Helpers: anyone wearing a weighlifting belt when working dogs? - Page 1

 

I saw T Floyd wear a weightlifting belt when working dogs a few years ago at seminar.  I was wondering if any other helpers else see value in it, either when working the dogs or the day after :)  I'm starting to have some lower back pain the day after club and I'm not even the primary helper, rather the understudy.  I've spoken to an MMA trainer who is training his GSD in the sport and he felt that I'd be much more advised to train my core, which would do the same thing as the belt, for free, can't be forgotten at home, etc.  Not that I disagree with him, but he was talking about 2-4 sets of 100 or maore reps  of 2 types of ab work per day (well he is a MMA trainer) and I simply don't have that kind of time with 4 dogs to attend to, a SchH dog in training, normal "life responsiblities" and a full time job.  With everything else I'm lucky to carve out time to go tracking in the AM and do OB in the evening.  I'm wondering, if I can actually squeeze a few more minutes out of my day if it wouldn't be better served doing cardio (also very useful when working dogs) or formal weight training?  I guess I’m thinking about "best bang for my buck" regarding which area of fitness to focus on and what (if any) advantages come from working dogs with a weightlifting belt on.  Also, any disadvantages?

Thanks,

-Calvin

What's an MMA trainer?

mixed martial arts.

-Calvin

I ALWAYS WEAR A WEIGHTLIFTING BELT WHEN I AM EATING IN MMA HARD BOILED EGG EATING CONTESTS. IT PROTECTS MY CORE.

The belt helps out a great deal. Started using one about 4 years ago when a police dog I was working yanked me down so hard that I felt a sharp pain on my lower back. Took three weeks for the pain to go away and since then,I've worn a weighlifters belt and I gotta tell you, it saved my back quite a number of times from similar situations. Stay safe.

it sure can't hurt to have suppport in your lower back, if you are taking a hard hit, there aren't any of us getting any younger,  a cup(protector of the goods) is also a nice piece of eqipment to have in your gear bag, next to your scratch pants.....

I'd recommend both.  A weightbelt can't hurt and it can avoid serious injury or nerve compression if you are sore the day after helping at the club.  But I would also start doing some crunches -- at least a few sets a day.  Build up to 4 sets of 50 a day and you will feel much better about all physical activity -- the core is critical.  I do not think the belt in the meanwhile will hurt your core.

When I was young and training for international sports competition (track and field) they used to scare us and tell us the Russian boys were doing 10,000 situps a day.  (This was the late 60s and early 70s.)  We did what we could but usually stopped at 2,000.  Man, I wish I could get back into that kind of shape!  To the point: all power comes from the ground, through your legs and only gets to your upper body if the core can handle the pressure.