Belts - A Comprehensive Guide

[cmarti063]

He using a 10mm pioneer? Isnt that closer to 13mm when the actual measurements of the leather is considered?

Nope. It's a 10mm double suede, so there is ~7mm of sole leather and ~3mm of garmet suede. Total thickness is 10mm.

[NorthStrong]

Interesting.

Has anyone bought a recently made Toro? I've heard their quality on belts from a few years back was a bit higher.

And anyone with a Toro and a Longhorn, is the quality on the longhorns a big difference?

[cmarti063]

Interesting.

Has anyone bought a recently made Toro? I've heard their quality on belts from a few years back was a bit higher.

And anyone with a Toro and a Longhorn, is the quality on the longhorns a big difference?

Do you compete in the IPF?

[NorthStrong]

Do you compete in the IPF?

I compete in the CPU which is Canada's IPF affiliate, never competed in an IPF meet though (yet). I also compete in the CPF which is Canada's WPC affiliate.

[cmarti063]

I compete in the CPU which is Canada's IPF affiliate, never competed in an IPF meet though (yet). I also compete in the CPF which is Canada's WPC affiliate.

If you don't mind that they won't be IPF approved for a couple more years (politics...), I am in love with my 13mm single suede Pioneer Fit belt. They make good stuff (they made the CWS belt in that Instagram post) and are always seeking to improve. They deliver your belt in a week, too. Beats the hell out of Titan's lead time.

[BrooklynBravest]

I just got my inzer forever lever.


I'm really having trouble determining how tight to make it. How do you guys gauge where you set your belt? Where it is now, its definitely bracing the abdominal wall when I am in my deadlift start position or the bottom of a squat but its not particularly tight. Should I go for that next notch?

[stonecold123]

Cant wait for my own inzer lever belt


Thanks to this forum n all ur advice

[NorthStrong]

If you don't mind that they won't be IPF approved for a couple more years (politics...), I am in love with my 13mm single suede Pioneer Fit belt. They make good stuff (they made the CWS belt in that Instagram post) and are always seeking to improve. They deliver your belt in a week, too. Beats the hell out of Titan's lead time.

Ended up ordering an Inzer forever 13mm single prong a few days ago. Pioneer fit does have some cool belts but I'd want something I could use in the CPU right away. Besides I'm not sure if i could come up with a decent cusom design for it. I saw a few on their IG that looked good but most looked totally foolish imo lol.

[KorStrength]

Want to pick up a belt, I've never really used one and I figure its about time.

Looking at the Pioneer 10mm thick double suede, single prong, rounded tongue. Quality? Worth it?

The fianc� is going to get it for me for Christmas. It's affordable as hell and I can even have something stitched in it and still be cheaper than a Bob's belt...

[cmarti063]

Want to pick up a belt, I've never really used one and I figure its about time.

Looking at the Pioneer 10mm thick double suede, single prong, rounded tongue. Quality? Worth it?

The fianc� is going to get it for me for Christmas. It's affordable as hell and I can even have something stitched in it and still be cheaper than a Bob's belt...

Yes, they're fantastic belts. I did some reviews on them, and Matt actually addressed my few criticisms and made their belts even better. You'll get your belt super quick, too. Like, a week or two.

[BrooklynBravest]

Any suggestions on gauging proper tightness?

I think its good where it is, there is definitely pressure against the abdominal wall but its not a huge amount. Should it be just enough or prominent?

Obviously the lever belt is easier to crank closed than a standard belt. So its harder for me to determine where it needs to go.

If I take and hold a deep breath, I can't close the belt. So obviously when its closed it is inside the limits of my abdomen.

[cmarti063]

Any suggestions on gauging proper tightness?

I think its good where it is, there is definitely pressure against the abdominal wall but its not a huge amount. Should it be just enough or prominent?

Obviously the lever belt is easier to crank closed than a standard belt. So its harder for me to determine where it needs to go.

If I take and hold a deep breath, I can't close the belt. So obviously when its closed it is inside the limits of my abdomen.

When your belt is on, but before your valsalva, you should be able to slide a finger or two inside the belt but you shouldn't be able to shove your hand in there.

[NorthStrong]

Has Titan ever made a 13mm Toro? A buddy of mine thinks his Toro is 13mm, and I know all the current ones are 10s.

[cmarti063]

Has Titan ever made a 13mm Toro? A buddy of mine thinks his Toro is 13mm, and I know all the current ones are 10s.

