What's the best strategy? Is it spending hours on the treadmill? Maybe it's squats? Let's break down the basics.

What's better for weight loss: Cardio vs. weight training

Nowadays, fat loss is in nearly everybody's mind. And it seems like every day,
there is a new study that "proves" some special ingredient is the best way, to
lose fat fast [/the-best-magic-pill-when-it-comes-to-weight-loss/].

But what is actually the best strategy? Is it spending hours on the treadmill?
Or hill sprints? Maybe it's deadlifts and squats? Or should we just stop eating
altogether?

Let me break down the basics for you and show you what the best and easiest way
to lose body fat is. Here are the contestants:

 * Cardio: Basically anything with low intensity, you can do for a long period
   of time. For example running, using the elliptical, aerobics, swimming, zumba
   or dancing in general
 * HIIT: Running or biking with varying intervals of speed and intensity, such
   as sprinting for 1 minute, followed by 1 minute of moderate activity,
   repeated for 20-30 minutes
 * Weight lifting: Lifting weights and targeting certain muscle groups in a
   cyclical fashion

The truth behind weight loss
Let's get it out of the way
[/exposed-solved-biggest-lies-and-myths-about-weight-loss/]. You don't have to
do any sport to lose weight. A caloric deficit is all it takes to lose body fat.
But, it's easier when you work out, because you can eat more and you'll look
better in the end.

Everybody tries to lose weight. But, what they actually want to lose is body
fat. There's a huge difference between those two, but I'll explain that in a
separate post.

Simply reducing your weight will leave you skinny fat. However, if you reduce
your body fat percentage [/how-to-determine-your-body-fat-percentage/], while
maintaining or even gaining muscle muscle (yes, that's possible if you're new to
weight training), you're improving your body composition
[/build-muscle-mass-and-lose-body-fat/]. That's what you really want.

Many people don't realise how much muscle mass they'll lose on a crash diet or a
poorly designed diet. And how soft/skinny/sick they will look afterwards.

Cardio and weight loss


Cardio is the first thing that comes to everybody's mind, when they try to lose
weight. I see lots of people every day, spending literally hours running, biking
or climbing.

In fact, just doing cardio guarantees little to no progress, when it comes to
weight loss. Many people even end up gaining weight when they begin with cardio
[/do-fitness-tracker-work/]. Whaaaat? Yes, it's true. There are basically three
reasons for that.

 * It's too easy to eat the calories you've burned back. A handful of nuts, a
   yogurt and a banana - that's all it takes to undo the 30 minutes of vigorous
   running. Cardio just doesn't burn as much energy as we think/wish it does
 * Cardio can also lead to increased hunger, especially when done for a long
   time, which will make it even harder to stay in a caloric deficit, unless the
   diet is on point
 * Our bodies adapt to cardio [/how-much-cardio-is-healthy/]. Ever experienced a 
   weight loss plateau [/how-to-break-through-plateau/]? When you're in a
   caloric deficit, the body wants to be more efficient and adapts to exercise.
   Meaning, as time goes by, less and less energy is required to perform the
   same exercise. Hence, you're no longer burning as much as you did in the
   beginning

The adaption process happens only to a very small extend for weight lifting by
the way.

The exception: HIIT
As bad as all this sounds, there is one exception: High intensity interval
training (HIIT). Short interval sprints, followed by low intensity intervals,
burn significantly more calories than steady state. Plus, your body has a hard
time adjusting to HIIT, which means less efficiency!

HIIT is quite hard and much harder than steady state cardio. But you will be
rewarded, I promise. Here's how:

 * Increase in resting metabolic rate (you burn more after you've performed the
   exercise)
 * Higher levels of fat oxidation
 * Increased growth hormone release (induces muscle growth)
 * Post-exercise appetite suppression
 * Improved body composition
 * Takes less time (20m HIIT is better than ~60m normal cardio)

Oh and by the way: since HIIT is a lot more intense, you should never do more
than 30 minutes. And no more than 4 times per week. In fact, if you can do it
for, say 60 minutes, you're doing it wrong. The all-out intervals have to be so
hard, that you simply can't do more than 30 minutes of it.

