Powerlifting Belt ?'s...

[myosin]

I've used an Inzer double notch belt for awhile and love it... but just recently these questions came to mind... can anyone offer input...

1) How high do you put your belt? Right over the hip bone or slightly higher? Does it make a difference in performance or lower back protection? If I put it low, I get a lot of bruising on the hips (not a big deal really) but if I put too high I wonder if my lumbar isn't protected enough

2) How tight do you put your belts? I can see on a 1-3 (maybe 5) rep range you would want it as tight as possible, but I started wondering... on 8-12 reps, if the belt is too tight, if blood flow from the descending aorta is being impeded at all... which would also cause faster muscle fatigue d/t build of waste products. Currently, I put it as tight as I can on my heaviest set, but on the rest I put it one notch below the tightest mark so it's still very snug but I can also breath.

Thanks

 

[tenny]

you NEVER want your belt as tight as possible
just above the hip bone
i would "blow-out" my stomach, then get it decently tight

i hardly ever use my belt
the only times are really heavy sqts or deads
(somewhere in the 3 to 5 rep range) which is rare nowadays

hahaha.....i had a double prong once (used it once too)
pain in the ass

 

[myosin]

cool...

you NEVER want your belt as tight as possible
just above the hip bone
i would "blow-out" my stomach, then get it decently tight

i hardly ever use my belt
the only times are really heavy sqts or deads
(somewhere in the 3 to 5 rep range) which is rare nowadays

hahaha.....i had a double prong once (used it once too)
pain in the ass

Thanks man, I was really on the fence having it so tight, I think it makes me "valsalva" easier as well as I get a bit light headed afterwards

I only use the belt on squats and decline bench... I've got a VERY touchy lumbar disc that still needs to be seen by a doc.

I love the dbl prong, BUT, I do see ur point, sometimes it's a pain to get both prongs in at the same time

I will try the blow-out technique, I think I'm familiar with it

 

[BMCLouzee]

I use this:

**broken link removed**

It's the best thing EVER!

I don't wear it tight other wise I can't breathe. I don't know how to describe it. Standing erect it looks like it might be loose, but once I squat or dead the support becomes apparent. I have a short torso (I know weird) so my belt sits a little higher above my waist. I only wear it on game day. Otherwise I go raw or nothing at all.