Fitness And Nutrition General

I generally do 10x2>4x2. So I think I've got proper form on them. I went smith machine first to get form down and am now doing them outside smith machine.

My question is there going to be a significant difference if I start using a belt. Like does it prevent that much muscle growth?

And I seriously doubt you are either.


Straps, there's no debate. It's silly to let your grip dictate how much your back gets to lift.

Belts, there are both opinions and evidence on both sides, and you could debate it til the cows come home. My personal preference is to use a belt for 500+ lifts, as I feel there is some danger of rupturing the abdominal wall at that point. That said, I wouldn't tell someone to use a belt or not to use one.

There is a pretty solid/fair article on the subject here: http://breakingmuscle.com/olympic-weightlifting/weightlifting-belts-should-you-use-one-pro-and-con

If anyone claims to have all the answers, it's probably a solid cue to be skeptical.

I know a thing or two

Grats, youtube your next heavy set of deadlifts and i'll youtube mine. Curious to see if you can back it up.

I suspect you are some dude throwing down sets in the 300-400 range and thinking you're hardcore because you don't need straps for light weight.

I'll be glad to go beltless, just for you :)

lol

Lol all you like.

I can apply what I know, and I'm able to prove that it works.

Can you say the same?

I'm actually still working up to 300...thanks for the encouragement...

Then if I were in your position, I wouldn't be throwing out YOU MUST DO THIS edicts quite yet.

Edit: That was kind of a *** thing to say. A better way to say it might be that when you get into the heavier weight ranges, you may have a different understanding of why some assistive equipment is necessary, and that it's not a good idea to say that someone should never use straps/belts at any weight without experiencing those weight ranges.

Thanks for this article this explains belts pro/con better than even the bodybuilding forums.

well almost 300 is a lot so i think im qualified

lol

wow and this thread is suppose to be helpfuL?

I could be wrong, but I feel like I answered a question in detail, gave some pretty fair/balanced information on the subject, and offered to show that I can successfully apply the advice I give.

I'm not sure what else you are after.


As for the weight, my little brother is 17 years old, has been training for 3.5 months, weighs 149 at 5'9 and can deadlift 315 for a set of 5. I can youtube him too if you like. He is not a talented or exceptional lifter by any stretch of the imagination and neither am I.

I do not mean this to be rude or condescending. I'm honestly telling you I would seriously evaluate my routine if I was having trouble with 300 pounds on deadlifts and I'd been training for any amount of time.

Both your answers were helpful, for me at least. :/ Regarding the straps/belt.

It's always nice to get variety of input.

It probably had something to do with the fact that you (claimed) thought lifting 500+lbs was an achievement or laurel that qualified you to comment on using or not using assistance.

It also probably had something to do with assuming that someone who disagreed was less qualified and also lifted less (claimed) weight than yourself.

In all reality, you could need straps to lift 135lbs and 1. you shouldn't be lifting 135lbs or 2. you could just be doing a lot of reps @135 and pine for the support of the straps. You could also "need" to use a belt for these two workouts as well, though I'd never let anyone do that and would rather they lifted PVC or a bar by itself until they were more comfortable (and stronger).

The biggest offense I see of belt users at my level is people doing 1RM and using the belt to hop the weight up once they've past the initial point of traction. If I was doing this, I'd surely need a belt.

Lifting a weight, even in the deadlift where your arms are no more than ropes, does not selectively discard a part of the body you think is holding you back. If your hands are not strong enough, make them stronger. If your abdominal wall is not strong enough, make it stronger. That's what weightlifting is about, not getting 500+.

I wasn't aware there was a rulebook on what weightlifting was about. Here I thought it was a pursuit for personal gain. After I work my hands to failure, I have no problem following up by working my back to failure. The alternative would be leaving the gym, as I'm not going to accomplish anything more for my grip. If you can show me where it says that's not allowed in your Official Weightlifting Philosophy Handbook I will gladly stand corrected.

