Are back squats hurting your back? Squats are meant to be a leg exercise, so if your back is taking the hit during squats, it’s never worth it. If this is you, what’s a good alternative? The belt squat.
Louie Simmons, American powerlifter and strength coach, (also known for creating the reverse hyper) invented the belt squat machine after he injured his back while powerlifting. [1] He needed a way to continue making his squats challenging and overloading his leg muscles without putting any strain on his back. After figuring out ways to do this using various pieces of gym equipment, he finally created the belt squat machine himself as a solution to his problem.
Now, the belt squat machine is a solution for lifters everywhere who want to push it in their squats without injuring their backs.
We’re Back Muscle Solutions, Our specialty is bringing people from living in constant back pain to enjoying their lives while pain-free! How do we do it? We provide the best resources on back massage, stretching, and strengthening.
Today, we’ll focus on a back-safe squat variation: the belt squat.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Belt Squat Machine
- Belt Squat How To
- Belt Squat Muscles Worked
- Belt Squat Pro Tips
- Belt Squat Benefits
- How to Get Back to Back Squats
- Our Best Squat Resources
- Belt Squat FAQs
Let’s learn how to add back safety to your squat.
What is the Belt Squat Machine?
Not every gym has a belt squat machine, but if you’re lucky enough to have one of these bad boys at your gym, it’s absolutely worth checking out.
You can also purchase your own belt squat machine, such as the one below from Primal.
Image from: https://www.primalstrength.com/products/primal-pro-series-belt-squat-machine
Here’s what’s so great about the belt squat machine:
The belt squat machine removes any load from the lifter’s shoulders and back, which likewise removes axial loading of the spine.
What is axial loading of the spine? This just means weight pressing down on your spine. This happens when you hold a barbell across your shoulders as you squat.
Is axial loading bad? Not really. As long as you use proper form and technique, axial loading and compressive force on your spine can even help you build a stronger back. However, once we add a back injury into the mix, that’s where it could be a good idea to remove any excessive force on your spine and opt for the belt squat.
As I mentioned, it was exactly this that led Louie Simmons to create the belt squat machine. The belt squat machine is an elevated platform with a place in the middle for a pulley that connects to a weight stack.
The belt squat machine has a belt attached to it, which you can wrap around your waist, enabling you to lift the weight solely from your hips.
Belt Squat How To
Now that you know how the belt squat machine works, let’s get you familiar with how to use one.
First, a few details to consider:
- On some belt squat machines, you’ll have the choice of what size belt to use. For this, choose whatever size belt squat attachment feels right for you.
- Some belt squat machines allow you to change the placement of the handles depending on your height. Be sure to check and see if this is an option on your belt squat machine.
Once you decide on these two settings, you’re ready to begin. Here’s a belt squat how to:
1) Stand up on the belt squat platform.
2) Place the belt squat attachment (belt) around your waist.
3) Then, bend down slightly to hook the belt onto the cable on the belt squat machine.
4) Stay low for a moment while you position your feet comfortably–most people prefer shoulder-width apart.
5) Then, grip the handles as you stand up. As soon as you stand up, the safety will release on the belt squat machine.
Image form: https://www.primalstrength.com/products/primal-pro-series-belt-squat-machine
6) Now, lower into your squat as far as you can go, controlling the descent as you keep your body vertical.
Image from: https://www.primalstrength.com/products/primal-pro-series-belt-squat-machine
7) Push your feet through the floor to explosively push yourself back up.
8) Repeat for the desired amount of reps.
9) Hook the safety back in, and remove the belt.
Belt Squat Muscles Worked
The belt squat is primarily a lower body exercise. And as you can expect, this squat variation has even less upper body and core activation than other squats. That’s because, as we know, all of the axial load has been removed from the back during a belt squat.
So, what are the belt squat muscles worked?
The belt squat is primarily a quad exercise, but you can also expect to feel it in your hamstrings and your glutes.
Belt Squat: 7 Pro Tips
The belt squat machine can be a bit overwhelming to use the first time you’re trying it out. Because of this, lots of people can focus so much on the belt squat machine, that they forget the finer details about form.
I break down all the best pro tips for the belt squat here, so you can feel confident both using the machine and with your form.
Belt Squat Pro Tip #1: Foot Positioning
Foot positioning on the belt squat platform is really all about what feels best to you.
How Close to Stand to the Belt Squat Machine
Typically, I recommend placing your feet right over where the belt is attached. If you stand out too far from the belt squat machine, this won't effectively mimic the form of a regular squat.
How Far Apart Your Feet Should Be
I recommend a shoulder-width stance for the belt squat. However, it is important to note that:
A narrower stance will target your quads.
A wider stance will target your glutes and hamstrings.
Although, all 3 of these muscles will be worked during the belt squat no matter what stance you choose to take.
Feet Flat on the Floor
Whatever foot positioning you choose, it should never compromise the basic form, which involves having your feet flat on the floor. If your heels or toes rise up at any point during your belt squat, this is something to correct.
Belt Squat Pro Tip #2: Back Positioning
Avoid Arching Your Back
Some people tend to arch their back, which causes excessive lumbar extension during the belt squat. To fix this, focus on keeping a neutral spine throughout the motion of the exercise.
Avoid Rounding Your Back
On the other hand, some people try to go too low into the belt squat, which causes their butt and lower back to round under. Rounding the lower back at the bottom of the squat like this can cause lower back pain, so be sure to keep your spine neutral from top to bottom.
