Help! I can't deadlift in my 4" belt!
As discussed in the original post of this thread, a weightlifting belt is an extremely useful tool for training. A 4” leather belt in 10-13 mm thickness is ideal for almost everyone for squats, but may not work for everyone during their pulls, specifically if you are a conventional deadlifter. Another quote from Mark Rippetoe:
“The squat is quite obviously different from the deadlift. The squat starts at the top, loads eccentrically into the bottom, and rebounds back up, while the deadlift starts from the bottom concentrically. The squatter gets squeezed into the bottom of the range of motion with help from the load, while the deadlifter has to assume the hardest position of the lift unloaded, with no help from the weight at all. If the squatter wears a belt that jams up the bottom of the ROM, good! It aids the rebound. But the same jamming can interfere with the deadlifter's ability to squeeze into the most efficient position to pull from, with no help from a loaded descent, creating an incomplete back-set and a power leak even before the pull begins.
Granted, a wider belt provides better abdominal containment and more uniform hoop tension than a narrower belt. But if it keeps you from getting into the correct position to pull effectively, it hardly matters that it works better for part of the job. If you can't get set correctly, you can't pull correctly.”
[b]The case for a second belt[/b]
If this situation applies to you, the ideal option is to purchase a narrower belt that allows correct setup of the deadlift (or clean/snatch/Romanian deadlift/stiff-leg deadlift, etc). There are options to acquire 2.5-3” belts from a few of the vendors on the Approved Vendor List in the first post. Dean of Best Belts has both sizes available at an excellent price.
An alternative to a second leather belt is to pick up a Spud Inc deadlift belt. Although nylon belts are generally not as effective as leather at creating hoop tension since nylon is pliable, it is this exact reason that you may consider this for your pulling belt. If a narrower leather belt is still difficult for you to get into position with, a slightly more pliable material could be required. This belt comes in two thicknesses, a 2-ply and a 3-ply. It makes sense to get the thickest belt that still lets you get into position, so the 3-ply should be the first option if this is the route you decide to go down.
[b]In case you only want one belt[/b]
A less ideal option to picking up a second belt is to learn to use the 4” belt in a modified manner such that you are able to are still able to get into position and get support out of the belt at the same time. The easiest, though least effective, method of wearing the belt differently for pulls is to simply wear it a notch looser. This is sub-optimal since it lessens the effectiveness of the belt in general, but it is better than no belt at all.
The second option is to wear the belt higher up on the waist. This is a better option than wearing a looser belt for most people. This is Eric Lilliebridge deadlifting with his standard 4” belt noticeably higher on his waist.
[img]http://www.lift.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/eric-lilliebridge-deadlift.jpg[/img]
Finally, if you have a partner, you can wear the belt backwards. You will need someone else to put it on and take it off for you, but this is possibly the best of the three options for those that don’t have a second belt and can’t wear their belt in the standard fashion for their pulls.
[b]TL, DR[/b]
If you can only have one belt, it should be a 4” belt as discussed in the first post. If you have the need for a different option for your pulls, buy a 2.5” or 3” leather belt from Best Belts, or a deadlift belt from Spud Inc. If you can’t afford a second quality belt or just don’t feel like toting a second belt around, wear your belt a notch looser, a bit higher, or backwards.