Belts - A Comprehensive Guide

[NavyRoll]

LOL, yep probably owned too many belts.

Have you experienced any movement between the layers of your treated belt? After a while, my belt felt like the layers were separating. I got it double stitched so it probably wasnt going to fall apart but but bits of the adhesive was coming off through the holes. I wondered if the oil treatment compromises the glue a bit. I think maybe because I clamp the belt on a power rack to help get it on and off stresses the belt and pulls the adhesive off from the leather. I never asked Matt to look at it because I stopped using it and too lazy to put it in a box and send it back but may one day. (My untreated 10mm which I use the same method hasnt had this issue)

Yeah. I remember seeing some guy's belt on a SS forum way back and telling you about it. That was one reason why I was so hesitant on buying a belt from them. Plus seeing how their suede belts were more prone to peeling whereas the Inzers and Best Belts don't really have that issue. Mine has been like that from day 1 and you can see the bottom layer protruding out a bit from the picture. For the single prong, the layers are always bending backwards and sliding against each other every time it is being used. So I can see how that can be problematic many many years from now. I think it's a non issue for the lever belt though since all I'm doing is flicking the lever mechanism on and off.

[KoolDJVader]

Yeah. I remember seeing some guy's belt on a SS forum way back and telling you about it. That was one reason why I was so hesitant on buying a belt from them. Plus seeing how their suede belts were more prone to peeling whereas the Inzers and Best Belts don't really have that issue. Mine has been like that from day 1 and you can see the bottom layer protruding out a bit from the picture. For the single prong, the layers are always bending backwards and sliding against each other every time it is being used. So I can see how that can be problematic many many years from now. I think it's a non issue for the lever belt though since all I'm doing is flicking the lever mechanism on and off.

Ah yes, I remember you referencing the SS post, think Rippetoe deleted that thread over some petty feud.

Anyway, yeah my belt ended up looking like that with the uneven layers and the sliding around of the layers was progressively getting more pronounced in a year's time. I really loved that belt at first and like you said, probably may not be an issue with a lever since you don't need to bend any part of the belt to get it on. But probably wouldn't recommend a treated prong belt anymore

[NavyRoll]

Ah yes, I remember you referencing the SS post, think Rippetoe deleted that thread over some petty feud.

Anyway, yeah my belt ended up looking like that with the uneven layers and the sliding around of the layers was progressively getting more pronounced in a year's time. I really loved that belt at first and like you said, probably may not be an issue with a lever since you don't need to bend any part of the belt to get it on. But probably wouldn't recommend a treated prong belt anymore

I've always been curious, does untreated belt share the same smell that the treated leather belt has?

I know your untreated leather belt actually came in looking darker and visually almost identical to your other treated belt, which surprised me. Kind of makes me wonder if Matt ever makes a mistake and sends out an untreated belt instead of a treated one every once in a while.

[KoolDJVader]

I've always been curious, does untreated belt share the same smell that the treated leather belt has?

I know your untreated leather belt actually came in looking darker and visually almost identical to your other treated belt, which surprised me. Kind of makes me wonder if Matt ever makes a mistake and sends out an untreated belt instead of a treated one every once in a while.

Yeah, the untreated belt had that strong leather smell. You're right, can't tell which belt is treated and untreated just by sight or smell. But definitely by feel as the 13mm treated leather belt is way more pliable than the 10mm untreated. I have an untreated 13mm lever belt and even though it will likely never get all that pliable (which is why I wanted it for max support), after it broke in, its really not any less comfortable than a treated belt since its high quality leather.

[NavyRoll]

Yeah, the untreated belt had that strong leather smell. You're right, can't tell which belt is treated and untreated just by sight or smell. But definitely by feel as the 13mm treated leather belt is way more pliable than the 10mm untreated. I have an untreated 13mm lever belt and even though it will likely never get all that pliable (which is why I wanted it for max support), after it broke in, its really not any less comfortable than a treated belt since its high quality leather.

