| I agree with Goat here. I use a belt for squats/deads ... If you wear a belt ALL the time, your back may become susceptible to injury becaues of its dependency on it.
I just read an article yesterday in Ironman, page 46... Stating that "intra-abdominal pressure is 25-40 percent greater when subjects wear a lifting belt during heavy squats. Which means the spine is more stable and there's less chance of spinal compression." Also, muscle activation in the quads/hams increased due to wearing a lifting belt. Which may have been due to the subjects feeling more confident or whatnot, but nevertheless ... More muscle is always a good thing :P |