Compound Exercises
We have many reasons to favor compound free weight exercises over those that target individual muscles. They call for heavier weights, exert more muscles and generally trigger the body's overall muscle building response better than isolation exercises. They help stimulate the body's production of testosterone and growth hormone which support muscle growth and recovery.
Many compound exercises draw lots of attention like the shoulder press, bench press, squats, rows, deadlifts, and lunges. To take advantage of the opportunity to use heavier weights, however, there are a few multi-muscle exercises that require augmentation with a weight lifting belt. The main ones that come quickly to mind are chin-ups, pull-ups, and dips.
Bodyweight Only
These exercises form an interesting little trio of weight-bearing exercises that are typically performed with one's body weight only. Because of this apparent limitation, these wonderful exercises never seem to get they're full due. Beginners can't do too many of them because they're too hard and more advanced weightlifters don't do them because they don't offer enough resistance. Both beginning and advanced weightlifters need to be able to target sets in the range of at least 5, to at most 8 or 10 repetitions.
In well-equipped gyms, beginners can usually find pull-up/chin-up stations with platforms you can kneel on to support your weight. You can adjust a stack of weights to vary how much the machine uses to offset your bodyweight. You can add or remove weight until you can just squeeze out 8 reps with the assistance of the offsetting weight supplied by the knee platform. Often, beginners also start with cable pull-downs until their back and lat strength progresses to the point where they can do a full set of bodyweight pull-ups on their own.
Adding Extra Weight
Those who can already do 12 to 25 pull-ups or chin-ups on their own must turn to the weight lifting belt to progress further. They may also simply leave these exercises behind and use other exercises to work their backs, chest and arms with greater resistance. The weight lifting belt offers a way to keep these wonderful compound exercises alive even for the very advanced weight lifter. You can use a lifting belt to add plenty of extra weight by hanging a standard disc weight or barbell plate from the belt or you can hang a dumbbell as well. I've seen some big guys hang several plates on a dip belt to give them the resistance they're looking for.
A weight lifting belt is a strong leather belt usually held together with a metal chain. You can slip a dumbbell on the chain, or slip the chain through a metal plate which then hangs between your legs from the belt at your waist. I don't usually see anyone using the lifting belt at the gyms I go to. Have you seen some weight lifting belts hanging on a rack at the gym without knowing what they were for? As with wearing any belt, it's largely a matter of personal taste and style. Have you recently tried a lifting belt on for size... I mean weight?
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