Should You Wear a Weightlifting Belt? Science-Backed Pros & Cons

A weightlifting belt can add 40% more core pressure and maybe an extra plate on your bar.

Lifting belts are some of the most popular lifting accessories, used by more than a quarter of gym-goers.

It doesn’t prevent injuries, but neither does it make your core weak.

What it does is allow you to feel more stable under the weights and lift a little heavier.

In this article, you’ll learn how a weightlifting belt works, its science-backed benefits, when you should and shouldn’t wear one, and more.

What Is a Weightlifting Belt?

Many people think of a weightlifting belt as a back brace, but it’s more of a tool to help your own muscles do their job better.

It is a wide strap, usually made of leather or some synthetic material, that you cinch up snugly around your midsection.

The main benefit of a weightlifting belt is that it gives your core muscles something to brace against, which stabilizes your spine and lets you transfer more force.

I’ve used a belt on and off for 36 years when I tango with the “big” weights.

My hardcore weightlifting belt from 1989 in all its pastel glory is still alive and kicking (although the Velcro closure is on its last legs):

I do have a sturdier lifting belt of leather, too, but this is my nostalgic favorite.

How Does a Weightlifting Belt Work?

A weightlifting belt helps you increase your intra-abdominal pressure (IAP).

Before a heavy lift, like a squat or a deadlift, you take a big breath and hold it, breathing deep into your belly instead of just filling your chest with air.

Next, you hold your breath and brace your core muscles as if you’re about to take a punch to the gut. That is called the Valsalva maneuver.

As you brace, your abs push outward.

The belt is there like a wall for them to push against, and you significantly increase the pressure inside your abdomen.

In one study, lifters did a set of squats at their 8-rep max (the weight they could handle for a maximum of eight repetitions). Wearing a lifting belt, their IAP increased up to 40% more than without a belt.¹

Why Is More Pressure a Good Thing?

Imagine a can of soda.

When it’s sealed and full, a can of pop is incredibly strong, and you could probably stand on it.

But once you open it and release the internal pressure, it’s easy to crush.

By creating more pressure in your abdomen, you’re basically turning your torso into a super-stiff, hard-to-crush can.

In addition to IAP, a weightlifting belt increases the pressure inside your muscles.²

Intra-muscular pressure is directly related to how much force your muscles produce.³

This double increase in pressure stabilizes your spine, makes your torso stiffer, and transfers force throughout your body more efficiently to the barbell.

And that is likely the reason why wearing a belt boosts lifting performance.

Can You Lift More Weight With a Lifting Belt?

Yes, most people can. But there are no concrete data on how much.

Believe it or not, no studies directly demonstrate that lifters can squat and deadlift heavier weights with a belt, although one old non-strength training study found that women can lift around 1 kg (2.2 pounds) more with one on.⁴

It’s not that strange that no one has done any research on it, actually, as it would be almost impossible to blind such a study. How do you make participants think they are wearing a belt?

However, based on the above mechanisms, anecdotes, and practical observations in gyms and competitions all over the world for decades, I think it’s pretty safe to conclude that belts do improve lifting performance. At least for most people.

A few other studies also suggest performance boosts, even though they don’t measure 1RM (the heaviest weight you can lift once).

• In the squat study I mentioned above, the lifters performed the last few reps a little faster when wearing a belt. And they did so even though they had a balloon catheter up their butts while they were squatting (to measure intra-abdominal pressure).
• Another study found that a belt might improve explosive power by allowing you to move the weight a little (~15%) faster.⁵
• It can also make you feel more confident under a loaded bar, and lifters often find that heavy reps feel easier when wearing a belt.⁶

Things like confidence and even pure placebo effects shouldn’t be underestimated when it comes to athletic performance.

When to Use a Weightlifting Belt (And When to Skip It)

A weightlifting belt can help you during heavy lifts, but wearing it like a fashion accessory for your entire workout doesn’t do anyone any favors.

When to Wear a Belt

You’ll get the most bang for your buck from a belt during your compound exercises.

These are exercises that involve several muscles and joints and, in this case, benefit from more spine and trunk stability.

The examples include:

• Squats (all variations)
• Deadlifts
• Overhead Presses
• Barbell Rows
• Farmer’s Walks
• Olympic Lifts

A general rule of thumb is to use a belt when you’re lifting above 80% of your 1RM.⁷

When to Leave It in the Bag

Skip it...	Rationale
If you’re doing accessory or isolation exercises, like curls, pushdowns, or lateral raises.	There are no measurable benefits because your core isn’t the limiting factor.
During warm-ups and lighter sets (<70–80% of 1RM).	You still want to train your core to stabilize itself without assistance.
You’re a beginner.	Master the fundamental movements patterns and learn to brace properly without a belt first. At least don’t use one all the time.
If you have a pre-existing injury.	Don’t just slap on a belt, thinking it will solve your back problems. It doesn’t protect against injuries at all.
To mask bad form.	A belt will not fix a poor lifting technique. If anything, it can make things worse by allowing you to lift heavier weights with flawed mechanics.

