Should I Be Using A Lifting Belt?
The first question we should look at is, can I lift for my entire life without ever using a belt? The answer is yes, of course. Belts should be seen as performance enhancers. You do not need a belt to be strong. You do not need a belt to be functional and healthy. They are strictly there to help you lift more weight than you normally would with out it, not act as an exoskeleton to prevent injury.
Humans are naturally lazy. Lazy in the sense that our bodies and our brains like to try to create shortcuts to make our lives easier. This is true when it comes to using certain muscles during lifts and even mental focus. Letting yourself fall into a groove or just “go through the motions” is potentially dangerous. Consistent use of the belt can lead to the same issues. The belt can replace conscious effort into stabilizing and bracing the trunk when over used. Especially when belts are on too tight (a topic for another day).
I generally recommend people spend as much time learning the major lifts without ever putting a belt on. Developing the ability to build tightness in a lift and maintain it is critical for consistent, effective, and safe lifting. An athlete should not have to rely on a belt to be able to create trunk stiffness. Even as a lifter progresses from beginner to intermediate and on, a belt should only be reserved for the heaviest of lifts or in certain cases high rep lifts where the back and trunk will fatigue before the legs.
As a basic rule, on days that are using more moderate to light intensities and are focused on volume are opportunities to reinforce proper bracing mechanics training without a belt. For high intensity days, where pushing your limit is wanted, having the belt to increase you performance is ideal. You should be building on an already well established foundation of back and trunk strength by adding a belt, allowing you to express your current strength maximally.
Long story short, use the belt only as needed. If you want to maximize your lifts and enhance an already strong and stable trunk, by all means. But at the end of the day, you by no means need to use a belt to be strong. All lifts can be done without them and done well.