merrits of a a weight lifting belt?

thehamo

So, having kanckered my back on numerous occasions, most recently last week, im starting to wonder about getting a lifting belt for extra support. I have 2 herniated discs in my lumbar region and have gone through treatments etc to get it sorted. But alas, the squat has gone and spoiled the party. I was lifting a couple of weeks ago, and before I even got into a squat position I could feel it go. 2 weeks rested and all is good again so im wondering if a belt will help all that much? Perhaps it might be a matter of saying goodbye to the sqaut and trying to find something else instead? Any opinions?

jive

if you're back is ready to go before even getting into position then I wouldn't squat at all, ever, ever ever. Not worth putting that weight on your back when your back is shagged. The belt provides SOME support but nowhere near enough to protect your back if it is that fragile.

NinjaK

I wear a belt when im squatting because I damaged my back years ago and it give good support. I got it for around 20/30 euro in Argos a few months back. Its a York one.

Burkatron

thehamo wrote: »

So, having kanckered my back on numerous occasions, most recently last week, im starting to wonder about getting a lifting belt for extra support. I have 2 herniated discs in my lumbar region and have gone through treatments etc to get it sorted. But alas, the squat has gone and spoiled the party. I was lifting a couple of weeks ago, and before I even got into a squat position I could feel it go. 2 weeks rested and all is good again so im wondering if a belt will help all that much? Perhaps it might be a matter of saying goodbye to the sqaut and trying to find something else instead? Any opinions?

I'm guessing this was on Back squats??

You need to get your back checked out & cleared to excercise!

Once cleared Front squats (If it's direct pressure as opposed to the squat position causing the problem) & weighted lunges would be the best alternatives!

Gonna hijack this thread a bit! For hack squats what would the pressure be like on the lower back with the bar being below? (I've never worked with them, just curious & could be another option for the OP)

thehamo

Yup for back squats. I tried doing front squats before with just the bar but I can't get used to the arm position. Don't think I have the flexibility to get my elbows out so far

Burkatron

thehamo wrote: »

Yup for back squats. I tried doing front squats before with just the bar but I can't get used to the arm position. Don't think I have the flexibility to get my elbows out so far

I thought the same when I first tried front squats! I have awful wrist/Forearm flexibility from years of MMA abuse! Get some one to show you proper rack position & load the bar! It should fix that problem!! Just do holds until you get use to it!

arybvtcw0eolkf

Burkatron wrote: »

I thought the same when I first tried front squats! I have awful wrist/Forearm flexibility from years of MMA abuse! Get some one to show you proper rack position & load the bar! It should fix that problem!! Just do holds until you get use to it!

Thats weird, I'm genuinely interested in knowing how that happened.

Burkatron

Scarlett Odd Topaz wrote: »

Thats weird, I'm genuinely interested in knowing how that happened.

Ha, I'd love to know myself! I went through really bad bouts of nerve problems! Started when I was 22 (6+ years ago), got a really bad bout of tennis elbow in my right arm. 6 weeks of rehab, was all set to go back training, went out 1 night boozing, don't remember a thing, woke up covered in sand from Portmarnock beach & the tennis elbow was back,(I'd love to know what happened that night) 6 more weeks rehab, went back training & all was grand!

About 6 months later the left went, rehab grand, another 6 months was training away, heavy enough session including Karl Roche & Gary Bergin squashing me for their sick sadistic pleasure (I'm only 70kg...ish ) I woke up the next morning with double forearm pain. Went off to an Osteopath I know well & got my neck checked out,freed up my CT junction (C7 on T1 vereterbrae were off) symptoms reduced after a few days, another 5 weeks rehab, grand, back to being beaten up!

Since then I've had on & off bouts of nerve pains in my forearms mainly when lifting (hit a heavy bag a few weeks ago for the 1st time in maybe a year, dont ask ughhhh), they go after a couple of days rest but everything is ridiculously tight! My grip strength has only started to come back properly in the past 6 months, in that a can actually deadlift double over hand +100kg now where as before once I hit 85-90kg I had to alternate my grip!

No matter what stretching or treatment I did over the years it just keeps coming back! Learned to live with it! Miss the MMA, I do want to go back but I don't miss the injuries & work/location/girlfriend makes it hard to get down to Andy's these days! Yeah, I need to HTFU but anyway, thats my coffee fueled story!!

Edit: I've also got Wanderlei Silva (nowhere near the mass ) T-Rex arms, it could be something to do with that!