My brother recently ordered a treated 6.5mm single prong and it has that very distinct general leathercraft smell. His is way stronger than mine though, to the point that it is filling our entire living room with that leathery smell. I definitely remember mine wasn't that strong when I had initially received it. So I've been wondering how the treating process goes when manufacturing a belt and whether if what I have is actually an untreated belt or a halfassed treated one lol. Interesting to hear that both treated and untreated share the same aroma though.

[KoolDJVader]

My brother recently ordered a treated 6.5mm single prong and it has that very distinct general leathercraft smell. His is way stronger than mine though, to the point that it is filling our entire living room with that leathery smell. I definitely remember mine wasn't that strong when I had initially received it. So I've been wondering how the treating process goes when manufacturing a belt and whether if what I have is actually an untreated belt or a halfassed treated one lol. Interesting to hear that both treated and untreated share the same aroma though.

It may be just in my head but the 13mm untreated lever belt that I bought during their last sale (the pre Chistmas one this fall) seemed to have a stronger leather smell than all the previous times I ordered their leather belt.(if my memory holds....I bought the treated 13mm single prong in early 2017, the untreated 10mm single prong around December 2017 and my first 13mm untreated lever sometime mid 2018)

I know the smell eventually dissipates so maybe they're selling more belt these days than a couple of years ago so the leather is "newer" in the recent belts.

[xdoomhammerx]

Hi guys,

I'm currently researching info and shopping for my first belt. I decided to purchase one after hurting my back (lumbar sprain) just before Christmas.

Because I never used one before, I'm trying to buy one at my local fitness gear store (fitnessdepot). They have 3 models that seems to align somewhat with the OP's recommendations but only one of the three is 10mm tick (basically a pioneer single prong clone, oiled leather, 4" wide) , the other two are 8mm tick (suede, one dual prong 4" wide, the other lever lock 3.75" wide).

I was wondering how much of a difference the 8mm vs 10mm would make and if 3.75" vs 4" would make? I'm planning to try them on and see which fits the best but having more knowledge on the subject in advance would potentially help me having a easier time picking the right one in the store.

Thanks in advance.

[KoolDJVader]

Hi guys,

I'm currently researching info and shopping for my first belt. I decided to purchase one after hurting my back (lumbar sprain) just before Christmas.

Because I never used one before, I'm trying to buy one at my local fitness gear store (fitnessdepot). They have 3 models that seems to align somewhat with the OP's recommendations but only one of the three is 10mm tick (basically a pioneer single prong clone, oiled leather, 4" wide) , the other two are 8mm tick (suede, one dual prong 4" wide, the other lever lock 3.75" wide).

I was wondering how much of a difference the 8mm vs 10mm would make and if 3.75" vs 4" would make? I'm planning to try them on and see which fits the best but having more knowledge on the subject in advance would potentially help me having a easier time picking the right one in the store.

Thanks in advance.

The 3.75" vs 4" shouldn't make much of a difference, probably won't even notice (I think my first Best Belts Athlete Cut belt was closer to 3.75" than 4"). The 10mm belt if its all leather (and good leather at that) should be more supportive than the 8mm suede (if its just single suede then the belt will have ~6.5mm of leather) but 8mm suede will most likely give you all the support you need or want (again if its good leather).

Probably wouldn't bother with a double prong, out of all the belts I would probably get the 10mm

[xdoomhammerx]

The 3.75" vs 4" shouldn't make much of a difference, probably won't even notice (I think my first Best Belts Athlete Cut belt was closer to 3.75" than 4"). The 10mm belt if its all leather (and good leather at that) should be more supportive than the 8mm suede (if its just single suede then the belt will have ~6.5mm of leather) but 8mm suede will most likely give you all the support you need or want (again if its good leather).

