling that the belt is worth to be able to lift weights that you would not be able to without it and that it ensures a lumbar disc protection facing an injury. Both statements are not correct or at least not entirely:
•The belt is not going to make you stronger, if you can’t with a weight you won’t be able to wear it either. The point is that the belt can transmit a sense of security to make an effort that you normally would not.
•Really if your core is weak, a belt will not protect you from injury. Let’s say that you must arrive with your homework done or that apparent firmness that you feel with your seat belt on, it will be a dangerous trap for your health.
When someone is about to exert themselves, they hold their breath and contract their torso. This almost mechanical gesture generates internal pressure that helps to prepare your core to withstand this effort. This is how we can lift weights efficiently without hurting ourselves and also avoid possible damage to your pelvic floor. Learning how to perform this activation correctly requires some practice. What is the part of the belt in all this? The lumbar belt will give you a proprioceptive signal which helps to get a greater tension in your core since you feel that you are pressing against something. It is not that the belt is directly supporting your back, it is that it helps you to do it better by explaining complex mechanical issues in a somewhat simple, but understandable way.
If it helps our body consciousness, why is it not recommended to use it in general?
If you don’t do heavy lifting, it doesn’t make much sense. Going heavy doesn’t mean it’s hard for you, and here comes the first problem, when someone is handling a weight they’ve never been exposed to for the first time, their perceived maximal effort it is not real, it feels that it is on the edge when the edge is still very far away. It is time to understand what happens in our body, identify weaknesses, not try to move faster than we should and not add external help that could hide a technical defect when doing an exercise or other problems. All this, I insist, camouflaged under an apparent security or appearance of doing the right thing. Note that:
•The lumbar belt is an unhealthy extra tension for the pelvic floor. This point is quite fundamental for the detractors of the belt and with good reason. It doesn’t make sense to protect your back and instead cause a prolapse by doing the animal.
•You can get strong and a lot without reaching that weight where you feel the need for the belt. Lose weight and look for alternatives: more repetitions, slow concentric or eccentric phases and a long list of variations that your coach can give you.
If you still want to use it, you should know that the belt has its function when it is used mainly in squats, deadlifts and shoulder presses, as well as in weightlifting lifts. In general, barbell exercises that involve heavy loads. Using the belt to walk or sit on a machine to pull the neck, they will only be giving you a new way to make a fool of yourself without any transfer of protection or force to your training.
