David Laid is a well-known fitness influencer who performs impressive feats of strength while maintaining an enviably lean physique. If you have dreams of deadlifting like David, you probably want to know what type of belt he wears.
The lifting belt that David Laid wears is a classic Inzer Forever Single-Prong Belt, in either the 10mm or 13mm thickness. This belt is a fairly standard leather belt that is designed to help athletes brace more effectively under heavy loads and reduce the risk of injury.
The question now becomes, should you get the same lifting belt as David Laid? Will it help you lift and look like him?
David is a strong guy with an amazing physique, but there are some drawbacks to his belt that you may want to be aware of before purchasing it.
I’ll discuss who this belt will work for, who it won’t work for, and other belts that you may want to consider instead.
Key Takeaways
David Laid’s Lifting Belt: An Overview
David Laid is an incredibly popular athlete who has built his brand on strength and aesthetics and has more than 3.2 million followers on his Instagram.
While David is now a Creative Director for Gymshark and prioritizes his physique, he used to lift some incredibly heavy weights in the big 3 (Squat, Bench, and Deadlift).
When you look back through David’s timeline, you will often see him lifting in the classic Inzer Forever Single Prong Belt.
As you can see here, this classic leather powerlifting belt is David’s favorite, and he has hit many personal records with it.
This belt is a staple in the powerlifting community. While it is unclear whether David’s belt is the 10mm or 13mm option, it remains a classic belt that has often been the gold standard on which other powerlifting belts are measured.
David has documented his lifting journey online for many years. This means that he has kept his fans in the loop while he battles with chronic back issues that have kept him from squatting and deadlifting in recent years.
However, David has been getting back into the heavy barbell compound movements and wearing a belt again and appears to have stayed loyal to the Inzer belt that he’s used throughout his lifting career.
Why Does David Laid Wear A Lifting Belt?
The primary purpose of wearing a lifting belt, particularly for the powerlifting movements that David performs, is to provide torso support by improving intra-abdominal pressure (IAP).
IAP is maximized by learning how to breathe and brace properly first and then using a belt to enhance this process.
Used correctly, research suggests that this pressure is increased by about 30-40% when performing squatting movements. Ideally, this improvement in IAP and torso stability allows the athlete to produce more force and lift more weight.
Additionally, the torso stability gained from enhanced IAP can greatly reduce an athlete’s risk of injury which is crucial for athletes with a history of back injuries like David, since the main effect of an increase in IAP means that there is much less stress (shear forces) on the spine.
Essentially, shear stress (or force), occurs when one vertebra is sliding backward or forward on the vertebrae below it.
Shear force on your spine is most prevalent when the spine is compressed by load, or when the torso/spine is bent or twisted in any way.
Shear stress is not inherently terrible. Your spine is designed to withstand it. However, the more shearing forces that you place on your vertebrae means the higher likelihood that you will have a disk herniation.
Therefore, reducing this shear stress on your spine by lifting with a belt can directly reduce your risk of injury.
These benefits are not unique to David’s belt; they are benefits that can be achieved with any leather belt that uses a prong or lever attachment, such as the Gymreapers 10MM Single Prong Belt.
Who Would Benefit From Wearing The Same Belt As David Laid?
The Inzer Prong belt that David Laid uses will work well for most powerlifters because it is made of a thick leather material that is supportive and durable; which is why it’s a common choice for strength athletes.
Specifically, these features make it a viable option for those performing heavy compound movements, such as the squat and deadlift.
This is the type of belt that will help a powerlifter perform their lifts in a safer manner, and it will help them reach their goals of lifting heavier weights and increasing their skill in the movement.
While this belt does not boast any features that are particularly flashy, it is quite reliable and provides all the benefits that one would look for in a belt for strength sports.
While this is true of any durable, rigid, leather belt on the market, it is also a nice selling point that these Inzer Prong belts are IPF approved and can be used in competition.
Related Article: What Lifting Belt Does Larry Wheel Use? (And Is It Good?)
Who Would NOT Benefit From Wearing The Same Belt As David Laid?
