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Bodyweight exercises are very effective and performing them will help you build a base of muscle mass and strength. However, at some point, these exercises can get too easy, so the additional weight will be needed to make them harder. This is the time when accessories as dip belt are really useful because you can easily add additional weight for exercises as dips or pull-ups.
- Best under $50 - Steel Sweat 10mm Powerlifting Belt
- Best under $100 - Inzer Forever Belt
Set up
It’s really easy to equip the dip belt for your exercises. To do that, you have to un-clip the chain (or the strap), wrap the belt around your waist, then take the chain and drop it through the loop, then simply wrap the chain around the weight and re-clip it to the belt. You can use plates, dumbbells, or kettlebells. If you are using a dumbbell, wrap the chain around it several times to make sure it doesn’t fall.
Benefits
- Chest, triceps, and shoulders development – Including dips in your training routine is really important for your chest development. The triceps and front shoulders are also targeted, therefore the dips have an impact on those muscles as well. This is a bodyweight exercise, therefore it can get fairly easy in time and you will need to add some weight.
- Back and biceps development – Pull-ups and chin-up are a great way to develop your back and biceps. These are bodyweight exercises as well, therefore additional weight will be required for progress.
- Strength gains – The dip belt is a great tool to build strength due to the extra pressure that your body has to adapt to every time you add more weight.
If you don’t know what exercises you can do using a dip belt, this article may give you some ideas.
Who can benefit from buying a dip belt?
If you are a beginner and you perform bodyweight exercises, you don’t need a dip belt until you hit a 12-15 rep range. At this point, you can take into consideration to buy one, so you can keep progress.
Intermediate and advanced lifters often hit plateaus, so a dip belt can be an effective tool for progressive overload.
As a calisthenics athlete, due to the fact that most of the exercises are based on body weight, a dip belt is almost crucial. There are other ways to add extra weight, like a weighted vest, but it depends on personal preferences.
The main reason why you need a tool to add weight if you do calisthenics is that your body will adapt to lifting your body weight and in order to progress you need to increase the intensity of your workouts.
If you are interested in lifting belts as well, you can check our product reviews.
How to choose a good dip belt
The main aspect that you should take into consideration is what materials are used. Dip belts are made of various materials, like nylon, neoprene, or leather. The best option here is probably a leather belt because it will last longer. It has either a chain or a strap. Both options are good as long as the belt is high-quality.
A solid option is the Dark Iron Fitness Leather Dip Belt, which has all the qualities required to be considered a top-level product. It’s made of genuine leather and it has a 40-inches long strap that can hold up to 270 lbs. The belt has padding, therefore is comfortable to use and doesn’t dig into your hips. At $35 on Amazon, the belt is well-priced considering the good-quality materials used. It comes in a red and black combination which looks pretty good.