Belt Squat Pro Tip #3: How to Use the Handles
With no weight resting on your shoulders and ALL the weight down below, you’ll need something to stabilize your upper body. That’s what the handles of the machine are for: stabilization.
Not to help you lift.
As soon as you start using the handles as a support to lift yourself back up from that squat, this exercise becomes a wonky version of a lat pulldown, and that’s not what we’re going for.
If you’re tending to do this during your belt squat, it could be a sign that you're using too much weight.
Belt Squat Pro Tip #4: Squat Barefoot
A quick search for “belt squat” online will produce lots of videos of people performing the belt squat–as expected. What might not be expected is that most people in these videos are barefoot.
Why so?
That’s because they know that when you're barefoot during a squatting motion, it really encourages you to spread out your feet and use them as a support during the squat. When wearing shoes, your feet are just naturally restricted.
This is similar advice to what I give in our article on the single leg RDL.
Belt Squat Pro Tip #5: Drive Through the Heels
You’ll really want to drive through your heels to push up on the squat. Focus on the mind-muscle connection to your quads for optimal quad engagement. Additionally, activate your glutes on the way up.
While you want to stay explosive on the way up, always avoid locking out your knees. Instead, keep soft knees throughout the exercise.
Belt Squat Pro Tip #6: Stay Vertical
Some people tend to hinge with their belt squat form–meaning they push their butt and hips far back as if performing a deadlift.
Instead, keep your body as vertical as possible. To do this, think “butt down” instead of “back,” and focus on keeping the knees over your toes.
Belt Squat Pro Tip #7: How Low to Go
When it comes to how low to go in your belt squat, a good rule of thumb is parallel or below. Your thighs should be at least parallel with the floor at the bottom of the squat.
If you can go lower, go for it!
Belt Squat Benefits
Image from: https://www.primalstrength.com/products/primal-pro-series-belt-squat-machine
Belt Squat Benefit #1: Still Squat With a Back Injury
The belt squat is THE SQUAT for you if you’re dealing with any kind of back injury.
As I already mentioned, back squats are not inherently bad for your back. In fact, they can be a really important exercise for overall back strengthening. Unfortunately, though, if you squat with bad form, you might experience lower back pain after your squats.
Also, if you have any preexisting back pain, you might very easily experience limitations in how much weight you can place on your back.
This is exactly the situation Louie Simmons created the belt squat machine for.
With a belt squat machine, you can still lift heavy in your squats without further exacerbating a back pain issue.
Belt Squat Benefit #2: Load Up Your Legs
This goes hand in hand with what I just said, but few squats can load up your legs with minimal back load. The belt squat is ideal if you are seeking hypertrophy and to build major muscle gains in your legs.
The belt squat machine is designed not only to help you load up weight but also to assist you through the process. You can use the handles of the machine–not to lift your body– but certainly to assist as you get to the end of your reps. This will help you push to just one more rep for that major quad activation.
How to Get Back to Back Squats
At Back Muscle Solutions, we believe that lower back pain has no place at the gym.
That’s why we’re obsessed with equipping people like you to take ownership of your back pain journey. We think that ownership belongs in your hands–not in the hands of your doctor or chiropractor.
So, if you’re learning how to belt squat because of a back injury–BUT you’d like to get back to doing back squats with zero back pain, we’ve got some resources for you.
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The QL Claw
Strengthening is key, but your back pain won’t just go away with strengthening exercises. Massage is the other piece to that puzzle. And it’s the piece that everyone forgets.
Pair your leg day routine with the QL Claw to have access to an on-the-go massage device that’s serious enough to keep up with your workout routine.
This powerful massage tool targets the exact muscles that contribute to lower back pain, helping you stay limber and pain-free. Picture you on your gym’s turf, taking the time to massage those tight lower back muscles before you lift.
The QL Claw is small enough to fit in your gym bag and tough enough to provide therapeutic massage to the 5 main muscles that tend to defer pain to your lower back.
[Learn more about the QL Claw.]
Our Best Squat Resources
Squats are one of the best exercises you can perform for a strong back. Since we like to focus on ways to maintain healthy, strong backs here at Back Muscle Solutions–naturally we talk about squats a lot. Here are some of our best squat resources:
Articles
“Heel Elevated Goblet Squat: How To Get Teardrop Quads”
“Landmine Squat: Benefits, How To, and 7 Pro Tips”
“Learn About the V Squat AKA the Sumo Squat”
“Hip Flexor Exercises - The Secret To A Strong Midsection”
“Cossack Squat: How To, Pro Tips, Benefits, Muscles Worked”
Video
Belt Squat FAQs
Is the belt squat effective?
Yes, the belt squat is a very effective squat variation for people struggling with back pain.
Are belt squats for quads or glutes?
Belt squats primarily work your quads, but they’ll also target your glutes as well. You’ll feel it in your glutes when you drive back up from the bottom position.
Can a belt squat replace a leg press?
A leg press provides some extra back support, but you’ll get less core activation than a squat. This is why I recommend squats in addition to leg presses.
Why is leg press not as good as squats?
The leg press requires less core engagement than a squat because of the back support.
What to replace a belt squat with?
You can replace a belt squat with a back squat once you get your back in shape again.
[1] https://www.facebook.com/roguefitness/videos/louie-simmons-why-he-invented-the-belt-squat
[3] https://content.iospress.com/articles/isokinetics-and-exercise-science/ies570