A good rule of thumb is: if you can still breath easily, 10-15 seconds into a
high intensity interval, you have to ramp it up!

Weight training and weight loss


Weightlifting isn't a very popular way to lose weight. However, it's a
fantastic
way to speed up fat loss and prevent muscle loss [/benefits-of-weightlifting/].

You want the type of weightlifting, that:

 * Preserves or builds muscle mass
 * Burns a lot of energy

So heavy compound weightlifting it is. By heavy, I mean really heavy. Use
weights, that are roughly 70% of your one-rep max. This will build muscle mass
and burn fat. If you're in the 4-6 rep range, you're doing fine.

What do I mean by compound exercises? Big movements like squats, military
press,
bench press and deadlift [/full-body-workout/]. You don't need scientific proof,
telling you that squatting burns significantly more calories than crunches, do
you? (they are of course :))

What's the best and why?
Definitely weightlifting [/how-weightlifting-changed-my-attitude/]! If your goal
is to get a lean physique, make sure to incorporate weight lifting into your
routine, instead of cardio. Yes even the ladies. You won't get "too muscular", 
that's a myth [/biggest-fitness-myths-debunked/]!

Weight lifting will increase your muscle mass and therefore the calories you
burn, when you're at rest. Cardio will only burn calories while you do it, plus
you'll most likely burn muscle tissue as well (cardio is catabolic).

Furthermore, a proper heavy leg workout can burn a whole lot more calories than
running on a treadmill - and on top of that, you'll also burn more calories
throughout the next 24h, even while at rest, due to an after burn effect.

Eating for weight loss
But it doesn't matter how much weight lifting or cardio you do, if your diet is
bad. So let's talk about that, shall we?

First off: calories are king. Don't get fooled by some media articles and "diet
gurus" [/exposed-and-solved-15-biggest-nutrition-myths-debunked/]. It doesn't
matter if you eat high carb [/diets-explained-part-1-high-carb-low-fat/], low
carb [/diets-explained-part-3-s-low-carb-medium-fat/], keto
[https://blog.slickcoach.com/diets-explained-part-2-low-carb-high-fat-keto/],
paleo, vegan or only Snickers. Deficit means fat loss!

Think about it this way: it doesn't matter if you get paid in Dollars, Pounds
Sterling or Euros. As long as the value is the same, you have the same amount of
money. Similar to calories. 2000 calories are 2000 calories. Doesn't matter if
they come from rice, chicken, tofu, chocolate, tomatoes or soda!

Mind you, I'm talking about the energy value here, not the nutritional value.
Tomatoes are certainly better for your health than soda!

But how many calories should you consume?

The following calculator
[/how-many-calories-do-you-really-have-to-eat-free-calculator/] uses one of the
best formulas out there, to accurately estimate the calories you need on a daily
basis. Activity levels are expressed in a way, that better suits most people's
daily lives.

Start with the estimation and then adjust your calories once a week, depending
on the progress you made during the past 7 days. Simple as that.

Questions? Let me know in the comments down below!

Cardio vs. weight training - What's better for weight loss?

Yes, "Exposed & Solved" is back with another episode. This time it's all about metabolic myths. 

Exposed & Solved: 7 metabolism myths finally busted!

Yes, "Exposed & Solved" is back with another episode. This time it's all about
metabolic myths.

Before we jump right into it, let me quickly explain what metabolism actually is
[/metabolism-explained-and-5-natural-ways-to-boost-it/], in order to give you
the full picture.

Basically, metabolism describes all the chemical processes that go on inside our
bodies to keep us alive and our organs function properly, which requires energy.
The minimum amount of energy our bodies need is called basal metabolic rate
(BMR).

