Quote Originally Posted by Joe_Ice
if u're not lifting heavy u dont need a belt. I still do powerlifting, and u aint going no where with training if u dont lift heavy... welll i do both... I go for strength so im doing lower reps 1-3... then i go for my hypertrophy lifts and go for 12-15 reps(in which case a belt wouldnt be needed).
Ok... let me just say this. I'm not trying to say I'm stronger than you because everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. You can probably bench a hundred pounds more than me. But if you think, for one moment, that you need a belt to safely squat 465, you're wrong. Period. You absolutely, do not need a belt to squat that kind of weight unless you have a medical problem and I'm proof because I've gotten that kind of weight up a few times and I have an old knee injury that never healed properly. If the only way you can squat 465 is with a belt, then that's because your back is not strong enough to keep up with your legs, and in my opinion, that's not a good thing.

If your goal is to get the highest possible poundage on the bar, then yes, by all means, use a belt. It will help you squat more than you could otherwise do on your own. But if your goal is to develop functional strength for use outside of the gym, then working your legs more than the stabilizing muscles in your trunk is a quick way to injure yourself.

If you can't agree with that, then I guess we will just have to agree to disagree.Â