Probably wouldn't bother with a double prong, out of all the belts I would probably get the 10mm

Thanks for the information. I purposely avoided mentioning the price of the belts as to not influence your recommendations.
The suede 4" wide, 8mm thick, double-prong belt is $49 CAD fitnessdepot.ca/J11QMO30971139/powerlifting-belt-suede-2-prong-black-medium.html
The suede 3.75", wide 8mm thick lever-lock belt is $69 CAD fitnessdepot.ca/J11QMO30971139/powerlifting-belt-suede-lever-lock-black-s-m.html
The leather 4" wide, 10mm thick, single-pring belt is $98 CAD fitnessdepot.ca/J11QMO30971139/nl-powerlift-belt-deluxe-oil-2tone-medium.html

Since it's my first one, I'm not 100% sure I want to spend near $100 on it, but I'll see how they look and feel when I go try them on. Buy once, cry once I guess...

[sera310]

Not sure the belt will help all that much with your back issue....

[xdoomhammerx]

Not sure the belt will help all that much with your back issue....

My back is almost totally recovered. I just want an extra insurance to not get hurt again while doing heavy deadlifts. (strongly recommended by my physiotherapist)

[radrd]

My back is almost totally recovered. I just want an extra insurance to not get hurt again while doing heavy deadlifts. (strongly recommended by my physiotherapist)

It's worth noting that some people aren't able to comfortably get into position and deadlift with a 4" belt. It's entirely dependent on the person - for example, longer torso is more likely to find 4" comfortable. It may work great for you, but something to be aware of, especially with your back injury history. The belt could do more harm than good if your form suffers. In that case a 2" or 3" belt might work better, but will also be less supportive.

[xdoomhammerx]

Hi guys, I ended up buying the lever-lock suede belt. However when trying it out and comparing to the other two belts, I realized that the description was wrong. It was not 3.75 inches but 4 inches wide. it was the one that fitted the best and the lever-lock will be easier to tighten/release between sets. Now I need to try it out at my next squat day (still not cleared for deadlifts yet).

Thanks again for sharing the knowledge. It was really helpfull.

[KoolDJVader]

Oh no, I bought another Pioneer belt!

This was actually out of necessity though. I've been losing weight lately and although a medium use to be a perfect fit (middle holes), I've now approached the narrow end of the holes. For a prong belt I don't care if I am at the last hole since the overlap is outside but for a lever belt, I don't like too much of the double thick overlap area. Thus I ordered a small 13mm untreated lever belt. I still like the feel of prong belts better but just been liking the ease of the lever the last few months.

A much cheaper option would have been to send my current belt back and have them cut the end of the belt and add holes. But that would require me to pack it up and send it back. Im much too lazy for that. Plus what if I gained my weight again (although since I never got past the middle holes probably no issue and actually would give me a more custom fitting belt for my waist size).

Anyway, quick service as always from Pioneer. I need to go back and see exactly when I ordered it but I actually sort of put it out of my mind that I ordered it and next thing I know, I got an notification my belt has shipped. (Okay just checked....I ordered it the evening of Feb 20 so in effect Feb 21 and they shipped it Feb 25!)

So a pic.....Pioneer sells stock belts so I could have probably gotten my belt even quicker had I gone that route (now that I checked when I ordered, maybe not). But I think Matt wrote on IG that the leather used for the stock is a bit more pliable and I want my belt as stiff as possible. Plus while I think the black leather looks cool AF, I've really grown fond of the undyed natural brown leather look. I splurged a bit with this order....black stitching (double around the edges as usual for me) and black lever. Looks cool but the black lever was more slippery than the silver lever and kept slipping out of my hand screwing it on until I put on rubber gloves

https://imgur.com/a/SobVIpB

[NavyRoll]

Oh no, I bought another Pioneer belt!

https://imgur.com/a/SobVIpB

My god man. How many Pioneer belts do you own right now lol. I was kind of thinking about getting a 10mm treated lever belt for a while but I decided not to.

I'm still waiting for the day when Matt makes a stainless steel lever buckle with a GLC logo engraving. I know the Iron Tanks have their own but it's too damn expensive for me to justify the purchase.

