Do I Need a Belt?

CrossFitters often have a lot of “stuff” -  wrist wraps, knee sleeves, grips, jump ropes, 6 different kinds of shoes (you know who you are), etc…

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However, when you start your CrossFit journey, you DO NOT need to immediately go out and buy all the things.  Rather, you should “earn” the things as you become more advanced.  This is especially true when it comes to getting/wearing a belt for lifting.  

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I started doing CrossFit in the very beginning of 2019.  I didn’t get a belt until 2022.  That’s three years of training and lifting consistently without one.  Now I am not saying you have to wait three years exactly before you can wear a belt, but you certainly do not need one right away.

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In fact, wearing a belt too early or often will only hinder your strength.  You see, the belt mimics what your core is already meant to do - stabilize your spine.  But if you wear it as a novice or rely on it too often, the core is never having to do any work and won’t get any stronger.  So unless you are wearing your belt all day every day,  you’re still at higher risk of injury when you go to pick up that heavy bag of dog food or move your couch across the room.

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As a beginner/intermediate athlete, you should be most concerned with perfecting your technique and building core strength/stability under load, not how much you can lift.  Athletes that are more advanced and using a lifting belt should only do so when they absolutely need to.  Personally, I try to hold off using my belt for as long as possible, only using it on my last set or two and only if I feel my posture start to decline.

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Moral of the story: 1. Earn the belt and 2. Only use it when you need to. 

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Happy lifting!

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