benching with a belt?

[thewickedtruth]

Why? It must do something because alot of powerlifters and heavy benching bodybuilders use them when benching. Why would you use a weight belt on a bench press?    I've never once felt anything from benching my low back and core muscles.

[trab]

Why? It must do something because alot of powerlifters and heavy benching bodybuilders use them when benching. Why would you use a weight belt on a bench press?    I've never once felt anything from benching my low back and core muscles.

THey press OUT on the Belt w/ their Gut! Big breath, hold breath. Fills chest, less ROM.

Increase pressure and width of core (NOT Decreased)

Also, the bench shirts. You want it SO tight. Pull the shirt DOWN  (Best to have help) and cinche it down in place w/ the Belt. This is a 1 rep sport. Set-up is King.

Your narrow Grip bench form is crying for a bench shirt. Thats how a stiff shirt forces your groove anyway.
Muscle order of import: 1.Tri's  2.Lats (Landing Pad) 3.Delts.  Pecs tear easy, thats why many PLers use the elbows in form.

For Leg Drive, Belt=Tight.   Tight = Better energy transfer from Leg Drive...

Lay flat on the bench w/ a weight thats very easy to play with on chest, w/ deep arch.
Relax ass and leg muscles ---- suddenly Flex ass and leg muscles, while simultaneously Push toes into front of shoes.
(Like your trying to slide back on the bench by pushing w/ legs)
Bar wants to "Pop" off chest...

Practice get as much Pop off the chest as you can w/ out raise ass off bench.... You can get a lot.

[Bluto]

branch warren put his belt on for his last set benching, but then he put a lot of stuff on (leg sleeves, elbow sleeves, wrist support, woolen beanie etc)

[thewickedtruth]

THey press OUT on the Belt w/ their Gut! Big breath, hold breath. Fills chest, less ROM.

Increase pressure and width of core (NOT Decreased)

Also, the bench shirts. You want it SO tight. Pull the shirt DOWN  (Best to have help) and cinche it down in place w/ the Belt. This is a 1 rep sport. Set-up is King.

Your narrow Grip bench form is crying for a bench shirt. Thats how a stiff shirt forces your groove anyway.
Muscle order of import: 1.Tri's  2.Lats (Landing Pad) 3.Delts.  Pecs tear easy, thats why many PLers use the elbows in form.

For Leg Drive, Belt=Tight.   Tight = Better energy transfer from Leg Drive...

Lay flat on the bench w/ a weight thats very easy to play with on chest, w/ deep arch.
Relax ass and leg muscles ---- suddenly Flex ass and leg muscles, while simultaneously Push toes into front of shoes.
(Like your trying to slide back on the bench by pushing w/ legs)
Bar wants to "Pop" off chest...

Practice get as much Pop off the chest as you can w/ out raise ass off bench.... You can get a lot.

My bench form grip wise spans the bar from collar to collar. No joke. Only way I can bench now without having any sort of shoulder irritation. What  you saw in the vid was CLOSED grip benches which today I'm doing a whole different way when I get in the gym. I'm going to do hands together full ROM with around 315 to see how it feels before trying 405 again. I've noticed guys with HUGE tris' close grip with their hands touching. Must mean something. I havne't had trouble keeping my ass down lately. Seems my chest, delts, and tri's are getting used to the heavier weight now. You think a belt might help give some better leg drive though? Especially on the low end? My drive once a few inches off the chest is easy but driving it off the bottom on the touch portion of it can be difficult. It always fails out before my tri's and lockouts do.

[thewickedtruth]

branch warren put his belt on for his last set benching, but then he put a lot of stuff on (leg sleeves, elbow sleeves, wrist support, woolen beanie etc)

THAT'S WHAT I'M MISSING! A WOOLEN BEANIE! I'LL SLAUGHTER THOSE 1/4 REP CLOSED GRIPS WITH 585 IN NO TIME! 

In all seriousness tough, I'm starting to pay attention to smaller details in teh guys that have huge benches. I'm looking at their equipment, where they touch at, grips, etc. I've also noticed that the thumbless grip, though dangerous, seems to give a much more comfortable press than with the thumb around the bar.

[WOOO]

i do not wear a belt for anything at all.. i used to, and I did when i used to compete in powerlifting but a couple of studies done on atheletes at the university of florida proved that you are actually more likely to get injured while wearing a belt...


this has come up as a possibility over and over... anyway, i just don't think they provide serious protection, they might provide stability but nothing has proven that that alone protects the spine

[thewickedtruth]

i do not wear a belt for anything at all.. i used to, and I did when i used to compete in powerlifting but a couple of studies done on atheletes at the university of florida proved that you are actually more likely to get injured while wearing a belt...


this has come up as a possibility over and over... anyway, i just don't think they provide serious protection, they might provide stability but nothing has proven that that alone protects the spine

This is why I prompted the question.