No, the Brahma is the 13mm version. You can always simply use a pair of calipers to verify.

[BrooklynBravest]

When your belt is on, but before your valsalva, you should be able to slide a finger or two inside the belt but you shouldn't be able to shove your hand in there.

With what kind of effort are we talking about here though? If I wanna get my whole hand in there, il get it in there lol

[NorthStrong]

Ended up ordering an Inzer forever 13mm single prong a few days ago. Pioneer fit does have some cool belts but I'd want something I could use in the CPU right away. Besides I'm not sure if i could come up with a decent cusom design for it. I saw a few on their IG that looked good but most looked totally foolish imo lol.

Got it in today, spent some time breaking it in. Innerstrengthproducts is where I got it from, Canadian site. They are awesome, great customer service for any other Canucks in this thread.

No, the Brahma is the 13mm version. You can always simply use a pair of calipers to verify.

that would work too.

Also just heads up to everyone, liftinglarge is having 20% off a bunch of titan and liftinglarge and slingshot branded stuff, and if a belt is what you're looking for now might be a good time to go grab one.

[Rodman1]

Can belt really help with back pain?

[stonecold123]

Inzer 13mm lever belt arrived !

Im riche!

[bobcat255]

Surprised not to see Crain mentioned here. If someone is considering a 13mm Inzer, I'd strongly suggest the Crain. Inzer always seems to have some issues and the wait times (at least when I ordered) were long.

In February I ordered the Crain XTreme Power Belt w/Lever. I was told 8-weeks and the belt arrived 8-weeks later. It's exactly what I expected and looked beautiful. It was built based on my waist measurement and to my color specification (yep, AttyGuy isn't the only who likes to match around here ). I'm incredibly happy with the construction of the belt and posting a few pictures below.

[bobcat255]

Wanted to put my learning experience in a separate post in hopes that it helps others looking for the right belt for them.

I tend to like to buy "the best" and as such, I was thinking that 13mm is better than 10mm (I mean who wouldn't want more support?) and also that lever is better than prongs (faster/easier).

Unfortunately, it seems I made the wrong decision. I really shouldn't have bought "the last belt I'll ever need" and instead bought a single-pronged 10mm belt that everyone tends to recommend. I spent months trying to figure out how to use the belt, but kept hurting myself.

Here are the issues I've been having:
1. The belt is so thick, I can't get into a proper squat... just feels like there's no space between my quads and abdomen (belt takes up a lot of space and puts my body more upright - you wouldn't think the few degrees matter, but they do!).
2. It's also incredibly stiff - I didn't feel like I was breaking it in, but more like it was breaking me in
3. The inside part of the belt kept hurting my ribs; I tried moving the belt around, but once I hurt myself it really didn't matter what I did. I'd wait a few weeks to heal up to try again... (I'm a bit more lean, so not much cushion around my rib area... not sure if that has an effect)

In the end, I just gave up on using the belt. Got tired of being hurt. At times I was able to lift for several sessions without pain and would feel incredible support. However, the moment the positioning was off I'd hurt my ribs again. Worst part is I wouldn't know until I hit the bottom of the squat with heavy weight. Ouch!

Oh and about the lever; love the feature.... the ability to instantly loosen it up right after a set is awesome, but the fact that the belt folds in on itself and that extra leather presses against my ribs is more of a deal killer.

It's completely possible that I just wasn't using the belt properly; nobody else at my gym uses belts or lifts heavy, so I tend to hurt myself before I learn proper technique. If my opinion changes in the future I'll come back here and update it.

[cmarti063]

Wanted to put my learning experience in a separate post in hopes that it helps others looking for the right belt for them.

I tend to like to buy "the best" and as such, I was thinking that 13mm is better than 10mm (I mean who wouldn't want more support?) and also that lever is better than prongs (faster/easier).

Unfortunately, it seems I made the wrong decision. I really shouldn't have bought "the last belt I'll ever need" and instead bought a single-pronged 10mm belt that everyone tends to recommend. I spent months trying to figure out how to use the belt, but kept hurting myself.

