Beginner template and belts.

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi again. Just finishing up week 2 of the template and loving it! Enjoying the variety of rep schemes and actually having the energy to add some cardio in post weights.Really excited for what phase 2 and 3 offers as well. The spreadsheet is awesome!

Now my question regarding using a belt is pretty simple. In the ebook you mention belts can be used for all competition lifts and variations should be beltless. While I know which variations in the later phases I would prefer beltless others have me confused. Namely as watching alot of Jordans Instagram videos. I notice he uses a belt for tempo squats pause squats and deficit deads etc.

Do you also recommend the belt for high rep stuff like the x8 @8 deadlifts on Monday ands Fridays 10 @ 8 squats. In phase 1? ATM I’m only using a belt for my fridays deadlifts 4 @8 and this makes what I should be lifting for deads on the high rep stuff a little lower then the er1m predicted on the graph (in comparison to Fridays weights). Hope that makes sense.

Thanks again.

2

I don’t think this is worth worrying too much about at this stage in the game. If you want to wear your belt for everything in the first phase of the program, that’s fine. If you want to only use it on the “competition” lifts (though you can’t be a competitor as a beginner, by definition), that’s fine too.

I just don’t think it makes a ton of difference at this stage in the game. For later stages it can be useful to manage total load (or to increase competition specificity in certain training phases, like you noticed with Jordan when he’s training for a meet).

3

I thought I might get an answer like this haha! I suppose I need to just stop overthinking my training. By competition lifts I just meant the standard squat bench and deadlift. A long way off of any respectable lifts.

I think I will carry on as is then. Especially as I increase to the new rep schemes and increased volume over what I was doing previously. Thanks!