[WOOO]

Here is an abstract of one of the studies i refered to:

ABSTRACT

 This study sought to analyze the effects of subjects' wearing weightlifting lumbar support belts on surface electromyographic recordings of the erector spinae muscle group while the subject executed parallel squats.
 Ten healthy college-age men with weightlifting experience participated in this study. Participants completed a total of 6 repetitions of high-bar parallel back-squats at loads equaling 60% of their 1 repetition maximum.
 Experimental conditions required subjects to perform 6 squats, 3 while wearing a belt and 3 without. Electromyographic electrodes recorded muscle activity at 800 Hz on both the right and left erector spinae at the lumbar (L3–L5) and thoracic (T5–T7) regions during all lifts.
 The results indicate that subjects' mean erector spinae activity was greater (p < 0.0125) in the lumbar region of the spine when wearing weight belts (±258 SD; 69.0 analog-to-digital units) during squatting exercises than the mean activity in subjects who were not wearing weight belts (±235 SD; 71.3 analog-to-digital units).

SOURCE
The Use of Lumbar-Supporting Weight Belts While Performing Squats: Erector Spinae Electromyographic Activity
Issn: 1533-4287 Journal: The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research Volume: 13 Issue: 4 Pages: 384-388
Authors: BAUER, JEFFREY A., FRY, ANDREW, CARTER, CORY
Article ID: 10.1519/1533-4287(1999)013<0384:TUOLSW>2.0.CO;2

[JackCheze]

knew a dude who dislocated a floating rib from wearing too wide a belt during squats

[trab]

My bench form grip wise spans the bar from collar to collar. No joke. Only way I can bench now without having any sort of shoulder irritation. What  you saw in the vid was CLOSED grip benches which today I'm doing a whole different way when I get in the gym. I'm going to do hands together full ROM with around 315 to see how it feels before trying 405 again. I've noticed guys with HUGE tris' close grip with their hands touching. Must mean something. I havne't had trouble keeping my ass down lately. Seems my chest, delts, and tri's are getting used to the heavier weight now. You think a belt might help give some better leg drive though? Especially on the low end? My drive once a few inches off the chest is easy but driving it off the bottom on the touch portion of it can be difficult. It always fails out before my tri's and lockouts do.

When you flex your ass and simultaneously drive the toes into the front of shoes, it causes a "Pop" reflex off the chest. (Esp w/ a tight bench shirt). Tightening up everything you can gives more pop.

Legs bent back at this angle of the { <  }symbol under your ass...

Watch closely how some of the Big Tricep benchers lower the bar w/ elbows tucked real tight, then flare elbows later.

Some (esp ligher more Flexible lifters) Prefer max spine arch and wide grip, not as much close elbow tuck.

Got to find what fits you best, and it will change over time also.....

[Mike]

When you flex your ass and simultaneously drive the toes into the front of shoes, it causes a "Pop" reflex off the chest. (Esp w/ a tight bench shirt). Tightening up everything you can gives more pop.

Legs bent back at this angle of the { <  }symbol under your ass...

Watch closely how some of the Big Tricep benchers lower the bar w/ elbows tucked real tight, then flare elbows later.

Some (esp ligher more Flexible lifters) Prefer max spine arch and wide grip, not as much close elbow tuck.

Got to find what fits you best, and it will change over time also.....

Good advice. 

WOO, most people think that belts are their safety net and give them the right to use horrible form and go too heavy, I also agree that they are USUALLY more detremental than helpful.  Thanks for the article, I think I have that issue (we've been getting it for many years I believe) so I'll look it up.

[thewickedtruth]

Thanks everyone. Especially trab and woo. Both you guys I know know what you're talking about. I appreciate it. I was kinda hoping dave would chime in too, when he's not clowning, he's got some honestly good benching advice.

[WOOO]

Thanks everyone. Especially trab and woo. Both you guys I know know what you're talking about. I appreciate it. I was kinda hoping dave would chime in too, when he's not clowning, he's got some honestly good benching advice.

benchin's like playing the violin... practice makes perfect... if you want to compete as a powerlifter you need to focus on form for months before worrying about weight...

if you want to bbuild the same is true.  good bench form leads to stellar chest and shoulder developments, not to mention triceps mass.

belt or no belt... i think it's a comfort thing

[thewickedtruth]

I've developed my new style of benching on my own to find what works for me best and it seems to be holding up. I'm handling heavier weight now with ease and unforunately, it's not 1/4 reps. Hate to disappoint this time. I'm looking at going to a local powerlifting meet to watch and get a game plan. I'm getting a serious itch to compete.

[WOOO]

I've developed my new style of benching on my own to find what works for me best and it seems to be holding up. I'm handling heavier weight now with ease and unforunately, it's not 1/4 reps. Hate to disappoint this time. I'm looking at going to a local powerlifting meet to watch and get a game plan. I'm getting a serious itch to compete.

go to the meet.  talk to some lifters... well, don't talk to much, ask them questions and listen, they will tell you what to do.

i got into powerlifting after i started working as a spotter and loader (hard fricken work) at a local competition