If you’re serious about lifting barbells, sooner or later you’re probably going to want a belt. Belts don’t prevent injury as people sometimes assume, but they do help you to lift more weight. This helps you to squat and deadlift heavier—thus get stronger—so they’re standard equipment for a lot of strong people.
We have a guide here to understanding what belts are for, how they work, and who needs them. But once you get the basic idea, you’ll probably still have questions. So let’s dig in.
By the way, if you want the short answer as to which belt I , your resident expert, wear: I have two that I love. My trusty leather belt is a Pioneer cut with offset holes, 3 inches wide, 10 millimeters thick, in maroon suede. I've had it for five or six years now and it's still going strong.
My other belt is a velcro belt from 2Pood , 4 inches wide. I don't wear it much anymore because the velcro is starting to wear out, but I got it signed by Kate Vibert just after she won silver in the 2020 Olympics, so I'm never throwing it out. When should you buy a weightlifting belt? Every coach has their own opinion on when is the right time for a new trainee to buy a belt.
Some might want to see you lift a certain weight first, or demonstrate a certain amount of skill at the big lifts. But the truth is, there’s no agreed-upon dividing line between people who need a belt and people who don’t. A belt is a tool that anybody can use, at any point in their lifting career.
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