Your Belt Adds the Power; Our Workout Log App Tracks the Progress

Log every set (belted or beltless), auto-calculate 1RM percentages, and watch your PRs climb.

Grab your free tracker now: tap iOS or Android below and lift smarter next session.

Do Weightlifting Belts Prevent Injury?

Short answer: no, they don’t.

One of the most common misconceptions about weightlifting belts is that you wear them to reduce the risk of injuring yourself when lifting heavy.

According to one survey, 90% of belt users said they wore it for that very reason.⁸

In theory, the improved trunk stiffness and spinal stability might reduce the immediate risk of an acute back tweak when you’re squatting or deadlifting near your 1RM.

However, belts are not safety talismans, don’t guarantee against injury, and have no proven or empirical effect on the risk of injury in either gyms or workplaces.

Claims that back belts prevent injury lack scientific evidence, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.⁹

Good technique and a strong trunk (and body) matter much more.

There can even be a downside to wearing a belt when it comes to injury risk.

That’s because a lifting belt can give some lifters a false sense of security, according to Dr Stuart McGill in a review invited by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.¹⁰

They strap on a belt and think they’re suddenly protected or immune to harm, leading them to lift with sloppy form or attempt weights they have no business touching.

That kind of “ego lifting” is a fast track to getting hurt, belt or no belt.

A Belt for Every Build: Different Types of Weightlifting Belts

Not all belts are created equal. Here’s a quick rundown of the three most common types.

Type	Description	Best For
Powerlifting Belt	Typically 10–13 mm thick and 10 cm (4 inches) wide all the way around. Very rigid.	Maximum support during heavy squats, bench presses, and deadlifts.
Olympic Lifting Belt	Max 4.7 inches or 12 cm for competition. Often wider in the back and tapered in the front. More flexible than a powerlifting belt.	Lifts that require more mobility, like the snatch and clean & jerk. Also a good all-around option for general gym training.
Nylon/Velcro Belt	Lighter and more flexible, and easy to take on and off.	CrossFit-style workouts or for trainees who want a less-intrusive belt. Not ideal for maximal loads, but comfy and useful for general strength training.

You’ll also come across three main fastening systems:

• Prong belts have one or two prongs, just like a regular belt. They are easily adjustable from one set to the next while still being secure.
• Lever belts use a lever mechanism to clamp the belt shut. They are very secure and quick to get on and off, but adjusting the initial fit can be a pain (it usually requires a screwdriver).
• Nylon/Velcro belts usually have a Velcro closure, which is super quick and easy to use but less secure for very heavy lifts.

How to Wear a Lifting Belt Like You Know What You’re Doing

Putting on a weightlifting belt correctly is important if you want to get all the benefits.

Positioning

Place the belt around your abdomen. A good place to put it is so that the bottom edge sits roughly one finger-width above your hip bones, with the buckle centered over your navel.

Some lifters prefer it a bit lower for squats, while a higher position can be more comfortable for deadlifts.

Experiment to see what feels best. There are no strict must-follow rules for wearing a lifting belt.

Either way, it shouldn’t be so low that it digs into your hips or so high that it jabs you in the ribs.

Tightness

Your belt should be snug but not so tight that you can’t take a full breath into your belly.

A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to just slip one finger (max two) between the belt and your stomach.

Too loose, and it slides; too tight, and you can’t expand your abdomen into the belt to brace.

Bracing

Before you lift, take a deep breath into your belly and push your abs out in all directions (front, sides, and back) against the belt.

Hold this brace throughout the entire repetition, then release or “hiss” the air between reps and repeat (if you’re doing more than one).

Does Wearing a Lifting Belt Reduce Core Muscle Activation?

This is one of those claims that gets tossed around the gym more than a medicine ball: if you wear a belt, your core and abs won’t work as hard and get weaker.

But no, wearing a lifting belt doesn’t reduce your core muscle activation.

In fact, for some of your core muscles, it can actually make them work harder.

Of course, there’s a little more to it than that.

Let’s break it down so you can school the next person who tries to tell you your belt is making your core weak.

If there are any changes, they are more about muscle-specific shifts in activity rather than some kind of “off-switch.”

• The spinal erectors sometimes work a little less under maximal loads because the increased intra-abdominal pressure takes part of the load off the back. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; it suggests the belt and the increased IAP are doing their job of supporting your spine.¹¹
• Ab muscle activity is unchanged or slightly higher, and oblique activity is unchanged or slightly lower.^{12 13}
• Deep stabilizers (transversus abdominis, multifidus) are hard to study with surface EMG. However, there is no evidence that they shut down in any way.