People have different BMRs. Body size, age, gender and genes play a huge role in
determining your metabolic rate. Furthermore, muscle cells require more energy
to maintain than fat cells. Hence people with more muscles have a higher BMR.

Now, let's get to the myths [/biggest-fitness-myths-debunked/].

1. Eating 6 small meals throughout the day will kick start your metabolism


Bro-science alert! This one's been around for quite a long time - too long if
you ask me. Absolute nonsense! The only benefit you can get from eating many
small meal is to handle your cravings and practice portion control.

The actual idea behind this myth is that for everything we eat, we burn some of
these calories by digesting food. This is called thermic effect of food (TEF).
Hence, if you eat more often, you burn more calories because your body has to
digest more often.

The problem with this theory is, that the TEF is a certain percentage. So it
doesn't matter if you eat once or 6 times per day, 10% of your calories is 10%.

And your metabolism will not fall asleep, just because you don't eat for a few
hours. Our species would be extinct by now, if that were the case!

Weight loss is all about a caloric deficit, so don't worry if you can't manage
to eat every 3 hours.

2. As you lose weight, your metabolism increases
Utter nonsense! Smaller people typically need fewer calories to maintain their
weight, than larger people. One exception is a smaller person that has
significantly more lean muscle tissue than a bigger person.

However, the more weight you lose the more your caloric needs decrease.

3. Juice cleanses and detoxes revitalise and jump start your metabolism


Let me get this straight: Those "cleanses" and "detoxes" do nothing
[/give-up-on-fads/].

At the beginning of a cleanse you will feel energised, due to the high sugar
content of the juices. But soon you will experience a "crash", because your body
wants to save energy, since it doesn't get enough nutrients.

Being on a 500-calorie-per-day-diet forces your body to break down muscle tissue
to use it for energy, in order to function properly. Less muscle tissue means a
lower BMR.

4. Your metabolism slows down as you age
This one's partly true. A slower metabolism as we age isn't a must, though. Yes,
your metabolic rate will decrease a tiny bit due the increased muscle loss as
you grow older, but only if you become less active.

If you want to avoid that age-related drop, simply start weightlifting and stay
active. Weightlifting provides also many other benefits
[/benefits-of-weightlifting/], such as an increased bone mass and density, a
reduced resting blood pressure and reduced back pain.

5. Metabolism slows down at night


Nope, your metabolism doesn't stop working at night. If this would be the case,
you wouldn't even get out of bed in the morning.

Remember that your metabolism consists of all the chemical reactions in your
body. This includes maintaining ideal body temperature and cell repair, which
don't just switch of when your head meets the pillow.

6. You have no control over your metabolism
WRONG! Again, muscle mass and body composition have a critical impact on
determining your metabolic rate. If your body composition changes
[/build-muscle-mass-and-lose-body-fat/], so does your metabolism.

Hence, you can control your metabolic rate through resistance training to build
lean muscle mass.

7. Everything you eat late at night turns into fat


It really doesn't matter WHEN you eat, but WHAT and HOW MUCH you eat. So many
magazines preach this "Don't eat carbs after 6pm"-crap
[/healthy-habits-that-arent-healthy/]. Don't believe it!

Losing weight at a sustainable pace means being in a caloric deficit over
several weeks, which leads to a gradual release of excess stored fat. The
calories you eat are balanced against the number of calories you burn. It's that
simple.

The time of the day you consume these calories doesn't affect the long-term
process. Therefore, just not eating after 6pm does not guarantee any weight
loss.

Did I miss a myth? If so, please let me know in the comment section down below!

Exposed & Solved: 7 metabolism myths busted!

For most people "exercise more often" means strapping on a fitness tracker and spending hours walking. But do you need cardio to lose weight? 

How much cardio is actually healthy and how much is too much

"I need to exercise more often." One of the most often said words from our
clients. And yeah, that's probably true. But for most people this means 
strapping on a fitness tracker and spending hours walking, jogging, cycling
[/healthy-habits-that-arent-healthy/] and what not.

