The Belt and The Deadlift (Audio Only) 

This is possibly the best rundown and analysis of wearing a belt in the deadlift I've watched in my years of lifting, this is the only video anybody ever needs to know about this, great video.

Learned this the hard way myself. Was attempting a 170 kg deadlift PR, had already done 165 kg for 3 a few minutes earlier, felt light and good. Belt was set too low, but my low back felt nice and neutral. I initiated the pull, and SNAP. Radiating instant pain from lower back. The bar slowly decended to the floor, I stood up, sat down and thought: "well, that was it. No more lifting for me." 3 years later, i'm back in the game for full. Being alot more carefull now though. Still a bit nervous when doing deadlifts, but yeah... take this advice and save your back, guys.

I saw one of Mark's earlier videos about using a narrower belt and since then I've started wearing my belt higher on the deadlift. I actually wear it higher in the front and lower in the back. The front is roughly on my top two abs, and the back is two or three inches lower. I can't wear it as tight like when wearing it lower but when I'm in the bottom position it's very tight. I take a big breath at the top, and by the time I'm reaching the bottom I feel like a coiled spring. It's such a strong position. I take all the following breaths with a rounded upper back and with hips as high as possible before resetting my back to pull. It's such a tight position that's about the only way to get a big breath. The belt is pushing my belly down into my thighs and seemingly giving a small boost and extra support out of the bottom. That said, I would like to try a 3" belt, but the last time I checked Best's they were sold out.

Ugh! I was miserable about my deadlift setup. I thought it could be the belt, but never consciously did anything about doing the actual training. Damn you, inertia!

Love these!

I find this very interesting. I am a short torsoed individual, standing 6', the distance between my bottom rib and pelvis is merely 1 1/2 inch. The only position i can wear a belt is right above my pelvis, covering two of my bottom ribs. The lower edge not covering my belly button, the upper almost touching my plexus solaris. Simply breathing in, locks my lower spine into lordosis with plenty of mobility to both deadlift and squat, as i have to wear it that way for both. The belt never touches my thighs. Sounds wierd thinking about it, but i never had a problem, and absolutely not one you described here. Guess my weird anthropometry isn't that bad at all.

Great video! I learned the hard way that I should have gotten a 3" belt as I fractured a lower rib pulling with a 4" belt that was covering or pushed against the rib.

For all people having trouble with not enough space between their abdomen and thighs for the belt, go and see how Tuomas Hautala or George Leeman wear the belt during deadlifts. Will increase your benefit from the belt and allow you to get tighter to the pulling groove.

I just bought a belt online and now this video appears to me... what a coincidence

I stopped using a belt because I couldn't get into position. I still pull more without a belt than I can squat with a belt.

Where are the pictures,

I had a thoracic strain overseas that will flare up sometimes still, I wear my belt around my diaphragm just under my pecs and around my lats angled high in front and low in back. Got the idea from George Leeman. Now, it might not give me quite as much intra-abdoinal pressure, but I can feel the pressure more than I can with it around my midline. It also gives me feedback that my lats are locked in. Engaging my lats locks everything in and keeps tension throughout. It is a lever belt, and as I have lost weight and gained weight, I did not have to continually adjust it since making this change. The belt also loses tightness when it presses against my thighs and doesn't keep the tension ayway.

In before: "But its not raw if you wear belt."

I havnt started using a belt since I started deadlifting with proper form. Do I really need a belt?

I'm happy Rip thinks my board shorts are fashionable🙂

Honestly though, are squats enough for general strength adaptations if we just focus on that 🧐

This is why I wear my belt high when I deadlift

What about a tapered belt that's 4 inches in the back, but 2.5 inches in the front?

A wide belt touches your thighs and interferes with proprioceptive feedback.

Im 6’5”, I should be ok right?

so like should I wear a belt or not?

the greater torso lean , the higher the belt is placed, in other words, front squat belt sits low, high bar squat belt sits medium, low bar squat belt sits high

Rip mentions some name there, some guy who is some sort of anti belt person, how is it spelled so I can look him up ? Polcheck? Or wtf

Well crap, I just bought a 6 inch belt.... I was already not liking it as I thought it made squats really harder to do, and then dead lift was the suck too.

LOL at the 11:22 part LOLOLOL

So basically what Rippetoe is arguing for, is that wearing a belt is even more beneficial to the core as its causes it to engage more? Can anyone confirm this?

Every belt digs into my skin like hell. At any height or tightness. Any tips?

Yes, I have to wear my belt high for the deadlift. It doesn't work down low and floats up by itself. No money for a second belt.

but but but lol..... great upload :)

Squatted for decades, only just started deadlifting, immediately feels like the belt us getting in the way not helping.

Im 6'5, so this proberbly won't matter to me

someone should make an AI of rippetoe and have him read brokeback mountain.

I think that because the deadlift is a lowerback exercise, use a belt to make you stronger in the deadlift doesnt have any logic.