are weightlifting belts worth it?

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Welcome to The BarBend Newsletter! Here’s what we have in today's edition:

• The relative merits of wearing a weightlifting belt

• Understanding the differences between mobility and flexibility

• Battle rope workouts to integrate into your program now

Lifting Equipment

Buckle Up

Aside from being great to wear during a professional wrestling match so that you can whip your opponent with it, weightlifting belts are believed to serve, and overserve, many purposes to many different lifters.

What is a belt actually good for, and when should it be left in your bag? BarBend offers this codex to understanding the vital need for (and spurious use of) everyone's favorite 6-inch-wide piece of leather.

For starters, you can almost always lift more weight while wearing a belt. This is on account of the increased intra-abdominal pressure you create by flexing your core muscles against the belt. Wearing your belt too tightly or getting lazy and not bracing will lead to significantly lessened results, though. Find out if a belt is right for your life, then learn to use it in the most appropriate fashion.

A Message From Jacked Factory

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Movement

Word Jumble

Parsing words and equivocating to the nth degree may be a great joy of New York Times crossword addicts, but in the case of mobility and flexibility, attention does need to be paid to the qualifications of each.

In a nutshell, are you wasting time performing flexibility movements when you really need greater mobility? That’s what we’re here to teach in today’s featured article.

Perhaps no better description of the concept comes from yoga instructor Alexandra Sheppard: “Mobility is having strength in your flexibility.” 

Moving your body through its various end ranges of motion is an intricate process, so don't worry if the solution seems complex. Find out what you can do to help limber up and move better by examining the details of mobility and flexibility.

Cardio

Time to Do Battle

The invention and popularization of battle ropes has been a huge paradigm shift in gym culture. Instead of lame-looking machines (ellipticals, etc.) and fitness classes with an ‘80s aesthetic, people are seeing that cardio can be pretty badass.

Since your gym probably has a set of ropes tied off somewhere in it, check out this guide to building your own battle rope workout.

With this simple piece of natural hemp, you get all the joys of frying your grip, burning your shoulders up, and prying yourself off the ground after you've finished. Admit it: you've been curious about battle ropes for a while now, but you've been too embarrassed to take that first step. Start making waves with this how-to article.

A Message From Fay Nutrition

Nutrition Guidance, Covered by Insurance

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Quick Hits

🏋️ Triple This: Jesus Olivares, already the IPF record holder with a 478-kilogram squat, isn't slowing down. Smashing a 425-kilogram squat triple in training, he is on track to surpass his already impressive records in the sport.

🏃‍♂️ Go Uphill: Derrick Henry, monster NFL running back and someone who just looks like he could run over your house if he felt like it, develops his otherworldly speed during the off-season. See why his trainer pushes him hard on hill sprints, rather than flat surfaces, and how this helps both his performance and longevity.

💪 Stabilize This: Rotator cuffs are a complex and seemingly fragile link in the body's chain. Find out how coach Jordan Shallow trains this body part for stability and injury reduction.

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