Sure, cardio has it's place in a healthy lifestyle, but it can hinder your
progress, especially when you're doing too much.

Do I need cardio to lose body fat?


Let's get it out of the way. You don't have to do any kind of exercise to lose
weight. If your goal is to reduce body fat, all that matters is a caloric
deficit through a proper diet. However, it's easier when you work out, because
you can eat more and you'll look better in the end.

In fact, many people even gain weight when they only do cardio. Why? Because
people often times overestimate the calories they burned during a session (30
minutes of vigorous exercise burns just a few hundred calories - even if the
cardio machine or your fitness tracker say otherwise!). And it's too easy to eat
the calories back - all it takes are some nuts and a little bit of fresh fruit.

However, if you love cardio and you really want to implement it into your
workout routine, don't do more than an hour or two per week. If done correctly,
it can speed up the process of losing body fat a little bit.

Your metabolism adapts to the exercise
Your body is a lot smarter than you think. The more you do a specific exercise,
the more your body adapts to it in order to increase it's efficiency.

Again, this is why most people think they burn more calories than they actually
do, which can leave you in a caloric surplus at the end of the day.

That's what I love about weightlifting [/how-weightlifting-changed-my-attitude/]
. By increasing the weight, you're able to put your body in a new situation
every time. Hence, it's a lot harder for your body to adapt to the exercise.

What's better for weight loss: cardio or weightlifting?


Definitely weightlifting! [/benefits-of-weightlifting/] If your goal is to get a
lean physique, make sure to focus on weight lifting, instead of cardio. Yes even
the ladies. You won't get "too muscular", that's a myth
[/biggest-fitness-myths-debunked/]!

Weight lifting will increase your muscle mass and therefore the calories you
burn when you're at rest [/build-muscle-mass-and-lose-body-fat/]. Cardio will
only burn calories while you do it, plus you'll most likely burn muscle tissue
as well.

Furthermore, a proper heavy leg workout can burn a whole lot more calories than
running on a treadmill - and on top of that, you'll also burn more calories
throughout the next 24h, even while at rest, due to an after burn effect.

What's up with cardio and muscle building?
"Cardio kills gains." A often used mantra in the bodybuilding industry. The
right kind of cardio (HIIT) can actually help with muscle growth. However, doing
too much cardio (especially LISS aka steady state) can indeed hinder your muscle
gaining progress.

Try to think logically here. In order to build muscle mass, you need to be in a
caloric surplus. Doing long cardio sessions several times per week will make it
much harder to stay in a caloric surplus (especially for people who already
struggle to get their calories in).

Furthermore, cardio is catabolic if you do it for too long. Meaning, you'll
literally burn muscle mass while you do it. Not what we want!

Hence, cardio definitely has the potential to prevent gains.

Basically, the less cardio you do, the easier it is to preserve muscle mass and
strength, especially in a caloric deficit.

What to do first? Cardio or weights?
Depends on your goals. If you primary goal is to increase your endurance, then
do cardio first. If your goal is to increase muscular strength and reduce body
fat, lift first and then do cardio.

What's the best type of cardio to lose fat?


Most people think that walking an hour on the treadmill burns more fat than
doing short interval sprints. This study
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20473222] proofs this myth wrong. Short
interval sprints burn significantly more body fat than steady state. Plus, your
body has a hard time adjusting to HIIT, which means less efficiency!

So, if you want to lose fat, do high intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT
involves alternating periods of all-out intervals, followed by lower intensity
intervals.

HIIT is quite hard and much harder than LISS or steady state cardio. But you
will be rewarded, I promise. Here's how:

 * Increase in resting metabolic rate (you burn more after you performed the
   exercise)
 * Higher levels of fat oxidation
 * Spikes in growth hormone (induces muscle growth)
 * Post-exercise appetite suppression
 * Improves body composition

Oh and by the way: since HIIT is a lot more intense, you should never do more
than 30m. And no more than 4 times per week. In fact, if you can do it for say
60m, you're doing it wrong. The all-out intervals have to be so hard, that you
simply can't do more than 30m of it.