Although David’s belt is reliable and competition approved, there are those who will not benefit from it:
Powerlifters Looking For A Lever Belt
Typically, leather belts either come with prongs or levers to latch them.
Prong-latching belts, which David Laid uses, are very similar to a belt that you would wear to hold up your pants. They offer nice adjustability and are reliable since they have fewer mechanical pieces than the lever system.
However, lever belts have the advantage of being faster and easier to put on and remove, they provide the same level of tightness every single time you use them, and you’ll feel pretty cool with a nice belt flick at the end of a successful lift.
If you are a powerlifter who prefers a lever-latching system to a prong one, David Laid’s belt will not be the choice for you. Instead, you may want to look into a high-quality lever belt that will meet your performance and durability needs, like the Gymreapers 10mm Lever Belt.
Bodybuilders, Crossfitters, and Olympic Weightlifters
David Laid’s powerlifting belt won’t benefit any CrossFit, Weightlifting, or Strongman athletes, as well as any other athlete that may wear a belt but participates in more dynamic compound movements that require speed, agility, or flexibility.
His belt is made of rigid, stiff, and thick leather designed almost exclusively for powerlifting. Typically, athletes that compete in CrossFit, Strongman, or Olympic Weightlifting use a more flexible, nylon material.
These types of belts are thinner, allow for more mobility along with stability, are typically cheaper, and usually use a velcro latching system that is less bulky so it doesn’t get in the way of dynamic movements such as the snatch, clean & jerk, and atlas stone events.
For athletes that need a belt that won’t get in their way, the Gymreapers Quick Locking Weightlifting Belt would be a better fit. This belt offers premium back support, a wide variety of colors and patterns, prioritizes versatility and comfort, and has a lightweight design.
David Laid’s Belt VS Gymreaper’s Belt: Which Is Best?
Price and Warranty
According to the Inzer Advance Designs website, the Single-Prong Forever Buckle Belt 10MM retails for $129.95 USD.
With this price, you get a leather belt made of one solid layer of leather, a zinc-plated steel roller buckle, and a suede finish.
In contrast, Gymreaper’s 10MM Single Prong Belt is priced at a more affordable $110 USD.
For this lower price, Gymreapers offers a very similar product. Our belts are 4 inches wide, the same thickness as the Inzer belt, and utilize materials that are of excellent quality to ensure maximum durability.
Additionally, the Gymreapers belt is also IPF and USAPL-approved, which means they have withstood these organizations’ testing and you can use them in any competition that you’d like.
Finally, the Gymreapers belt also gains an advantage by offering a one-year warranty on their belts for any manufacturing defects; Inzer’s exchange warranty period only lasts two weeks.
Winner of the Price Comparison: Gymreapers
Durability
It is undisputed that Inzer belts are designed with durability in mind, hence their “Forever” name.
They are made from high-quality leather, use a well-stitched suede lining, have finished edges, and have a stainless steel prong mechanism.
However, what once may have differentiated them has become par for the course with leather powerlifting belts.
The Gymreapers belt offers the exact same features, has plenty of reviews stating that their quality is excellent, and has withstood serious testing from multiple federations.
Winner of the Durability Comparison: Tie
Customer Service and Shipping
When ordering from Inzer’s website, they state that in-stock products are shipped within 2 business days. However, they also state that shipping may take up to 8 weeks if they have to manufacture the product after the order.
On top of this, they make it known that this post-order manufacturing is often the norm, especially with their belts, and customers should expect that orders may take 10-16 weeks for shipping.
In contrast, Gymreapers offers free domestic shipping for orders over $150 and will guarantee processing and shipping 1-3 days after the order has been placed and confirmed.
We provide an incredibly helpful domestic map with estimated shipping times, and state that in our experience most orders arrive 2-6 business days after they are shipped. This, with the processing time, means you will get your Gymreapers order in under 10 business days.
Winner of Customer Service and Shipping: Gymreapers
Overall Winner: Gymreapers
Gymreapers' lower price, extended warranty, top-notch customer service, and faster shipping times give us the win over David Laid’s Inzer Belt.
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