Here are the issues I've been having:
1. The belt is so thick, I can't get into a proper squat... just feels like there's no space between my quads and abdomen (belt takes up a lot of space and puts my body more upright - you wouldn't think the few degrees matter, but they do!).
2. It's also incredibly stiff - I didn't feel like I was breaking it in, but more like it was breaking me in
3. The inside part of the belt kept hurting my ribs; I tried moving the belt around, but once I hurt myself it really didn't matter what I did. I'd wait a few weeks to heal up to try again... (I'm a bit more lean, so not much cushion around my rib area... not sure if that has an effect)

In the end, I just gave up on using the belt. Got tired of being hurt. At times I was able to lift for several sessions without pain and would feel incredible support. However, the moment the positioning was off I'd hurt my ribs again. Worst part is I wouldn't know until I hit the bottom of the squat with heavy weight. Ouch!

Oh and about the lever; love the feature.... the ability to instantly loosen it up right after a set is awesome, but the fact that the belt folds in on itself and that extra leather presses against my ribs is more of a deal killer.

It's completely possible that I just wasn't using the belt properly; nobody else at my gym uses belts or lifts heavy, so I tend to hurt myself before I learn proper technique. If my opinion changes in the future I'll come back here and update it.

Crain definitely makes a quality belt. This story is a perfect example of why I recommend a 10mm single prong for those who are new to belts or just general trainees in the OP. Because of the way the measurements of the belts work out, a 13mm double suede belt actually has 50% thicker leather than a 10mm double suede belt. On the flip side, it doesn't provide 50% more support (the law of diminishing returns). Competing powerlifters must take advantage of every small performance increase possible, but they have different goals (and generally a different mentality) from the general populace.

If you only want a single belt, the 10mm single prong is the most well rounded belt. You can have it at a different tightness for different lifts, it isn't so thick (for most people) that it interferes with the deadlift like a 13mm can, and the break in period for both the lifter and the belt is shorter.

On the flip side, I absolutely love my 13mm single suede lever belt (it's ~20% more leather than a 13mm double suede), and can use it for both squat and deadlift, and don't have to change the position of the lever to do it. I have tried a dozen different belts though, and have the luxury of being able to find the exact belt I wanted. Most people can't do that though, so stick with the 10mm single prong

[stonecold123]

Surprised not to see Crain mentioned here. If someone is considering a 13mm Inzer, I'd strongly suggest the Crain. Inzer always seems to have some issues and the wait times (at least when I ordered) were long.

In February I ordered the Crain XTreme Power Belt w/Lever. I was told 8-weeks and the belt arrived 8-weeks later. It's exactly what I expected and looked beautiful. It was built based on my waist measurement and to my color specification (yep, AttyGuy isn't the only who likes to match around here ). I'm incredibly happy with the construction of the belt and posting a few pictures below.

dats a very hansum belt!

TRU DAT!

[Biggerfoot]

I picked up a new Titan Longhorn Lever Belt for $102 at Tiger Fitness. I received it in three days and just added enough to get their free shipping. I did not want to wait for weeks after Xmas to order a new belt.

I only used it once but am quite pleased with the quality. After reading this very informative thread, I elected to get the Longhorn over the Toro and also the Inzer. The lever is quite nice and seems sturdy.

I measured 36 inches where the belt rides (34"pants though). I was right in the middle between the two sizes and upped it to a large. I am 53 and this probably will be my last belt and I suspect my waist size will be going up one of these days! That said, I have one hole left but I do have it pretty tight.

I not care for the cheap looking logo on the back though.

Thanks again for a great thread here!

[Vegardpuls]

Just ordered:
GASP: Training Belt

Is that a decent belt for Deadlift and squats?

And can I use this belt for exercises like Bent over rows and legpress?

[Stasher1]

Just ordered:
GASP: Training Belt

Is that a decent belt for Deadlift and squats?

And can I use this belt for exercises like Bent over rows and legpress?

Why do people ask questions like this after they've ordered a product?

[Vegardpuls]

Why do people ask questions like this after they've ordered a product?

I have used this belt before on deadlift but never on squats.

[SwagMorris]

Just ordered:
GASP: Training Belt

Is that a decent belt for Deadlift and squats?

And can I use this belt for exercises like Bent over rows and legpress?

You can use it for anything. Doesn't mean you need to.

If you feel that it offers proper support, then it is a decent belt for deads and squats.

[ronalbak]

sry for this but have any of you used the echo belt from rogue?

[SelfMotivated]

Thank you for this sticky!

I just ordered a belt from Bob's Belts, this thread helped a lot in making that decision.

[Tourbillon]

Thank you for this sticky!

I just ordered a belt from Bob's Belts, this thread helped a lot in making that decision.

Which one did you go with? I just ordered a 10mm Inzer Forever belt today but I almost got the Crain one.