If you’ve ever nailed yourself in the nether regions or the chin while doing upright rows or face pulls, then you will have an appreciation for LPG Muscle’s Delt Belt. The Delt Belt is a V-shaped strap with rubber handles at the top of the V and a sturdy metal double hook at the bottom of the V. It is designed to attach to weights with the hooks, but allow for natural movement of the arms and shoulders in actually pulling the load. At the bottom of the V there are five different slots where you can insert the metal double hook, so you can adjust the length of the Delt Belt for users of all different heights. Rated for 450lbs, the Delt Belt is a serious strength-training tool.
The biggest selling point for the Delt Belt is that it allows for more natural shoulder positioning and movement during pulling than a barbell, and is far less awkward than either dumbbells or kettlebells (or any other sort of strap you’ve concocted for yourself, for that matter). And this isn’t just a selling point – the Delt Belt genuinely does create healthier shoulder movement. You’ll feel the difference right away when you begin to use it. It allows rotation of the wrists and hands that lifting with a static barbell does not.
The Delt Belt also allows you to keep the weight close to your body, although depending on your height and the exercise you are doing there may still be some dumbbell-body interaction. Unlike doing upright rows with dumbbells, you will never have concern about hitting yourself in the face. The V construction is also wide enough that you’ll never be able to pull the weight high enough to hit your chin. That being said, your nether regions may still be at some risk, so you may want to hinge slightly forward when doing your rows, or alternately, you can put the hooks in the longest setting and stand on a box while doing your rows. But generally, because the weight hangs down low, it allows you to avoid embarrassing gym moments that you have to explain to your spouse later.
The Delt Belt easily attaches to both dumbbell and cable machines. I even hooked it to kettlebells with no problem on multiple occasions. While the hooks are easy to put in place around a dumbbell handle, they do so with a positivity that is reassuring. You think they’re going to fall off when you leave slack in the strap, but they don’t. You can set the handles down, come back pick them up, and start lifting with no problem. Even during my kettlebell workout, I had zero worries that I would become detached from the bell.
In addition, because you are simply attaching to a dumbbell, it is easy to switch weights quickly and avoid all the annoyance of weight plate changes during your workout. And if you train in a globo gym and you’re sick of trying to figure out what the other gym denizens did with the cable machine attachments, you can easily use your Delt Belt for just about anything you’re going to attempt on a cable machine (and you don’t have to share other people’s gym germs, either).
The one claim LPG makes about the Delt Belt that did not seem to ring true for me was that the hook is easily adjustable. There are five different places you can insert the hook to adjust the length of the Delt Belt. While the construction of the hook inserts is simple, actually moving it from one setting to another is a bit tedious and not something you would want to do mid-workout. That being said, the overall construction of the product is solid and there’s no question about it being able to handle heavy loads.
The Delt Belt’s obvious strength is for accessory work for powerlifters, but any athlete interested in both the development of pulling power and shoulder health should take an interest in this product.
The Delt Belt is available for $49.95 at LPGMuscle.com.
