IFBB Pro Athlete Talks About Training Belts

Hello everyone my name is Magnus Villafuerte, IFBB Elite Pro athlete, lifetime natural bodybuilder & aspiring powerlifter. Today I’m going to write about lifting belts, my experience with them and which ones I like and use the most.

I’ve been using lifting belts for a good 8 years now and I went through more than a dozen of them. I started with a hand-me-down entry-level Nike Nylon Training Belt from a friend and made my way to the most sought-after SBD 13mm Lever Belt which most powerlifters today consider as the holy grail of lifting belts. I believe that lifting belts has helped me a lot in my training and it is one of the most important gym gear I recommend everyone to try.

Photo: Nike Nylon Training Belt

Lifting belts are helpful in training because it increases intra-abdominal pressure. Increase in intra-abdominal pressure aids in spine and core stability. In the process, this makes you more capable of handling heavier weights. Having said this, it is important to still be mindful to keep your core engaged and tightened even while wearing one.

Photo: Ensayo Leather Prong Belt

My journey in utilizing a lifting belt in training started when my coach told me to use his Ensayo single prong leather belt while I attempted for the 1st time to squat a weight heavier than my body weight which back then was around 200 pounds. Prior to that, I just wore a Nike Nylon belt for the hell of it and it didn’t really do much so I never realized how belts can aid in training. I noticed the support the Ensayo leather belt gave me and realized that I needed to buy my own. I went online right away and found a Harbinger 4-inch padded dual-prong belt at around P1500.

Photo: Harbinger Leather Belt

At first, I was happy with it because it was a far cry compared to my futile Nike Nylon velcro belt. I didn’t bother to check what my other options were until I squatted heavier and heavier and my Harbinger belt started to get soft and flimsy. It got to the point that I didn’t feel it’s assistance anymore in keeping my core stable so I asked some friends what was good.

Photo: Schiek L6010 9MM Double Prong Power belt

My friends who did bodybuilding recommended me to get a Schiek L6010 9MM Double Prong Power Belt & my friends in powerlifting recommended that I get an Inzer 10mm Forever Lever Belt. I noticed the difference in durability right away and realized that not all belts are created equally. The lever belt design of Inzer was a game-changer back then because it made taking off the belt after every set fast & easy.

Photo: Inzer 10mm Forever Lever Belt

At first, I was happy with my Inzer belt for a year until a friend of mine told me about his new Titan Toro Suede 10MM Belt which a lot of people in the powerlifting community used back then. I tried it for a few sets and bought one right after. I switched to it because the suede finish was softer and a lot more comfortable compared to Inzer’s finish. I eventually used that for a long time.

Photo: Titan Toro Suede 10MM Belt

As my training got more intense and the weight I was squatting started reaching double my bodyweight, I noticed that the 10mm thickness of my Inzer belt didn’t support well so I researched online and it led me to want to take it up a notch with a 13mm belt. At that time, someone I knew was selling his Pioneer cut 3 inch 13mm prong belt so I bought it.

Photo: Pioneer Cut 13MM Prong Belt

I liked it a lot instantly because I felt more stable with the 13mm thickness and it was more comfortable to wear especially for deadlifting since it was only 3 inches in height compared to the usual 4 inches so it fitted tightly without hitting my ribs. Moreover I liked that I could do micro-adjustments with the Pioneer cut design. This helps me a lot since my waistline changes constantly when I’m cutting weight & prepping to join a bodybuilding contest. Most lever belts need a screwdriver in order for me to adjust it so the Pioneer cut became my go-to belt during cutting season until I discovered the SBD 13mm lever belt.

Photo: SBD 13MM Lever Belt

I thought I was already happy and content with the lifting belts that I owned that time until I went to go watch World’s Strongest Man in 2018 which took place in Manila for the 1st time. I was carefully observing the gear these competitors were using and I saw that most of them were using an SBD lever belt. I thought to myself that if these people were the strongest people in the planet and they chose to use this belt to set world records then there must be something special about it. I remember seeing my idol Game of Thrones star Hafþór Björnsson using this SBD belt during his Squat Lifts and Circle of Strength and he eventually won World’s Strongest Man for the 1st time that year.

Apart from the Strongmen competitors, SBD is also most powerlifter’s favorite heavy-duty belt of choice for competition and powerlifting meets. I wanted to buy 1 right away but it was no where to be found except in North America. Furthermore, it also came at a steep price tag of $300. I took my time researching it while saving up. After a year and a half of waiting, I finally got mine. At 1st sight, it was clearly very aesthetically pleasant compared to all my other belts. Moreover it features a patented gliding lever design providing the adjustability of a prong belt with the ease and tightness of a lever belt. I tried using it and finally understood why it was considered the holy grail of lifting belts.

Today I only use my SBD 13mm belt during my personal record attempts because I feel safest with it during my heaviest lifts. For my daily training, I opted for a 13mm Oni quick release suede belt which I just accidentally stumbled upon during a trip to Japan. It was very easy to put on, take off and adjust. Moreover the suede leather they used is a lot more comfortable despite being 13mm in thickness. It is also I.P.F. approved so I could use it someday when I join a powerlifting meet.