Dr Mel Siff Asks If We Should Burn All Weights Belts

te common nowadays for some folk to militate against the use of

belts, wraps, wrist straps and other lifting aids on the basis that they

interfere with the body\’s natural capabilities, distort motor patterns or

form some type of insuperable reliance on them.

This topic of “assistive” or “protective” devices has been discussed at our

ergonomics and some biomechanics conferences for many years, with papers

being presented both supporting and condemning the use of such \’ergonomic\’

devices. Interestingly, it is often these studies which are extrapolated to

the world of weightlifting and powerlfting to make a case for or against the

use of belts and so forth, but it is rarely pointed out that the ergonomic

studies generally have examined the CHRONIC or long term, repeated use of

these devices, whereas among many competitive lifters usage is often reserved

for ACUTE, occasional very heavy or maximal attempts.

Making out of context extrapolations like that is unscientific and

unwarranted. It is similar to comparing the use of shoes in sprints and

marathon running, or even the use of weightlifting and powerlifting shoes

(especially in the deadlift and clean).

So far, no study has been conducted which shows that the occasional and

selective use of belts and wrist straps significantly alters performance or

produces reductions in motor skill, strength, power or speed, so it is highly

misleading to take data from chronic, non-sporting, situations out of context

and apply it to the acute situations of weight training and competitive

lifting. Many lifters will agree that the unnecessary, constant reliance

on belts and straps for every lift, irrespective of weight, may be detrimental

to some aspects of performance, but that sort of usage tends to be confined

to the more aesthetic, bodybuilding-type, fashionable market than serious

weight training and competitive lifting.

Remarks that some of the world\’s strongest weightlifters compete without

belts are largely of no consequence, because there are large numbers of top

lifters who lift with belts. In fact, the heaviest weight ever jerked above

the head (266kg) was achieved by the mighty Leonid Taranenko, who was wearing

a belt (I was present when he made that huge attempt). While this may

indicate that it is perfectly possible for many lifters to lift huge weights

without belts, it does not mean that it is detrimental to wear a belt.

Of course, the matter of not wearing belts and wraps is highly questionable

in powerlifting, because performances can be very significantly improved by

wearing these aids while competing. Note that wearing these aids during

competitive lifting does not mean that one wears them for prolonged periods

during training – most powerlifters do not approve of that or follow that

approach.

As usual it is not that a given exercise or given way of using a training

item is harmful in itself; it is the manner and context in which it is used

which may cause problems. To pass a blanket ruling against the use of belts

and wraps in all lifting and training applications is dogmatically excessive,

since there are acute situations or situations involving added security in

which the astute and selective use of belts and other lifting aids can play a

positive role. It is only when one excessively and unselectively relies on

such devices that problems may be introduced.

Remember that there is even more convincing evidence that barefooted running

is more efficient and safer than shod running, so, if we are to be

consistent, we should militate against the use of shoes in all sports. After

all, children and many adults in Africa, India and Indo China can run, play

and carry out the most demanding of physical activities without shoes

(including kicking a soccer ball) – and there is accumulating research which

shows that they have fewer lower extremity problems compared with their

shoe-wearing Western counterparts.

Research has shown that all shoes tend to increase the risks of pronation

injury and sprains to the ankle, plus they slow down the reactive capabilities

of the foot, unless the shoes are expensively modified in an attempt to

imitate the situation which takes place when one is barefooted (e.g. see

texts such as Nigg B ed, “The Biomechanics of Running Shoes”). That alone

should produce a strong case against the chronic use of shoes!

If, as the anti-belt brigade maintain, the body can easily adapt to lifting

without a belt, so can our feet and bodies easily adapt to the stresses of

movement and sport without shoes. The soles of our feet can harden to cope

with frictional and impact loading (and sharp objects), our overall stiffness

and damping ratios can modify to cope with all sorts of loading, we can

develop greater range of movement without shoes and we can develop greater

foot dexterity. This may even tend to make one believe that most shoe

wearing is for fashion and appearance!

The bottom line? If you are going to use a belt or straps, then just do so

intelligently and selectively!