A couple of personal lifting questions.

[Lees Dragon]

Right first off.
Yesterday while I was deadlifting, some1 in the gym came up to me with his belt and told me to put it on while deadlifting. I said I had no need for a belt, and then he starts saying how dangerous it is for my back that i'm deadlifting a big weight for my small size. He said quite a few things and started scaring me. After all, I dont wanna permanantly damage my back, do I?!

I was deadlifting 120 kgs and i'm currently 68 kgs.
Do I actually have anything to worry about what he was saying?
Does anyone here deadlift with a belt?
What would the point be?

Secondly, as I said I deadlifted 120 kgs in my last workout. I also squatted, but I squatted 105 kgs.
Is this normal that my deadlift isnt really much higher than my squat? :eh:
I thought it was the norm for the deadlift to be 1.5 times the squat.
(I feel as if I have pretty much reached my max in the deadlift. If I really, really killed myself I might manage to deadlift 130 kgs as my max.)

And thirdly, in regards to my squat.
I'm worried about my form.
Now that i'm squatting 110 my chest lowers itself the more I squat down, until when I start to puch upwards my lower back has to push up the 110 kgs to an upright position while my legs are pushing upwards.
The last two times I squatted, my lower back was exerting a lot of effort in my squats, and my lower back remained in a strained state after the workout, and through to the next day too.
Should I cut down on the weight I'm squatting?

I know that i'm not exaclty lifting very high weights, and that I am quite weak and I want to get much stronger...
But its easy to add extra weights trying to get stronger, while sacrificing safety.
I thought it was about time I actually factored in safety, becuase until now I hadnt given much thought to the weight lifted and safety.
I want to be strong, but I'm worried that I am going to start trying to take on weights that could seriously injure me, in an excuse of becoming stronger.
How can I find a way to strike a balance, keeping in mind I dont want to continue on being as weak as I am?

[anfeyd]

I was deadlifting 120 kgs and i'm currently 68 kgs.
Do I actually have anything to worry about what he was saying?
Does anyone here deadlift with a belt?
What would the point be?

The belt provides something your abdominals to push against so you can essentially keep a tighter midsection. It's not necessary, but it's not unnecessary depending on the scenario. Belts can be useful but there is a time and place and unless you have a reason to wear one at this point, i'd say you don't need one.

Secondly, as I said I deadlifted 120 kgs in my last workout. I also squatted, but I squatted 105 kgs.
Is this normal that my deadlift isnt really much higher than my squat? :eh:

Most should be able to deadlift more than they squat, it is normal.

And thirdly, in regards to my squat.
I'm worried about my form.
Now that i'm squatting 110 my chest lowers itself the more I squat down, until when I start to puch upwards my lower back has to push up the 110 kgs to an upright position while my legs are pushing upwards.
The last two times I squatted, my lower back was exerting a lot of effort in my squats, and my lower back remained in a strained state after the workout, and through to the next day too.
Should I cut down on the weight I'm squatting?

I'd need a video. Depending on your form the lower back is an intergral part in back squatting and can, in fact, make your back very strong. If you're good morning-ing the weight up this is a problem.


I want to be strong, but I'm worried that I am going to start trying to take on weights that could seriously injure me, in an excuse of becoming stronger.
How can I find a way to strike a balance, keeping in mind I dont want to continue on being as weak as I am?

You will get injuries here and there, you will ache every now and again, it just happens. If you want to become brutally strong then man up and do it.

For example, my knee has been really really bad and at this point in my life my squatting numbers just don't really take priority over my knee health. With this being said I squatted on a painful knee for about 1 year before I made this decision so it takes time and experience to really find out where your niche is and where you want to go with your training.

[let my just say that squatting hasen't been the culprit in destroying my knee (i think), but squatting aggravates it]

[Kon-El]

wa7sh mr lees. keep it up. I recently deadlifted a measly 60 k for the first time in a year and a half. Everyone has ups and downs, just stick with it and keep learning.

[k-slash]

The biggest thing I HATE is the guys who walk around gym all day with belts on, doing bicep curls and squatting less than 100kg, using a bench to sit on, not to go past 90 degrees and then telling me I should use a belt.

FUCKING ANNOYS ME.

