Lessons from the Iron: The Bible “Lifting” Belt

The weight lifting belt is a common sight at gyms. And its use varies from person to person depending on their goals. Bodybuilders may use it to keep their waist tight to allow them to keep their “V” taper(bro science). Normal every day gym goers may use it to protect their back. And for those who may be attacking heavy weight—powerlifters, strong men or anyone wanting to push his mind and body to the limit—the belt is a tool to enhance their power.

No matter what your goal is when utilizing a belt, it won’t work unless you use it correctly. The goal of the belt is to increase the intra-abdominal pressure by filling the abdomen with air and pushing the abs out against the belt. This intra-abdominal pressure creates 360 degrees of stability allowing the lifter to keep the torso tight to keep the back from rounding, preventing injury, and possibly lifting heavier weight.

But, there are many ways to misuse the belt: wearing it too tight, wearing it too loose, breathing into your chest instead of your gut, or relying on it too much thus not strengthening your lower back muscles and other core muscles.

Just recently I have realized that I need to wear it a little differently for each lift. Traditionally the belt should be worn centered over the belly button. But, when it comes to the core lifts for me, squat, bench, deadlift, I have to wear it a little differently. On the squat and deadlift I need to wear the belt a little higher on my abdomen so it doesn’t pinch at the bottom and I’m able to push my abs into the belt better. On the bench I wear it lower to push against it when I’m arching.

The lifting belt is much like scripture. It is useful but only if utilized correctly. And, the correct use can vary from situation to situation. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

When teaching, refuting, correcting, and training, the one using scripture must approach the person they are trying to evangelize based on their situation. There are those who choose to use scripture by bashing people over the head with it and attempting to shame or scare them into conversion. I think this strategy may work but only for a minority of people, and probably only for those who are already far on their journey and know scripture. Jesus mainly utilizes this aggressive form of evangelization with the Pharisees, those who are in charge of leading people in their spiritual journeys. Those in a faith leadership position should know better and should lead by example with humility. St. John Chrysostom addressed this when he said, “The road to Hell is paved with the bones of priests and monks, and the skulls of bishops are the lamp posts that light the path.”

When the aggressive approach is used with most people, telling them they are sinners (which we all are), going to hell (which no one can claim to know), disgusting, pagan, etc, they are most likely going to be turned away and hard hearted to the Gospel message. There are many people who have left the Church or didn’t even give it a chance due to Christians attempting to evangelize them by attacking them with scripture.

For most of the people who need to be evangelized, scripture must first be lived as an example. “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words,” – (attributed to) St. Francis of Assisi. Most of the time, Christians are evangelizing by the way they act whether they know it or not. For the majority of people Christ came into contact with, he did not quote scripture to them, or come out guns blazing calling them a horrible sinner or that they are going to hell. No, he dined with tax collectors and prostitutes, he sits with them by a well and has a conversation with them, he calls them down from a tree and tells them he is going to stay with them. When he called the apostles he didn’t tell them to correct their life and then come follow him, no, the first thing he said was “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men,” Matthew 4:19.

People aren’t drawn to follow Christ by our knowledge of scripture or doctrine. They are drawn in through relationship. Christopher West puts it beautifully in his latest book “Fill These Hearts,” “When Christian teaching is presented without beauty, the heart is turned off and shuts down, even if what’s being presented is true. Worse still, when Christian teaching is set to an “ugly tune,” so to speak-for example, when the presentation of truth is tinged with self-righteousness, condemnation, accusation, or judgmentalism-the truth can come across as an affront to our hearts. And when this happens, our hearts revolt-with good reason: we’re made for beauty. We must have it. We yearn for it. And when the version of Christianity that is presented to us doesn’t supply what we’re looking for, we seek it elsewhere.

If we want others to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ we have to first do as Christ did and call them down from the tree and stay with them, dine with them, love them. And for us to become disciples to then go forth and make disciples we first must, “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore," John 8:11.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Here’s a very informative video from Chad Aichs, world record holder in powerlifting, on how to use the lifting belt correctly: Aich's Belt Use Tips