By: Kris Thompson The strength portion of the class calls for a heavy or maybe even a max lift, once the movement is reviewed and technique is explained everyone breaks off to warm up. You look around and you see some of the more experienced members grab a weightlifting belt, you think the weight is heavy for you so you grab one too. Now what? You strap it on tight around your waist and you start your lift. But do you really know what you’re doing or why you might want to use a weightlifting belt? Well I’ll tell you. A belt can help prevent injury to your lower back during heavy lifts and may increase performance. However, it may also inhibit motor learning of the abdominal muscles and lower back muscles may not get as strong as they could if a belt is not used so you don’t want...
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