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There's a few things that people tend to get wrong about belt squats.

1. Belt squats are NOT 1:1 replacements for back squats. Rather, the two ideally should be used in tandem with one another. Use the belt squat in order to get your back squat stronger. HOWEVER, if you physically cannot back squat then the belt squat can be a great alternative.

2. People tend to go too light on belt squats. Your legs can handle more than your lower back, so make sure you're actually pushing yourself.

3. Belt positioning matters. The best spot will generally be somewhere between your hips and JUST BELOW your lower back, not directly on it. Placing the belt too high or too low can change the movement drastically.

4. Different belt squats will have different resistance mechanics. Lever belt squats will have varying degrees of arcs (shorter levers will have pretty significant arcs). Cable belt squats will generally be a straight line of pull with little wiggle room.

5. You should buy the belt squat that matches your space. Standalone machines feel great, but will take up a lot of room. If you're tight on space, a rack mounted belt squat will almost always be your best option.

Training to failure is something that MORE people should be doing, no matter what equipment they're using. On cable machines like the Dane 2.0, you can use something called "lengthened partials" otherwise known to a lot of people as half reps.

You'll do as many reps as you can with full range of motion. Then when you can't do anymore, you'll try to perform additional reps with less range of motion. This should bring you to absolute failure.

You don't have to do this every set, but lengthened partials can be a great finisher if you're really trying to push yourself!

Believe it or not, sometimes your back squat strength isn’t being limited by your legs. Rather, it could be the rest of your posterior chain.

If you’re wanting to continue pushing legs without adding too much additional systemic fatigue, a belt squat is a fantastic way to do that.

Before going out for your 4th of July celebrations, make sure you hit a solid workout. Here’s five different complexes you can do with just a barbell and some plates 🤝

Not all belt squats are the same, but that’s not a bad thing. Lever arms and cable systems in particular just feel different from one another.

With cable belt squats, the weight is directly beneath you and runs through a system of pulleys. This usually leads to a more consistent resistance throughout each rep.

With lever arms, the resistance curve will be a bit different especially depending on the length of the arm and because the weight is usually loaded in front of you.

Neither is better than the other. It ultimately comes down to preference and accessibility!