Am I doing too much cardio?
Probably. I see lots of people doing 45 minutes on the Elliptical every day,
wondering why their physiques never change. It seems like cardio has overtaken
every other fitness activity.

Remember, too much of anything isn't healthy. Listen to your body, it tells you
when something is not right.

Train smart
Working out should be fun. Personally, I don't think doing one hour of cardio
per day is fun at all. Train smart and efficient to burn fat and tone your body.

What's your favourite cardio workout/machine? Let me know in the comment section
below.

Maybe you think you'll look like the The Hulk, maybe you think you wouldn't like it. Either way I'm sure you're wrong. And here's why.

7 life-changing benefits of weightlifting and how to get started

I recently wrote an article about how weightlifting changed my life
[/how-weightlifting-changed-my-attitude/] and now I want to point out why you
should start lifting weights too.

Maybe you're convinced that you shouldn't lift weights at all. Maybe you think
you'll look like the The Hulk, maybe you think you wouldn't like it. Either way
I'm sure you're wrong. And here's why.

Most people spend literally hours on treadmills desperately trying to loose
weight. Strength training not only builds muscle mass, it also prevents certain
diseases, improves your mood and body image, and helps you with your weight
loss. In fact, in the long-run you will lose more body fat
[/how-to-determine-your-body-fat-percentage/] than by spending hours on cardio
machines day in day out.

Worried about bulking up too much?


There's no need! The belief that women who lift weights will look like hulk is
completely ridiculous and pure nonsense [/biggest-fitness-myths-debunked/]!

There are only a few reasons why women build significant amounts of muscle, to
the point where they start looking manly and bulky.

 * They take steroids like testosterone to reach male-like levels, HGH or/and
   other hormones
 * They have abnormally high levels of natural testosterone (which is fairly
   rare, not healthy and something you'd be aware of) and very good genes

Any normal female will not build too much muscle mass. It's naturally
impossible! Heck, even most men in the gym look like it's their first visit.
Because you only build muscle mass if you train and eat right!

See, this means you have no excuse to not lift weights
[https://blog.slickcoach.com/how-to-bulk-and-build-muscle/].

Benefits of weightlifting
Not convinced yet? Maybe these 7 benefits convince you.

1. Reduces depression


Struggling with depression? Then the best therapy might be to pump some iron.
You read that right, weightlifting is more than just about improving your
physique.

Committing to weightlifting over time will lead to an overall elevated mood,
because it releases endorphins. Endorphins trigger positive feelings and lead to
an overall better well-being.

Furthermore, lifting heavy floods your brain with dopamine and norepinephrine,
which are neurotransmitters.

If you ask me, always consider natural remedies first, before popping a pill.

2. Fights osteoporosis
Besides muscle training, lifting will also strengthen your bones by increasing
bone density. Hence, the risk of fractures and broken bones is greatly reduced.

Plus, regular weightlifting exercises will increase the density of the spinal
bone. Meaning, your spine will get stronger and healthier.

3. Lowers risk of diabetes


For people with diabetes, exercising is non-negotiable - it's a must.

Weightlifting, when done correctly [/full-body-workout/], has been shown to
provide an effective way to control blood sugar levels
[/how-to-maintain-healthy-blood-sugar/] and has a positive impact on the life of
individuals with diabetes. As lean muscle mass increases, greater amounts of
blood glucose are cleared from the blood.

Besides that, regular resistance training will help with weight control and 
helps to remain or even improve insulin sensitivity [/definite-insulin-guide/]. 
The abdominal fat mass lost due to exercise, is the reason behind the
improvements in insulin sensitivity.

Don't think that diabetes will stop you from building muscle.
[/diabetes-and-fitness/] It won't! And it shouldn't.

4. Weightlifting will make you mentally stronger
A recent study showed [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26456233] that weight
lifting done twice a week can have a major impact on slowing down the
disintegration of white matter in the brain.

