Oh man, oh woman, that you approach the barbell for the first time! Be aware that the bumper plate route is fraught with danger. In fact it can be easy to make a mistake, to fail in the technique, but above all to let your ego win, and to overdo it.
This last possibility also happens to the best, that is to the athletes already ahead along the CrossFit® road.
Following the discipline of the barbell means accepting to live with two demons, and often being chased by them.
Their names are L4 and L5.
Like the lumbar vertebrae.
Index
What is the Weightlifting belt
It is one of the most widespread elements of the equipment of those who attend the weight room - or the box. At the same time it is also the one used in the most inattentive, imprecise, or even wrong way.
La belt from Weightlifting provides an "artificial" wall against which your abdominal muscles can push. Doing so creates one front pressure greater against the spine, which is stabilized.
The torso becomes more rigid and, ultimately, energy is transferred more effectively from the hips to the balance, while greater stability is achieved in all exercises overhead.
But be careful!
It is not the belt that performs all these magic, but the way it is the body reacts to being forced.
The belt prevents the hyperextension of the abdomen and causes abdominal muscles e lower back do their best job.
The beauty of having an extra set of abs
The benefits of using (corrected) the belt from CrossFit® are obvious:
- Reduces the risk of accident
- Reminds you to breathe in the abdomen
- Increase (and maintain) the intra-abdominal pressure during the year
- Improves biomechanical functions
- Protects the spine
- Increases confidence and a sense of security
The belt forces you to do what is right for you: lift more with your legs and less with your back. Is it lto better dynamics to lift objects from the ground.
How to use the belt from CrossFit®
You wear and break records, right?
No.
To best use the weightlifting belt, and to understand its function and advantages, it must be used with head.
You start by learning a control the breath during the risings.
With the Maneuver of Valsalva in fact it is possible to create the intra-abdominal pressure that the belt will strengthen.
In simple words, the Valsalva Maneuver consists in holding a particularly deep breath for the duration of the movement. It inhales during - or just before - the eccentric phase, when the lungs can be filled to the maximum, and the air is expelled during the concentric one.
The maneuver is used when high loads are raised for low repetitions, ie during the workouts force. It is essential when high loads need to be moved quickly (squats, deadlifts, Olympic lifts).
If the belt is your size, it will remind you to do this deep breath before movement, and it will help you amplify intra-abdominal pressure.
The position, the size, and when to use the belt
There is no rule, but you will have to experiment to find the ideal parameters for you.
Generally, however
- For squats, the belt should be positioned against the navel
- For the detachments, it must be positioned higher - even completely above the navel
With regard to the belt size, choose one that wraps you to perfection but that doesn't compress the belly too much towards the inside.
The belt MUST NOT STRANGULAR!
Finally, when do you have to wear a belt?
Only during yours working set. Do not put it during the warm-up series, because it risks compromising your proprioception during exercise.
Also, don't use it in the days of work on speed, nor for the high reps series.
In short, above the 80% of your ceiling is ok, otherwise forget it.