At this stage in the game I'm using lifting shoes and I only use the belt for my heaviest sets. Even then, I no longer wear my belt tight but rather, use it as a proprioceptive cue to keep a neutral spine and keep my core set. I also only use knee sleeves on my heaviest set, not to help me in the lift, but to keep my knees sweaty and warm. Although I've spent about $150 dollars on my shoes, I can also admit that I've seen people spend more than that for some new magical fat burning protein powder that probably wont work.
The shoes allow me to squat a bit deeper and has brought up my vastus medialis considerably. A shoe with a bit of a heel also allows me to sit back a bit more and use my ass to blast out of the bottom, and not to brag, but in terms of my leg development... it shows.
Guys! I didn't believe it myself until recently but women DO check out your legs!! And they giggle to their girlfriends when they see guys with a huge upper body and no legs.
I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of going to the gym and seeing guys with great upper body development and pencil legs. Not only does it look bad, but theyre setting themselves up for serious back problems later in life (or maybe now)
I'm saying that to say this: men need to do whatever they can to get their leg development together and stop with the excuses. I've invested in a ironmind squat belt and nike romaleos and they have not been a waste of money for me. When the gym is swarming with people, I don't cry, I just throw on my hip belt and blast my legs.
Look, I know there is the argument that squatting is natural and you don't need anything and blah blah, but honestly... Do you really think that squatting with a 7 foot 1 inch bar across your back for reps is natural? Also, depth is a VERY personal thing that depends on skeletal ratios. Rant over. A year from now (hell, a week from now) I might change my mind but for now I just needed to get that off my chest
