Any thoughts on benefits of belt squats here, or apart from injury is it deemed unnecessary? How does it compare to leg press if one is injured and can’t do barbells, or as an accessory?
There are straight up down belt squats like Titan and those with a curvature angle
I like belt squats as a squat-type movement for many applications, such as maximal strength, hypertrophy-focused, and injury rehab.
As with nearly all exercises, I don’t think they’re “necessary” insofar as people must do them. I also don’t think people must do barbell squats, however I do think people should do some sort of squat-based movement pattern in their training.
As far as comparing them to leg press, the belt squat is more similar to a regular squat and requires a bit more coordination. I don’t think one is necessarily more appropriate than the other in all injury settings, as the individual’s symptoms will determine what sort of exercise(s) should be ussed.