The efficiency of weightlifting belts is definitely subject to controversies, and opinions about safety remain very divided. The main criticism against weightlifting belts is that they allow athletes to lift more than they should thus reducing the safety of the exercises. Another criticism against belts is that they back muscles responsible for body stability and the gripping muscles of the forearms don't get the same stimulation and lose during training. In some other people's opinion, weightlifting belts promote better stability and protection against various training risks. Normally, they prevent injuries to the back and the spinal cord by taking over some of the pressure.

Although amateurs imitate the trend and use belts too, they could be pretty efficient in competition. By the support provided to the back, the spine remains in a good posture and no damage occurs at the level of the soft tissues; there is however a problem. The long term and short term impact of wearing weightlifting belts is pretty serious. These equipment items can increase the intra-abdominal pressure beyond accepted levels. While the intestinal muscles are protected against injury, hypertension may appear due to belt tightness.

The weightlifting belts are available in various designs, allowing adjustments to the pressure level and the body height. The weightlifting belts designed for power lifting are more special than the rest as they have to provide a superior kind of protection. Such belts are usually made of leather with neoprene braces. The belt model should be chosen according to physiognomy criteria and training objectives. Besides leather and neoprene, weightlifting belts are also made of nylon or cotton, and may be padded or not padded. The sizes on the other hand range from XS and S to XL and XXL.

Besides safety, leather weightlifting belts do very little to improve the athletes' performance. And despite the common belief that they help one train better, studies debunk this myth. Studies conducted at the Albany Medical Center, N.Y., reported almost no difference between the group of weightlifters who wore belts and the group who didn't. Even without the much emphasized back protection provided by the belt, the back muscles have better chances of developing and increasing in strength. Even so, wearing weightlifting belts helps amateurs a lot, on the one condition that they not be worn extensively.