Also younger people can benefit from weightlifting. It contributes to a stronger
brain, which is less likely to experience Alzheimer's disease and other forms of
mental decline. This is due to the boost of BDNF (a protein that helps to build
new brain cells) during weightlifting sessions.

Furthermore, you might experience a better focus at work after an intense
workout session.

5. Equates to a lean body

As the lean muscle mass increases, so does the resting metabolic rate
[/metabolism-explained-and-5-natural-ways-to-boost-it/]. Meaning, you burn more
calories even when you're at rest.

A 12 week-study shows
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10204826?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum] 
how weightlifting affects the lean body mass (LBM) and the resting metabolic
rate (RMR), compared to aerobic training, on a fat loss diet.

The group which did weightlifting had no significant LBM decrease, lost more
body fat and the RMR increased by 4%. The group which did aerobic (cardio), on
the other hand, experienced a 13.4% drop in RMR and a 4kg loss of muscle mass. 
They literally burned their muscle mass instead of their fat on the cardio
machine!

This study clearly points out, that if you want to lose weight, doing
weightlifting will lead to across-the-board better results and a much better
muscle-to-fat ratio [/build-muscle-mass-and-lose-body-fat/].

6. Better posture and balance
Back issues? No problem. Weightlifting will strengthen your back (especially the
lower back), shoulders and core, which will help to prevent lower back pain.

By strengthening shoulders, core and back you will also experience an improved
posture. Hence, you can stand taller, with shoulders back and spine straight.

You'll sit and walk more upright and have less issues with sitting in a chair
for a long time (if you have to).

Aside from larger muscle groups, such as legs, pecs and hamstrings, your body
has also various smaller muscles, so called stabiliser muscles. Each time you're
working out, you're indirectly targeting those little muscles too, which will
improve your overall balance.

7. It boosts testosterone levels
This one's for you guys. There's particularly one exercise that can help you
when suffering from a too low testosterone level
[/9-natural-ways-to-boost-you-testosterone-levels/], it's the king of all
exercises: the squat.

By inducing muscle growth all over your body, it also enhances testosterone
production. High-volume resistance training with short rest periods stimulates
greater hormonal response and you will experience far better results in terms of
lean muscle mass, energy, sex drive and fat loss. But make sure to also eat
enough good fats every day!

Squat heavy at least once a week.

How to get started


Now that you're aware of the weightlifting benefits, you can get started! Here's
a simple and quick starting guide for you:

 * Don't be ashamed! Everybody who is in the gym is there to work on themselves.
   Don't think anybody will judge you. Relax and enjoy the atmosphere.
 * Warm up properly. Use lighter weight to warm up to decrease the chance of
   injuries. Don't "stretch" randomly. It just looks weird.
 * Start slowly and inform yourself about several exercises before you do them.
   Proper form is one of the most important aspects to prevent injuries! You can
   do this via Youtube or Google.
 * Don't go too heavy right away. Work your way up to heavier weights. Let your
   body adapt to the new situation. Increase the weights slowly. Follow
   progressive overload principles.
 * Dare to fail. Force yourself to train to failure with proper intensity.
 * Proper rest between sets.
 * Rest and recover well. Your body needs rest in order to grow. Rest and sleep
   is a very important part of the game. A lot doesn't always help a lot. Aim
   for lifting 2-4 times a week.
 * It doesn't have to be boring. Switch up your routine to keep your body
   guessing.
 * Don't spend your money on unnecessary gym gear [/waist-trainer/] or
   supplements!
 * Watch your diet.
   [https://blog.slickcoach.com/exposed-and-solved-15-biggest-nutrition-myths-debunked/] 
   Remember: Eat like shit, look like shit. You can't out-train a bad diet.

What did you notice that has changed since you started with weightlifting? I
would love to hear your experiences.

Have fun and train hard!

Should you use a weight lifting belt and if so, how do you properly use it, to improve performance in the gym?

