If you’ve been in the gym long enough odds are you’ve seen people wear those thick belts while they work out. If you wondered what those do when you saw them, this article is for you. There are many different pieces of workout equipment on the market, and a good lifting belt can be one of your best investments if you go to the gym regularly. So, let’s talk about why you might want one.

What they do

What a lifting belt does is help make the Valsalva maneuver more effective, essentially. Now, if you were unsure what a lifting belt does, then odds are you are also unfamiliar with the Valsalva maneuver. So, allow me to break that down. The Valsalva maneuver is something you do before performing a heavy lift that involves loading your spine, such as a squat, deadlift, overhead press, etc. The reason you do it is because it creates tremendous pressure around your spine and therefore keeps your spine from bending any way you don’t want it to. By doing this, it helps to keep your body together and keep your spine safe when performing a heavy lift.

Here’s how you do it. Before starting the lift, you’ll take a big breath inward. Once your inhale is complete, you will brace your core as hard as you can without exhaling. Bracing your core with all this extra gas inhaled is what helps you to create the pressure that holds your spine in place.

Here’s where the belt comes into play. In the Valsalva maneuver, you are basically doing an exhaling motion while not allowing the air to escape. This forces the air to press outwards in all directions around your torso. If you have a belt on when this happens, that belt helps to fight back and creates even more pressure and stability around your spine. This could help you lift an extra 5-10% of weight on the compound lifts that involve loading your spine. Further, it can help to keep you safe and reduce risk of injury over time.

So, should I wear a belt for all my compound lifts?

A weight belt can be a major asset when performing your heaviest lifts. However, you should definitely not wear it for all of your lifts. There are certain muscles of your core that are deep in your abdominals and lower back that really only get trained doing heavy compound lifts, such as a squat. When you perform a lift with a belt, your stability comes from the belt. When you perform a lift without a belt, your stability comes from your deep abdominal and lower back muscles. If all of your training is done with a belt, then these muscles don’t get the attention that they need, then it can be dangerous when you experience a weight that those muscles aren’t ready for.

So, here’s your rule of thumb: use a belt for your lifts that are ~85% of your 1 rep max and above and don’t use the belt for weights lower than that.

Another reason why you might not use a belt or the Valsalva maneuver

In general, you should perform the Valsalva maneuver for all lifts that involve loading your spine. Keeping your spine in that stable position is your best bet for reducing risk of injury. However, the Valsalva maneuver also comes along with a very high acute increase in blood pressure. If you are someone who is suffering from hypertension at rest, the Valsalva maneuver can put you at serious risk. If you have this condition, you should consult with your primary care provider or a cardiologist before performing any heavy lifting. Another case is if you currently have or recently have had a disc herniation or similar disc injury. This increase in pressure could also put an intervertebral disc condition at risk. If you are dealing with this type of injury, you should consult with a physical therapist or orthopedist before performing any heavy lifting.