Weightlifting Deadlift Grip

Among young women with resistance training experience, there was no significant difference in average or peak speed when performing deadlifts at 80% of their 1RM without a lifting belt versus with a lifting belt; in contrast, another study found that young men with resistance training experience achieved higher lifting speeds during deadlifts when using a lifting belt under the same load conditions, demonstrating a moderate effect size. Other studies have shown that when performing multiple sets of deadlifts at 80% of 1RM without a lifting belt, the use of a lifting belt allows for better maintenance of lifting speed, demonstrating a small effect size. Therefore, when using the same absolute load in deadlift training, the use of a lifting belt not only increases the lifting speed for a single repetition but also improves the ability to maintain speed during multiple consecutive repetitions. However, further research is needed, particularly regarding female athletes and different load conditions.

Regarding pulling exercises, male athletes with resistance training experience showed no significant difference in average or peak speed when performing bench presses at 60%, 70%, and 80% of 1RM with or without a lifting belt; another study also indicated that the lifting belt had no significant effect on any load-velocity relationship metrics in the bench press. Therefore, assist belts are not effective at enhancing fast-twitch contractile capacity during the prone pull-up, and further research is needed to investigate their effects in other pulling exercises.

Regarding weightlifting movements, when weightlifters with resistance training experience performed a one-rep maximum test for the power grip, there were no significant differences in average speed across the three conditions: using an assist belt, a conventional narrow grip, and a hook grip; however, when five professional male rugby players performed a 140 kg bell flip using assist belts, their peak velocity, peak power, and peak force all increased significantly, exhibiting large effect sizes of 1.22, 1.31, and 1.52, respectively. Therefore, a lifting belt may have a positive effect on the mechanical performance of weightlifting movements at submaximal loads, but further research is needed to investigate its effects on other weightlifting movements.