Do you need a lifting belt?

Ah, supplements and workout gear. The two areas where gym rats like to spend
huge amounts of money without seeing any results.

But before I drift off and rant about testosterone booster, fat burner, BCAAs
and others, let's focus on lifting belts.

In some gyms it's almost like a fashion statement to wear a lifting belt. People
who barely squat or deadlift their own body weight wrap belts around their core.
Even for warm up sets.

And just by the way they wear the belt (or even the type of belt itself), you
can tell they don't even know what the belt is good for and how it works.

So before I go through each of these points separately, let me give you a quick
decision shortcut:

Short version
If you can answer one of the following questions with "yes", you could think
about buying/using a lifting belt:

 * do you have a back/spine/core injury?
 * do you bench press at least 1.5x your body weight?
 * do you squat at least 2x your body weight?
 * do you deadlift at least 2x your body weight?

None of the above? Then you most likely don't need a belt!

Long version


What a lifting belt is used for and how
A lifting belt can increase strength and reduce risk of injury by increasing
intraabdominal pressure. Basically, because you're able to push your abs against
the belt, you have more pressure and therefore more stability in your core
section. Which then in turn can improve performance and decrease injury risk.

And that's where most people get a belt wrong: they either use it to compensate
a bad form or don't use it correctly, because they wear it way too lightly. A
lifting belt has to sit very tightly around your midsection. If you can walk
around with it after your set, you're doing it wrong. You have to be able to
push your core against the belt. If you wear it like a fanny bag, it's useless.

But why the specific questions above? If you have an injury, a belt can be a
good idea to take load off your back, spine and core. And it can also help with
strength, if you're already very strong and you're reaching your body's limit.
In that case, you can go beyond your limit by using a belt.

If you're not even remotely close to your limit, which is the case for 99.9% of
gym rats out there, you're not doing yourself a favour. You use your core less
during workouts and therefore build less muscle mass in that area.

And guess what, the reason you have abs, is to stabilise your body, so use them
for that! They are not there, so you have a visible six pack
[/why-your-abs-arent-showing/]. That's just a side effect.

If you prematurely use a belt, you'll limit yourself in terms of muscle growth
and you'll always need a belt, even for light weights, because your core is
underdeveloped. And then I even see people doing crunches, because they want
more abdominal muscle. Just don't use a belt for squats and deadlifts, mate!

But how do you get it tight? The most common way is to pull in your stomach in a
bit and close the belt rather tightly. When you release your stomach, the belt
will fit very tight. Don't overdo it though. You still have to be able to breath
and bend enough to perform the actual exercise.

In the beginning leather belts are a little bit harder and might feel
uncomfortable. Use it for a few workouts and it will get better!

Which belt should you buy?
Alright, so now that you know if you really need one and you still think it
would be a good idea, which one should you buy?

Fairly simple actually. You want a high quality belt that is rather thick and
sturdy. The flexible ones are plain nonsense. You might as well just wrap a
piece of foil around your core and save some money.

A decent belt should be roughly 9mm thick, have a very strong buckle, around
4"/10cm wide and made out of leather.

A good starting point is any belt that looks like this:



Or if you prefer a different buckle, like this:



The weight lifting belts from RDX [http://amzn.to/2uI5T9M] bring a great value
for the price, if you want a specific recommendation.

Conclusion
Most people don't need a weight lifting belt and would be better off, and have
better results, by spending their money on good, solid food
[https://slickcoach.teachable.com/].

So unless you're in one of the aforementioned groups, don't even think about a
belt, even when you see tons of weak people in the gym running around with one.

If they'd know what they are doing, they wouldn't be as weak as they are!

Learn from the guys/gals that look like they know a thing or two AND can explain
it. If they can't explain it, run, because they most likely only look this way
because of their genetics or pure luck. Keep that in mind.

And hey, if you're not strong enough yet, but still want a belt - just get
stronger and you can legitimately use one ;)

Happy lifting!