Fitness Weight Lifting Belt Instructions
- 1). Try on different belts to secure a good fit. The standard size is a 4-inch belt. The taller you are, the wider a belt you will need. Six-inch belts are also available. To determine the size that is right for you, realize that a properly fitting weightlifting belt should rest on top of your hips without excessive squeezing or pinching of your skin, and you should be able to breathe normally. Until you are familiar with what constitutes a good fit, consider purchasing your first belt in a store rather than online or from a catalog so that you can enlist the trained eye and experienced advice of a professional.
- 2). Understand which exercises do and do not need the aid of a belt to perform. A weightlifting belt is intended to be used for exercises where your spine is compromised. These are usually exercises in which you are bent over. Examples of these exercises are clean and jerks, deadlifts, squats and bent-over rows.
- 3). Use correct form, posture and technique when lifting with a belt. Keep your spine in a neutral or slightly-arched position. Pick up and put down the weights using your legs only. Never lift with your back. Also monitor your breathing. Exhale on exertion and inhale on release.
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