wrapping knees - belt?

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xarfox

New Member
do i ever have to start wearing those belt things or wrap my knees at a certain weight

i'm not really sure what they are for

i'm up to squatting 195 (which isn't a whole lot but its heavy for me) full olympic squat style and i want to make sure i'm doing it safely

my bench is still way ahead of my squat... dought!
 
belts and wraps are safety equipment for powerlifters who are strong enough to lift weights that the body's structure cannot support.

The briefs hold the hips together, belts help support the lumbar spine, wraps help keep the knees from collapsing.

Then it was discovered as technology developed that they could use the safety equipment to go even heavier by using different materials, making it tighter, etc... Then it evolved from safety equipment to lifting equipment.

Hey, if that's your goal - then use them. Just to make a better body, they don't really have much of a place other than for safety.

Myself - I was told 8 years ago that I was heading for a wheelchair. 3 years ago I was there. I started training to rehab myself, trained completely raw and I'm now in the best shape of my life, working, and supporting my family like I should be doing.

There are still bad days, I'm more prone to injury due to my condition, but I don't let it stop me. I've found that if I'm having a bad day where my legs aren't working right a back belt is a good thing to help me keep my form. I just put it on snug, not super tight then use my own "natural lifting belt" to push my abdomen and back muscles out to make it really tight. When I do this, I don't get hurt. If I suddenly become fatigued (my problem is CNS and not muscle) and can't finish my squats - I'll wrap my knees in addition to the belt to make it through.

So yes, they do have a time and a place. But should not be a part of every workout, every rep, every time.

If you are afraid of injury but are having a heavy day - say for example your last workout of 5's and don't quite feel up to it - they just might save you from a debilitating injury.

I'm really new at HST and don't completely understand it all yet, but to me it seems that those maximum effort days are few and far between - like about 2 weeks apart so even using a belt for those days use would be pretty minimal.

I was once a "Raw Nazi" as my powerlifting friends called me. I've learned better since then after a few injuries. However, I'm thankful for my last injury - it did lead me to HST while looking for a lightweight plan I could still grow with...and GVT didn't appeal to me at all. The last 7 weeks of progress have been the best of my life.
 
Unless you decide to compete in powerlifting events you won't need either of them for full ROM style training. I do use a belt for my heavy working sets during 5s when squatting and deading but it's really only force of habit rather than necessity. I don't even do the belt up tightly. I just have a psychological link in my brain with the feeling of wearing a belt and knowing I'm going for a heavy set. If I take it off I find it harder to get in the zone. I'm sure I could 'unlearn' using it. Maybe next cycle.
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I want to strengthen my core, so I don't use the belt much, but just tense my abs and spine erectors for torso support, (this way I can skip ab work!
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).

The only exercise I use the belt is squats, but this is only because my hamstrings are very tight and until I get them more flexible, the belt acts as a reminder not to round my back!
 
I've done 500 pound squats and deadlifts, without belts or wraps and not a problem. All I've ever lifted with are shorts and a t-shirt. Wrapping the knees restricts the motion of the patela, bad move.

As far as powerlifting, I'm interested in seeing what the human body is capable of doing, not the body plus equipment. That's why I enjoy olympic lifting so much more. To me, a 500 pound raw bench is more impressive than a 650 shirted bench.

Even better is: http://youtube.com/watch?v=3-hShqLWGjg

Look at Dimas training, no wraps and no belt: http://youtube.com/watch?v=xVB_rQFSsEg&mode=related&search=
 
Dimas is one bad b!tch! He cleans weight that would injure most guys much bigger than he is!
That training video was impressive, if anything it made me want to try front squats instead of regular squats.
 
Darn impressive, all right.

I've liked the idea of getting all wrapped up like a mummy, and certainly don't see the point of competitions where you get an assist from bench shirts and the like. If you have a need due to injury like Vagrant mentions it makes sense to wrap, but I don't see the need with the relatively light weights that I'm using.

Another video that I like came up in the list when I looked at that one. I think that liegelord, stevejones or someone else linked it in another thread once. If you haven't seen the 295kg squat video , then check it out. Another guy lifting impressive weights dressed like I'd dress to go jog or hit some tennis balls around.

(editing to show that I really can spell "jog". Now that I look at it again, I kinda like the way he just walks out from under 650 pounds after the last squat and just lets it drop, too!)
 
thanks for the advice, it sounds like wrapping isn't for me especially at the low weight

i think i just need more time for my legs to get stronger, i was a little upset that my benches are getting so far ahead of my squats

its hard to gain a lot of strength when you are on a maintenence diet
 
That's a great video, liegelord.

Olympic lifts are so fast, that I had to stop and start it at several points to really appreciate what goes on. I remember being taught years ago that there is a point where the lifter moves his hips forward and re-bends the knees to be in a more powerful position to execute the final portion of the pull.

If you pause the video at the right point you can see where he has done this, the bar is right against his hips, and his knees are quite bent. Full speed I have a hard time catching and appreciating it.
 
i read an article somewhere that said when you dip below 90 degrees while squatting it recruits more muscles to help with lifting back up, and is less intense on the knees

is that what you are talking about?
 
Yes, the strain goes from the knees to the hip/glutes and hams, which are more able to handle it.

Someone on another forum put it like this: "knees are like brakes if you don't go ATG...they wear out eventually".
 
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