Everyone knows that one guy in the gym who comes in with a mountain full of gear. Belt, wrist wraps, straps, hookgrip tape, knee sleeves, and maybe even some special chalk. Every set is done with all of this equipment on. How necessary are these things, particularly a belt? Think of your performance as how your brain reacts to caffeine. When your brain receives caffeine, it is momentarily stimulated and performs at a higher level. Unfortunately, however after using caffeine everyday multiple times a day your brain needs more and more. It gets to a point to where you need it to even function normally. The usage of a belt is analogous to this. While it is useful for a momentary burst in performance such as a PR attempt, when using at weights under 90% it is truly unnecessary. It can become a crutch and undermine your core development. This goes to squats, deadlifts, cleans, and snatches. For things like clean pulls it truly is not necessary. When trying to develop positional strength it should be done raw. The reason being is that once you put a belt on for a PR attempt you will have done many reps of pulls with said weight with no belt. Your body will be more than ready for the weight.
When and what exercises to wear a belt
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