[KoolDJVader]

My god man. How many Pioneer belts do you own right now lol. I was kind of thinking about getting a 10mm treated lever belt for a while but I decided not to.

I'm still waiting for the day when Matt makes a stainless steel lever buckle with a GLC logo engraving. I know the Iron Tanks have their own but it's too damn expensive for me to justify the purchase.

LOL, yeah let's make a list in order and what I liked and disliked about it.

1) 13mm single prong double suede belt with embroidery. I bought this in early 2016 because my 10mm single prong Inzer (which I loved) was getting a bit small. I was actually a bit disappointed at the construction of it as the suede was already peeled off and the black edging was also missing in spots. Also the rivets seemed to be getting embedded into the suede or leather. But the belt felt great right off the bat with no break in.

2) 13mm treated single prong. Bought this in early 2017 due to extreme curiousity. Initially loved it but as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the layers started sliding apart and bits of glues were shedding from between the holes

3) 10mm untreated single prong. Bought this in late 2017, partly because my treated belt started to have those issue and partly because I wanted a stiff 10mm belt again. No complaints whatsoever

4) 13mm untreated lever belt. I first got one in late 2018 because I wanted to try a lever again (used to use an Inzer lever). I didn't like lever belts for the longest time because of the overlap. But I missed the convenience of the lever because sometimes I don't have a power rack so no uprights to help get the belt on and off. Never had an issue with needing a Pioneer belt breaking in until this hoss of a belt. Just recently got same belt in smaller size.

[NavyRoll]

10mm untreated sounds pretty awesome actually. It seems like that would be a good option for a lever belt. How does that compare to your 13mm treated?

[KoolDJVader]

10mm untreated sounds pretty awesome actually. It seems like that would be a good option for a lever belt. How does that compare to your 13mm treated?

The treated 13mm was stiff AF when I first got it but became super pliable in almost no time. Actually became a bit too pliable for my taste. The untreated 10mm was also stiff AF but since it was thinner, easier to put on when I first used it. And its still stiff AF which is why I like it. If you like the stiffness of an Inzer, I think the untreated belts are the way to go but without the robus leather of Inzer. As fsr as support, I don't think there's much difference. Another reason why I bought a 10mm belt was that I was struggling with squat depth and I thought a thinner belt would help with mobility. Kind of a give and take because I like the feel of a thicker belt around my waist

[NavyRoll]

I do like my belt to be very stiff and tight for all lifts but my previous 10mm and 13mm Inzer lever belts had a tendency to slide upwards whenever I squatted or deadlifted, so they never felt very supportive. My first ever belt was a 10mm Inzer single prong and it never had that problem but I just couldn't go back to it after getting used to the lever belts.

I'd definitely love to try both untreated and treated 10mm. I kind of have a feeling the 10mm treated might do a better job than my current 13mm treated at really cinching the waist tight. I've grown quite attached to it over the years though. It's starting to look beat up and have some water stains here and there but it's aging beautifully, I just don't see myself using another belt ever.

[KoolDJVader]

I do like my belt to be very stiff and tight for all lifts but my previous 10mm and 13mm Inzer lever belts had a tendency to slide upwards whenever I squatted or deadlifted, so they never felt very supportive. My first ever belt was a 10mm Inzer single prong and it never had that problem but I just couldn't go back to it after getting used to the lever belts.

I'd definitely love to try both untreated and treated 10mm. I kind of have a feeling the 10mm treated might do a better job than my current 13mm treated at really cinching the waist tight. I've grown quite attached to it over the years though. It's starting to look beat up and have some water stains here and there but it's aging beautifully, I just don't see myself using another belt ever.

