Belt for Deadlift

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi Jordan and Austin

I checked your gym equipment article from the BM website and it says that most adult males prefers an 4 inch belt for every lift. However, I just read an article of Mark Rippetoe saying that a 2.5 or 3 inch belt is better for the deadlift than a 4 inch belt.

Which belt is better for deadlifts?

I am 181 cm tall (5.94 feet)

:smile:Extra Question: Is it optimal to use a belt for the supplemental squats and deadlift, if its not specified?

2

You are almost 6 feet tall. I am confident that you would do just fine with a 4 inch belt.

Some exceptionally short-torso’d individuals may do a bit better with a 3 inch belt, though we think this is a smaller subset of the population than is generally thought. I have never coached anyone who needed, nor recommended, a 2.5" belt.