Incidentally, I assure you I can do your lifts barehanded with no problem at all. As for being less qualified, if you've been lifting any amount of time at all, and struggle with 300, I assure you you are not qualified.

I've got back day tomorrow. Do I need to make a Vegetto video? If I need to make a Vegetto video, just tell me I need to make a Vegetto video.

This thread isn't about who can lift more.

I did not say it was. With that said, someone who can lift 500+ has a better understanding of why straps/belts might be necessary than someone who is sub-300.

If you've felt the strain on your abdomen at those weights, you have a different perspective than someone who has not. Everything I've said was incidental to that point.

I can demonstrate my lifts without a belt to show that lifting with a belt has not reduced the strength of my back, and that I can in fact lift just as much with no belt. This seems like relevant information for someone who is considering the use of a belt.

body sculpting aint no power lifting competition - we each need different weights to overload / rest and sculpt - its that simple.


on a different note my training right now has me confused i find i can now do loads of dips with great form 4x8 + or till failure (and not so many wide grip chin ups *cough) which bugs me and im not sure which bit of me needs more work to progress with my chin ups an on pull days i easily move my own body weight or more with weight

Also ive been cutting down and maintaining a 220 lbs benchpress - but i cant increase this for months ;;;; why o why lol

That's what 200 miles of biking and Fossil Park obstacle course 3x a week are for brah!

Why has my name been brought up? I guess I need to go back and re-read the last page or two.

also thought i would share a recent experience

i recently done a combat training seminar (the guy trains swat teams and works with many decent MMA guys in Canada/na usually) and as part of it we learnt about

the difference between muscle strength and tendon strength and increasing plasticity in the body

The two should really go hand in hand but we tend to focus more on muscle strength - and looking good ! he also explained how many of the top MMA guys he finds have destroyed their bodies and as they get older its not going to be fun for them

I cant even start to explain how much more "real" strength someone with decent tendons has - my god also how much more relaxed and efficient the can stay during combat or exercise - it's borderline freak

Ever seen ANY 2 finger push ups and 2 finger chin ups...also im sure its Bas Rutten on fight science who's choke hold gets stronger over time the more he relaxes .... they discovered he has trained his different tendons in his shoulder to swap over and increase pressure but make it easier on his own older body. And its also why 70 year old helio gracie still messes 20 year olds up on the mats

well we started the class off with what seemed to me to be very YOGA like warming up for 30 mins - pretty intense and well odd...

The day after the seminar i woke up and i was totally *** felt like i had been hit by a bus - and i was left smiling ... i now incorporate this yoga ***into my time on the mats - hell i may even go do some yoga for 6 mths as a supplement to the gym

Anyone have any tips around working around imbalance?

My left arm starts up a bit higher than my right

and makes a number of upper body movements clunky/awkward

think korpg

That's strange, I could have sworn this thread wasn't titled "Body Sculpting."

That said, the age old bodybuilding vs. powerlifting debate has little or nothing to do with the acceptability of straps/belts. Both disciplines can find their shoulder/back outstripping their grip, or lift enough to put their abdominal wall in danger of rupture/herniation.

what do you think most of us are trying to do by going weight training? if we just wanted to get fit we would/could do 1 million other things - dont get it wrong most people who LIFT HEAVY want to gain muscle

and i dont like the term body building i think its wrong most times

and i was simply saying dont worry about what others lift

so no need to try and be a smart arse

I'm not sure how much plainer I can be here. I don't care what either of you lift. I said that at moderately heavy/heavy weights, straps/belts are acceptable. If someone has never lifted these weights, it will affect their advice regarding straps and belts.

I repeat. Other than the very specific context of that isolated issue, I can't be less worried than I am about what any of you lift. Did I communicate effectively enough this time?

Thats an important one. When I originally started the gym I didnt lift weights at all because I was afraid of what other people were lifting. "No point going over and lifting such little amounts" and that eventually gave me no progress since I wasnt doing anything!

This isnt a competition between each other here =\

If I was worried about what all you guys were lifting and the results you have,I'd never start because "Cant lift 300lbs on my first day? Why bother at all!"