In fact, back pain after weightlifting is so common that there’s a name for it, WEIGHTLIFTER'S BACK. If your back pain seems isolated to the muscles in your lower back, you may have strained your muscles or ligaments.
Back injuries are a major problem in sports and sports medicine around the world. Back pain can make bending over, getting out of bed, and even breathing seem UNBEARABLE. Many weightlifters experience crippling back pain. In their later years, bodybuilders often WINCE like their spine is lined with metal spikes when they LEAN over just to tie their shoelaces!
Did you know?
Mr. T made a weight belt part of his street wardrobe. (He ain't no fool!)
The discomfort can range from mild, occasional twinges to chronic, long lasting, persistently intense pain. A pulled muscle, a damaged disk, a degenerative disorder, or the wear and tear imposed by lifting heavy weights can be to blame through POOR POSTURE and INCORRECT LIFTING TECHNIQUE.
Your back is a complex structure of bone and muscle, supported by cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, and fed by a network of blood vessels and nerves. For weight lifters, BACK INJURIES tend to occur in the LOWER SPINE, which bears much of our body’s weight during walking, running, lifting, and other activities. It makes sense then, that lower back injuries are common and why you MUST SUPPORT and STABILIZE your BACK.
3 Key Reasons To Belt Up...
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Belts stabilize and reduce stress on your spine
Wearing a weightlifting belt increases your intra-abdominal pressure. This acts as a brace to stabilize and STRENGTHEN your SPINE during heavy lifts. A lifting belt creates a wall for your abs to push against, so with the abundance of pressure and very limited space, it will result in an increased amount of anterior pressure on your spine, which will HELP to STABILIZE it.
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Belts increase your performance so you can reach your goals faster
Belting up helps increase MUSCLE POWER and maintain that power throughout a set. Belt users can generally move 5-15% more weight for the same sets and reps, be able to squeeze in an EXTRA couple REPS at the same weight, or lift the same weight for the same number of reps with less effort. By lifting more weight and banging out more reps, you can continuously push your body to IMPROVE through progressive overload by gaining more muscle, size and STRENGTH.
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Belts help you maintain good posture and improve weight distribution
In the gym, back pain is most often caused by poor posture or TECHNIQUE. When you flex your back muscles against resistance while weightlifting, you’re putting your back in a compromised position. If your back is rounded during the exercise, it puts your hips at a higher angle, stressing your ligaments. Then when you add weight, you’ve created the perfect recipe for MUSCLE STRAIN or worse. The right weight lifting belt helps you brace your core and REDISTRIBUTE your WEIGHT during heavy lifts, so you’re not falling victim to bad habits that can often lead to long-term pain or injury.
While a pulled back muscle or strain may seem like a minor injury, the resulting PAIN and muscle spasms can be surprisingly SEVERE. Lower back pain from lifting weights will usually go away if you take the time to rest and refrain from training or doing any activities that stress your back, this is often just a short term fix (...a band-aid if you will) that not only can SET your GAINS BACK days, weeks or even months!
Did you know?
You can reduce your chances of spinal stress and inter-vertebral disc injury by to 50% with the right support.
As the wise say, the best cure is PREVENTION. If you’re serious about your body and your goals, then you owe it to yourself to PROTECT your SPINE. Don’t be spineless, invest in your back, you only have one spine! (...Pun intended!! )
Good Technique + Right Equipment + Consistency
= Improved Strength & Performance
= Improved Strength & Performance
Simply put...
A Healthy Back = A Happy Life
P.S. Value your spine? Keep a look out for our new nylon weight lifting belt to be released later this month for men and women.