In all cases, the changes are relatively small and unlikely to have any long-term implications.

And remember: if a belt lets you handle an extra 5–10% load, the net stimulus to all involved muscles, including your trunk muscles, will go up, not down.

Importantly, no long-term study has found a drop in trunk strength or endurance in belt users.

In fact, construction workers who wear a weightlifting belt when they lift heavy stuff increase their trunk strength and endurance by ~12 and 29%, respectively, after two months of continuous use compared to those who do not wear belts.¹⁴

Side Effects of Wearing a Weightlifting Belt

Using a lifting belt is generally safe, but here are few things to keep in mind (in addition to the false sense of security I talked about earlier).

Area	What researchers found	Practical takeaway
Cardiovascular load	Wearing a lifting belt when you lift raises diastolic blood pressure.15 16	If you already have high blood pressure, you might want to use the belt sparingly and avoid maximal Valsalva holds.
Pelvic-floor stress & incontinence (mainly in women)	An International Continence Society systematic review of 1 809 female lifters found UI rates of 37–54% and noted that deadlifts/squats “with a belt” were a possible trigger.17	Athletes with existing pelvic-floor symptoms may benefit from belt-free volume work, pelvic-floor physio, and graded progression.
High intra-abdominal pressure itself	IAP jumps from 20 mmHg (a unit of pressure) standing around doing nothing to 175 mmHG during heavy lifts.18	The extra IAP is what you’re after, but it also explains why BP and pelvic floor issues appear. Also, if you have a hernia or have had recent abdominal surgery, ask a medical professional before belting up.

One more thing: If you want to get really good at doing a beltless lift, you have to practice it without wearing one.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable on your heavy sets.

Otherwise, if you’ve trained exclusively with a weightlifting belt and then remove it for a heavy set, it’s going to feel very awkward. Speaking from experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Rep

So, should you wear a weightlifting belt?

While there are no shoulds, there are also no major downsides to using a belt during heavy lifts.

You’ll likely gain some stability and add a few pounds to your lifts.

A belt is not a mandatory piece of gym gear.

It’s a tool, but it can be a very useful tool.

But the strongest piece of lifting equipment you own is your own body. A belt just helps you use it better.

Last reviewed: 2025-07-01

References

1. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1992 May;24(5):603-9. The effectiveness of weight-belts during multiple repetitions of the squat exercise.
2. Clin Biomech (Bristol). 1999 Feb;14(2):79-87. Effects of abdominal belts on intra-abdominal pressure, intra-muscular pressure in the erector spinae muscles and myoelectrical activities of trunk muscles.
3. Front Physiol. 2018 Jan 24;9:22. Intramuscular Pressure of Tibialis Anterior Reflects Ankle Torque but Does Not Follow Joint Angle-Torque Relationship.
4. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1996 Feb 1;21(3):356-66. The effects of lumbosacral support belts and abdominal muscle strength on functional lifting ability in healthy women.
5. J Strength Cond Res. 2001 May;15(2):235-40. The effects of a weight belt on trunk and leg muscle activity and joint kinematics during the squat exercise.
6. Medicine, 2022 Feb 18;101(7):e28918. The influence of weightlifting belts and wrist straps on deadlift kinematics, time to complete a deadlift and rating of perceived exertion in male recreational weightlifters: An observational study.
7. Strength and Conditioning Journal 38(3):p 11-17, June 2016. A Review of the Efficacy of Weight Training Aids.
8. J Strength Cond Res. 2003 Aug;17(3):498-502. Weight lifting belt use patterns among a population of health club members.
9. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 94-127: BACK BELTS – Do They Prevent Injury?
10. Stuart M. McGill, March 2005. On The Use Weight Belts.
11. Hum Factors. 1999 Dec;41(4):670-6. Effect of lifting belts on trunk muscle activation during a suddenly applied load.
12. Clinical Biomechanics, Volume 14, Issue 2, February 1999, Pages 79-87. Effects of abdominal belts on intra-abdominal pressure, intramuscular pressure in the erector spinae muscles and myoelectrical activities of trunk muscles.
13. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 Apr;34(4):682-8. An electromyographic analysis of sumo and conventional style deadlifts.
14. J Spinal Disord. 1992 Sep;5(3):260-6. Effects of lumbar belts on trunk muscle strength and endurance: a follow-up study of construction workers.
15. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 3(1):p 13-18, February 1989. The Effects of a Weight Training Belt on Blood Pressure During Exercise.
16. Ergonomics. 1990 Feb;33(2):147-60. The effect of an abdominal belt on trunk muscle activity and intra-abdominal pressure during squat lifts.
17. Int Urogynecol J. 2025 May;36(5):955-964. Influence of Powerlifting and Weightlifting on Female Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Systematic Literature Review.
18. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1989 Apr;21(2):186-90. Effects of a belt on intra-abdominal pressure during weight lifting.