The 13mm untreated lever initially slid a bit because it was so stiff. Now that its broken in, fits like glove. Probably need to go through it again with the new belt

I can see a 10mm cinching better to your waist. I think another reason why the 13mm slid down a bit is that the overlap is thick and maybe a little more space at the inner edge. Will be significantly less with 10mm thus may cinch the waist better. Not sure if that was clear

[NavyRoll]

The 13mm untreated lever initially slid a bit because it was so stiff. Now that its broken in, fits like glove. Probably need to go through it again with the new belt

I can see a 10mm cinching better to your waist. I think another reason why the 13mm slid down a bit is that the overlap is thick and maybe a little more space at the inner edge. Will be significantly less with 10mm thus may cinch the waist better. Not sure if that was clear

Yeah, that makes sense. I also think the stiffer the belt is, it is likely to have a gap between the back of the belt and your lower back. I believe that was the major selling point for the Strong Belt (lol), that it's very broken in and hugs the waist a lot better compared to a lot of the stiff powerlifting belts out there.

I forgot to mention, I've been wearing my belt under the t-shirt ever since I got my 13mm treated lever. I first did it thinking that would quicken the break in process. I do a lot of overhead work and I find it interferes less with the movements and also the belt stays in its place better.

[JustinRobinsonn]

This thread is amazing, with lot of genuine information for Cmarti, based on the need and requirements of belt while workout and how effective is with regards to breathing. I do use belt while doing workout but will definately expolore brands suggested by team member also

[Stevolifts89]

Great thanks!

[Fitsy]

Hey guys,

I just bough General Leathercraft Pioneer belt, 13mm, no suede, treated and dyed. I've been manually breaking in the belt by folding it over itself repeatedly and at one point I noticed that two layers of the belt started sliding over each other. It seems like the glue has disintegrated and not holding the layers anymore. Stitches are obviously still there.

Please see the picture of my belt and another one where you can see how the edge of the belt is not flush due to layers being moved as I fold the belt. This is not just at the ends of the belt but along the whole belt these layers are moving over each other.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/188962...posted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/188962...posted-public/

Is this normal? Does this reduce the protection the belt provides?

Thanks!

[BiGx5MurF]

Hey guys,

I just bough General Leathercraft Pioneer belt, 13mm, no suede, treated and dyed. I've been manually breaking in the belt by folding it over itself repeatedly and at one point I noticed that two layers of the belt started sliding over each other. It seems like the glue has disintegrated and not holding the layers anymore. Stitches are obviously still there.

Please see the picture of my belt and another one where you can see how the edge of the belt is not flush due to layers being moved as I fold the belt. This is not just at the ends of the belt but along the whole belt these layers are moving over each other.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/188962...posted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/188962...posted-public/

Is this normal? Does this reduce the protection the belt provides?

Thanks!

Any updates? I just saw your posts after I just placed an order for a custom belt earlier today.

[radrd]

Any updates? I just saw your posts after I just placed an order for a custom belt earlier today.

I'm pretty sure he posted a thread as well and the advice was to stop folding the belt. As long as you don't don't do that, you should be good. My Pioneer belts felt good without break-in but I'm sure General Leathercraft has tips on how to do it properly.

[moraman]

What are the benefits of suede vs. non-suede?

[illriginalized]

I have the 13mm 4” Inzer lever belt.

However, I can’t deadlift in it, the belt rides up my back as I get into position.

The Inzer always pinches the skin between my obliques and hip bone, making it pretty painful when in the hole on a heavy set of squats.

Also what’s a great belt for bench press?

I’m thinking for bench a 3” 10mm belt but preferably lever. I don’t like prongs.

[Northernmoris]

I have the 13mm 4” Inzer lever belt.

However, I can’t deadlift in it, the belt rides up my back as I get into position.

The Inzer always pinches the skin between my obliques and hip bone, making it pretty painful when in the hole on a heavy set of squats.

Also what’s a great belt for bench press?

I’m thinking for bench a 3” 10mm belt but preferably lever. I don’t like prongs.

Check out Pioneers Custom Dyed Lever belts and design the one you want.

[illriginalized]

Check out Pioneers Custom Dyed Lever belts and design the one you want.

Ooof over $300 shipped.
I’m good.