Weight belts are a necessity if you’re interested in weightlifting, but it’s important to know how to use one.

HOW TO WEAR A WEIGHT BELT

There’s a fine line between just wearing your Cardillo Weight Belt and actually using it– here is the correct way to wear and adjust the belt onto your body.

  1. Place the belt around your waist. It should sit above your hip bone, allowing it to have full contact with the front of the torso, as well as your back and sides. If it feels restrictive, it may not be positioned correctly.
  2. Adjust the belt so it sits snugly. Utilize both the prongs on the buckle to secure it into place before testing out the tightness of it. There should be room for your stomach to expand, so take a few deep belly breaths to ensure that your breathing is not restricted. One finger should be able to snugly fit down the back of the belt, but any more would mean that the belt is too loose.

PRACTICE PROPER BRACING AND BREATHING 

When wearing a belt, you should make sure you can execute proper bracing and breathing mechanics. This will let you reap the most benefits from lifting with your belt. An efficient tip would be to breathe into your core to create tension in your abdomen, allowing your Cardillo Weight Belt to produce maximum intra-abdominal pressure.

KNOW WHEN TO WEAR A BELT

Here is our guide to know when to use your Cardillo Weight Belt:

  1. When completing exercises that place excess amounts of stress onto your back, knees, and pelvis– like deadlifts, overhead presses, clean and jerks, bench presses, and squats
  2. Lengthy training sessions
  3. When working with weights (of any level) a barbell
  4. When training for competitions (the Cardillo Stock Powerlifting Weight Belt meets all the requirements of all powerlifting federations and strongman contests)
  5. And of course, for maximum lifts (though we recommend you protect your back with lighter sets as well, it is absolutely necessary when working with heavy weights)