I hate spending almost every time in the gym explaining to some stupid cunt that I don't need to use a belt, and that I'm not lifing too much etc...

anfeyd speaks the truth, belts are in no way needed.

If youa re worrying on your squat form, and you can feel its not as good as it should be, then drop the weight slightly and build your way back up again with perfect form, it will be better for you in the long run. Form comes first.

Do some research on lifting belts too and what they actually do. Then when douche bags come up and say you ahve to use a lifting belt, you can shut them up.

Yesterday Iw as deadlifting 150kg, and some guy came up and told me I needed to use a lifting belt, when my form was fine. Then he proceeded to squat 50kg with a bench to sit on.

Do your research man :smile:

[thereid]

use belt < get stronger posterior chain

[Caveman]

If your form is fine for deadlifting then no you don't need a lifting belt, just say thanks but I'm ok and carry on doing what you were doing. A lot of people are still very behind in the whole misconceptions thing.

You could just be built better for squatting than deadlifting or have strengths currently that favour squatting, I wouldn't worry about it, it'll all come together as you improve.

If your form is sketchy drop the weight and build back up as others have said, lots of people take 2 or 3 attempts going up before they can lock their form in at higher weights.

Don't worry about getting stronger faster, these things take time, otherwise there'd be shit loads of ridiculously strong people.

Then he proceeded to squat 50kg with a bench to sit on.

You mean like a box squat? As that's a pretty standard exercise really.

[anfeyd]

use belt < get stronger posterior chain

Only the belt doesn't really make you have a weak posterior chain.

[Ashtar]

This guy is an idiot. Belts DO help, and if you're totally pushing yourself then it's good to have a safety net, but you should also lift without them to learn to generate inter-abdominal tension on your own.

Still you see Juji using a belt so they are a good idea sometimes. My guess is probably more during squats than deadlifts.

[Rahf]

I use a belt on my heaviest compound lifts (except bench press).

[Kris]

Id also you use a belt if Im trying to set a new pr or maxing out a weight for several reps, but I dont have one.

[Aiden Bloodaxe]

When I tried one on it annoyed me & felt like it changed my squat mechanics slightly, but that's probably because I'm a half pint.

[Rahf]

When I tried one on it annoyed me & felt like it changed my squat mechanics slightly, but that's probably because I'm a half pint.

No, it's because you don't know how to squat with a belt.

[Aiden Bloodaxe]

The technique per se shouldn't be noticeably different, I'm certain that it's because I'm small so the belt didn't fit comfortably between my ribs & hips.

[Rahf]

A belt isn't supposed to be comfortable. The purpose of it is to provide a support that you can press your gut against and achieve maximum abdominal pressure. You use it for the set and then take it off.

If it feels outright wrong, move it around until it is in a position where you can press it out with your gut. My belt bruises both me and my training partner. I can almost guarantee that it is wider and more stiff than the one you tried.

[anfeyd]

Yes, the belt will change your lift slightly Aiden which is why you should wear it on your last warm up sets to get used to it if you plan on using it through out your work sets.

[Aiden Bloodaxe]

I don't plan on using a belt, I've just used a training partner's a couple of times to see what they're like & whether I feel they're necessary for me.

I experimented with it & it felt comfortable & supportive, but I'm pretty sure a 4 1/2 - 5inch belt is too big for a 5'4" - 5'5" person.

[Nicholai]

I'm about 5'4 and a half and a 4 inch belt works perfectly fine for me...

[Rahf]

I don't plan on using a belt, I've just used a training partner's a couple of times to see what they're like & whether I feel they're necessary for me.

I experimented with it & it felt comfortable & supportive, but I'm pretty sure a 4 1/2 - 5inch belt is too big for a 5'4" - 5'5" person.

It works fine for the powerlifters I've seen.

[Lees Dragon]

Right...
Thanks a lot for all the input everyone!!
I will keep those things you mentioned in mind.
Seriously much appreciated!! :good:

I did squats today, but it went better than the last two sessions.
The last two sessions I was actually doing good mornings just to get the bar up.
It felt totally wrong. :sad:
Today before headin to the gym I watched some Rippetoe Squat videos on youtube.
I widened up my stance a bit, and used the hip drive thing.
It worked well, I didnt do so much of any goodmornings and I got my 3X5 of 105's done efficiently. (I hope :smile:)


:good: To being MUSS!! :good: