Weightlifting belts are commonly seen in gyms these days. They are used to stabilise the lower back during heavy lifts and allows lifters to move more weight.

Pros: Weightlifting belts are generally used to prevent injury and enhance performance. The benefits of wearing a weight belt essentially come from an increased ability to generate intra abdominal pressure. By increasing pressure in the abdomen this creates a more stable environment for the spine and allows lifters to lift more. This is why weightlifting belts have always been popular with power lifters, olympic lifters and now crossfiters.

Cons: So while there are some benefits from using weightlifting belts there are also a couple of downsides. Using a weightlifting belt can have a detrimental effect on the recruitment pattern of the abdominals and create poor motor programming. When people lift, the core should activate in sequence to stabilise the lower back and generate power for the lift. This includes activation of deep core muscles such as the internal/external obliques, pelvic floor and the transverse abdominals. When lifting with a weight belt the belt simply takes over and if used in beginners they will never learn how to correctly engage their core. It is often interesting to work with weightlifters and crossfitters who do use weightlifting belts in training as they will often test weak for TA, oblique and pelvic floor strength even though they are capable of lifting extremely heavy weight in training and competition.

Recommendations: With anyone using a weightlifting belt it is important that they are doing accessory work to strengthen the core and I advise that they only use the weight belt when lifting maximal weights. In warm up sets or low volume training phases it is a good idea to have a break from the weightlifting belt in order to develop core strength and correct motor recruitment patterns in the core so as not to become too reliant on the external brace.