true I can make the back muscles weaker but I think it's negligible. Anytime you have compressive forces coming down the spine such as squatting your flattening the desks wearing a belt helps keep the intra-abdominal pressure higher and stops the disks from compressing so much So it's a trade-off I've looked at both ways and as I get older I would much rather be wary of my discs then worry about the one 10th percentage of muscle strength I'm losing to wearing a belt while doing heavy le then worry about the one 10th percentage of muscle strength I'm losing to wearing a belt while doing heavy lifts.
In my opinion the issue is not that your core gets weaker, rather the increase in load being able to be moved. From experience I can say that on average I squat anywhere from 5-10kg more when wearing a belt (with further difference depending on what type of belt - powerlifting or weightlifting -). What that tells me is that while the legstrength may be there, core strength is not. In that regard, a belt could thus make you lift above your 'natural/raw/whatever you want to call it' ability.
In the long-run it could create a muscle-imbalance (E.g.: your legs can handle more than your back can, which potentially endangers your back. - I know low-bar squatters who can't squat within 20kg from their normal weight without the use of a belt).
Personally in case of the squat, as a high-bar squatter, I find the difference in using a belt or not to be very little so it's not such an issue. But the danger of (mis)using a belt is more evident in deadlifting for me, as I've felt pain on several occasions in the area of my back right above where the belt ends. Pain which I suspect originates from the lowerback being encapsuled and braced, creating a rather tension-rich area, whereas the area not covered by the belt has disproportionally weaker tension, creating an injury prone area.
Sadly, I was inspired to look into these types of belts from seeing pictures of the Crossfit "athletes" (NH). Most of them run around with one of these types of belts on.
Oh, and I bought the belt at Rogue Fitness, so FLAME ON, it's Crossfit.
Haha, it happens. Scheik makes good products though, sooner or later you'll probably come across Rehband as well.
Yes ...I actually blew out a chunk of my L5 and the piece
cut off my nerves. ...he said a belt weakens your back because say you use it for working out and don't use it for say picking up groceries you could injure it. I had surgery 12 years ago and just focused on strengthening my core plus my regular workout...so far so good...
I find this to be a rather incredible statement coming from a doctor.
I am under the assumption that your groceries typically will weigh far less than the weight you move during training, hence the equation of picking up groceries and working out is quite ludicrious. Freak accidents can always happen, and more likely than not, injuries from picking up groceries can occur 'randomly' or through lifting improperly, rather than wearing a belt occasionally. Unless you're wearing a corset 24/7 and you suddenly take it off and start picking up shit, I can't imagine a scenario where using a belt during workouts can possibly impact daily life without already having have had a propensity for injury.
