I have been weight lifting properly now for about 7 months (I started in July 2020). Now when I say weight lifting I mean lifting big weights (big for me anyway!) using a barbell, performing exercises like squats and deadlifts. I’d been playing around with dumbbells for a few months before that and I’ve previously used free weights and weight machines at various gyms I’ve been a member of. But prior to July 2020 I’d never used a barbell so never had the need for women’s weight lifting belts.
Why weight lifting?
The reason I started lifting weights in the first place was because the cardio I was doing wasn’t giving me the results I wanted. I was running and doing hiit sessions but my body wasn’t really getting as toned as I wanted it. After lots of research I found it was weight lifting that was recommended to really change my body shape. So I started weight lifting and have been doing it ever since, increasing the weight as I go. Now I’ve started to see some differences in my body shape, my legs, arms, back and stomach all have more definition. Being vegan has helped as well as I’m fueling my body with the right foods. If you’re thinking of going vegan (and lifting weights) but don’t know where to start you might find some of my other articles useful:
Loosing belly fat with weights
Weight lifting equipment
As well as the obvious equipment like the barbell and weight plates I also wanted to buy gloves and a weight lifting belt to protect my back, particularly because I’ve suffered with lower back pain in the past. But where to start with finding one, especially one designed for women? Well women’s weight lifting belts is what I’ll be covering in today’s article, including the one I use and why, and also the benefits of wearing a weight lifting belt and the risks if you don’t. If you want to skip straight to my recommendations go to the bottom of the article.
What are weight lifting belts?
Weight lifting belts are belts that you wear whilst you do exercises like squats, deadlifts and bent over rows and things like CrossFit. The belt protects your back whilst you’re performing these exercises and lifting heavy weights. They’re much wider than a belt you would wear with a pair of jeans, about 2-3 times wider. You don’t need to wear a weight lifting belt if you’re not lifting heavy or you’re doing exercises like bicep curls or tricep dips as these don’t require much spinal support from your abdominals. Belts come in a range of different styles and materials including:
- Leather
- Nylon
- Buckle up
- Velcro up
- Same size all the way around
- Larger at the back of belt
For me personally leather was out straight away because I’m vegan, so I started looking at nylon women’s weight lifting belts.
Buckle up weight lifting belts are more secure and less likely so come undone mid way through your squat, however some belts come with a nice big piece of Velcro for doing them up and the bigger the Velcro the less likely it is to come undone. The one I have is a Velcro do up and it’s never come undone whilst I’ve been exercising. Sometimes I can’t get the damm thing undone when I want to it’s that secure!! In the next section let’s look at the benefits of wearing a weight lifting belt.
Why do I need a women’s weight lifting belt?
I talked a little earlier about needing a weight lifting belt for certain exercises and lifts that you do, the two main ones being the barbell squat and deadlift. If you’re doing these and lifting heavy you probably need a belt, if you’re not you don’t need one. But what actually does a weight lifting belt do?
The main purpose of a weight lifting belt is to protect your lower back whilst you’re performing exercises like squats and deadlifts. It does this by:
- Creating less stress on the spine because it’s being stabilised from the inside (from the abdominal) and the outside (from the lower back)
- Increasing abdominal pressure giving you a solid core, which is needed for heavy lifts
- This increased abdominal pressure supports your spine whilst you weight lift
- Forcing your back to stay straight so you don’t hyper extend it (go too much the other way)
- Prevents you from bending your spine when you squat and deadlift by forcing you to lift with your legs
So, what could happen if you should be wearing a women’s weight lifting belt but you’re not? Let’s find out.
Risks of not wearing a belt?
- Damage to your back
- Damage to your spine
- Not able to lift as heavy weights so fewer calories burned and more importantly less muscle gained
- Easy to lift with bad form
When using a belt for squats and deadlifts the correct breathing is essential. Read more about the valsalva manoeuvre here.
Just so you know the rest of this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure here.You will not pay more for any items purchased using these links (it just helps me to continue writing great content).
Recommended women’s weight lifting belts
The women’s weight lifting belt below is the one I use. I’ve also included some others which would do a great job as well.
My number 1 recommendation
Element 26 Self-Locking weight lifting belt
The Element 26 belt is the same width all the way around (4 inches) which has been proven to be the most effective design for performing exercises like squats and deadlifts. It comes in a range of sizes from extra small to extra large so will fit most sizes. It’s not the cheapest one out there but for the price you pay it’s great quality and it’s cheaper than a leather one. It’s not specifically designed for women but it doesn’t need to be and I actually liked that about it. Women can do the same lifts and weight training as men so why shouldn’t we wear the same belts? I also liked that there’s no sign of any pink on their belts, just because we’re girls doesn’t mean we want our equipment pink! OK rant over.
The best thing about the Element 26 belts is that they have a self-locking buckle meaning as soon as you do it up it locks into place, so you don’t really need to use the Velcro to keep it in place at all. It’s there as an added security though and I always use the Velcro on mine as it makes me feel safer. Mine has never come undone though and it’s actually quite a job to get it off so maybe I’ll start not velcroing it up!
Pro’s
- Good range of sizes
- Same size (4″) all the way around
- Good for squats and deadlifts
- Self locking buckle
- No pink!
Con’s
- More expensive than others
Good value belt
Extreme Fitness women’s weightlifting belt – UK only
Sparkle alert!! I’m ignoring the fact that the Extreme Fitness belts have not one but two different shades of pink available (pink and rose gold) and their belts have sequins! If you can get past the pink and the sequins these belts are really good. They’re cheaper than the Element 26 belts above and they still have the self-locking buckle. They’re also available in other colours including blue, silver and red. Thank god! It is only available in the UK, if you’re in the US I highly recommend the Element 26 belt mentioned above.
Pro’s
- Good price
- Self locking buckle
Con’s
- Sequins and pink
- Not available in the US
Tapered belt – Great for CrossFit
Iron Bull Strength women’s weight lifting belt – Buy in the US
Buy in the UK
This belt is great for if you do want it tapered as it’s larger at the back than the front. This is good if you do CrossFit. The back of the belt is 5″ compared to the two belts above which are 4″ all the way around. No sequins on this one and it’s available in a good range of sizes and colours. It’s also a weight lifting belt specifically designed for women. It doesn’t have a self-locking buckle but that does mean it will be quicker to put on and take off.
Pro’s
- Tapered
- Good range of sizes and colours
- Perfect for CrossFit
- Good value
Con’s
- No self-locking buckle
Which women’s weight lifting belt is for you?
Whichever belt you go with it will certainly help you to reach your goals, whether it’s lifting more weight or becoming a CrossFit pro. It’s certainly helped me to lift safely and heavy, I wouldn’t ever do a squat or deadlift now without wearing a belt.
Which one did you go for and what do you think of it? Let me know by commenting below.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article and it’s given you some help with finding a women’s weight lifting belt. As always I’d love to know what you think, let me know below.
Happy lifting
Katie
