One of the biggest debates in gyms and cross training boxes surrounds lifting belts. Some people claim belts are needed to ensure you hit heavy lifts, whereas others argue lifting belts are unnecessary or only used to hide weaknesses.

When used correctly, belts can offer significant benefits to your training no matter how advanced you are at lifting.

This article will highlight five instances when you should wear a lifting belt to improve your form, increase your 1RM, and get an even greater score in CrossFit WODs.

When You Should Wear a Lifting Belt

It is not a coincidence that top powerlifters, cross training athletes, and other top lifters all use lifting belts for heavy lifts. Using a lifting belt correctly can offer significant benefits to any lifter attempting lifts at 80% or more of their 1RM.

Once you put some big weights on the barbell, you should use a lifting belt to ensure you are moving safely.

1. Injury Prevention

When you attempt to lift a heavy load, wearing a lifting belt can aid you in avoiding significant injuries. When trying to move 80% or more of your 1RM, a belt helps you keep good form and prevent the risk of injury.

It is not a coincidence that top powerlifters, cross training athletes, and other top lifters all use lifting belts for heavy lifts. Using a lifting belt correctly can offer significant benefits to any lifter attempting lifts at 80% or more of their 1RM.

Once you put some big weights on the barbell, you should use a lifting belt to ensure you are moving safely.

When you attempt to lift a heavy load, wearing a lifting belt can aid you in avoiding significant injuries. When trying to move 80% or more of your 1RM, a belt helps you keep good form and prevent the risk of injury.

2. Increased Weight

One of the main benefits that come with using a weightlifting belt is that they allow you to lift more weight.

When used correctly, a lifting belt helps you maintain form, ensuring you can put even more weight on the bar. This is excellent for lifts that often limit CrossFit athletes, such as front squats.

Why are weightlifting belts so popular? Because they let you lift more weight! Trained athletes usually find their max weights go up 5-15% after training with a belt for one to two weeks. That's a lot of added weight.

For an 80 kg man squatting 2X his body weight, adding 15% to his squat equates to an added 24 kg on a one-rep max. That's one hell of an improvement by simply using a gym accessory for a week.

However, there is a caveat. Unless you're an intermediate to advanced lifter, you could limit your gains by using the belt before it's the right time. Don't get greedy with your gains! Have patience, young grasshopper.

3. Improving Your 1RMs

As you can probably attest, we often get stuck on a particular number when weightlifting or Olympic lifting. Even when our overall strength improves and our 5RM and 3RM numbers increase, for whatever reason, we get caught with a mental block when it comes to improving our one-rep max.

One major benefit of using a lifting belt is the mental support that it provides. By strapping on a lifting belt, you are telling yourself you are committed to hitting the lift and that your body will not get hurt in the process.

While the belt does not improve your strength, it can improve your commitment to the lift.

4. Better Lifting Form

Research has shown that wearing a lifting belt while squatting and deadlifting directly improves your lifting form.

A lifting belt forces you to utilize your leg muscles rather than relying on your back to pull you out of the bottom position. Your legs can reactivate to heavy stimuli quicker than your other muscles, which is why this transition is essential.

A lifting belt lowers spinal flexion and extension, focusing on your leg drive. This form is essential for lifting such as squat cleans or snatches, where many CrossFitters tend to miss heavy weights forwards due to poor form.

5. Reduced Stress on Your Spine

When worn correctly, a top-quality lifting belt can increase intra-abdominal pressure by more than 40%. This results in a reduction in the compression throughout your lower back and significantly less pressure on your lower back.

However, one common misconception is that a belt works by supporting your spine. In reality, a lifting belt supports your abs.

Choosing Your Lifting Belt

Clearly, using a lifting belt offers excellent benefits in certain instances, but only if you choose the right belt for you and you use it correctly.

If you're serious about improving your lifts and taking your cross training skills to the next level, a lifting belt is a great investment and could quickly become one of the most important aspects of your gym bag.

The LYFT-RX Quick Locking Weightlifting Belt is a 4-inch wide, completion-approved, premium nylon belt that uses a double feed system that quickly locks the belt and ensures it won't pop out of place while you lift. 

Get your hands on one today, and start taking your training to new heights.