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Advice on using a belt to support back

I

irishpaul

New member
All

Bit of a question and looking some advise opinions. I hurt my back pretty badly last week and I am now on strong pain killers and get physio to help with things. I have been advised no lifting for at least 2/3 weeks then ease Into it again. This is my first injury in 15 yrs of being in and out of a training phase.

What's the advise on perhaps using a belt to help with my back and muscle support and especially when I am back to lifting big. I have never really felt the need for a belt but I am thinking more and more about it now this has happened.
 
i found initially it helped with squat and lower back issues, then it became a thing where my lower back wasn't strong enough and things went south very fast.

so i no longer use a belt, and just go lighter and smarter.

so really, everyones different and you gotta find out what works for you. some cases a belt is bad, some they are good.
 
Do you know how to properly brace your core and breath into your belly? Learning how to do those two things will help a lot more then just throwing on a belt and hoping for the best. A tight and braced core is the key to being strong regardless of the lift being performed.


PTC Canberra
0437011088
http://www.ptccanberra.com.au
 
A common cue when squatting and performing other heavy, compound lifts is to "keep your abs tight" or "flex your abs".

Yes, it is true that flexing your abs will increase the stability of your lumbar spine due to cocontractile forces, but that reason alone does not mean it should be done. Part of an evidence-based practice means weighing the risks vs the benefits, and the risks of this commonly advised task are often overlooked.

"However, in light of other research, conscious co-activation of the trunk muscles during the squat exercise may lead to spinal instability and hazardous compression forces in the lumbar spine" (Bressel et al., 2009).

Not only that, but this coactivation will cause the muscles involved to fatigue faster (Gardner-Morse & Stokes, 1998).

Bressel et al. (2009) also supports these findings. Furthermore, Stokes et al. (2011) found that 20% abdominal activation provides no more stability than 10%.

Rather than flexing your abs, it may be more beneficial to concentrate on creating a "big stomach" (pushing your stomach out) through diaphragmatic breathing. This will create more intra-abdominal pressure which will provide up to 31% more support to the lumbar spine compared to resting levels (Hodges et al., 2005). - (cut and paste from https://www.facebook.com/TheStrengthGuys)
 
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