Safety belts can help in certain weight training situations, but they are not a magic accessory that will keep you free from injuries. One of the biggest safety precautions of weightlifting is using proper form. Learning correct movements and techniques, using your legs rather than your back while picking up weights and keeping your spine in a neutral position will help keep you safer than any belt.
What They Are
Safety belts, also known as weightlifting belts, are thick, heavy, leather belts that buckle snugly around your waist. The back part of the belt is the widest, meant to offer support and safety for your lower back and spine, while the front part of the belt is thinner and adjustable, with a tongue that fits through the belt's heavy metal buckle. Sports and weightlifting equipment retailers sell the belts to anyone who wants them, although not everyone needs one.
Who Needs Them
Just because you lift weights does not necessarily mean you will benefit from a weightlifting belt. If you work with incredibly heavy weights or do power lifting you might want to consider a belt. Belts can also help with specific exercises that put a lot of pressure on your lower back and spine, such as dead lifts and squats. You do not need a safety belt for every single weightlifting exercise.
What They Do
Weightlifting belts' main duty is to support your lower back. They can increase the amount of weight you are able to lift, although they will not offer the additional support you need to lift the heavier weights. The belts keep your lower back straight and steady so you are less likely to twist or injure your back with violent, sudden jerking motions during extremely heavy lifting. Belts can also restrict you, cutting down on your full range of motion. In the worse case scenarios, weightlifting belts end up as a crutch of sorts, as you rely on the belt to lift your weights rather than relying on proper form.
What They Do Not Do
You can still throw your back out if you lift weights with improper form or beyond your capabilities, regardless if you are wearing a belt or not. Weightlifting belts will not improve your weightlifting performance, nor will they make your back and abdomen stronger. The opposite can actually be true. If you depend too heavily on a weightlifting belt, your back and abdominal muscles can actually start to atrophy because they remain largely idle beneath the belt.
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