There are few debates in gym culture guaranteed to divide opinion faster than lifting equipment.
Some lifters won’t touch a belt unless the weight gets genuinely dangerous. Others won’t go near a heavy session without straps, sleeves, wraps, chalk, and enough accessories to fill an entire gym bag.
And according to Eddie Hall, there’s a reason people feel noticeably stronger the moment all that equipment goes on.
Because, in his own words, it absolutely makes a difference.
Hall openly admitted that he believes belts, straps, and sleeves are “cheating” — although he also made it clear that he doesn’t necessarily see that as a bad thing when everyone competing is allowed to use them.
The former World’s Strongest Man explained that during the majority of his training year, he deliberately stayed away from supportive equipment altogether.
“Belts, straps, sleeves are cheating. I would agree,” Hall said.
Instead of relying on equipment year-round, Hall preferred to build his raw strength first before introducing extra support closer to the competition.
“I would train all year round without belts, without straps, without sleeves. And for 51 weeks of the year, that’s how I would train,” he said.
That approach, according to Hall, completely changed how powerful he felt once competition day finally arrived: “And then for competition, I would put belts, wraps, and sleeves on, and I would feel invincible.”
For casual gym-goers, straps and belts are often seen as standard equipment rather than controversial additions. Walk into almost any commercial gym, and it’s common to see lifters wrapping knees before squats, tightening belts for deadlifts, or using straps to help hold onto heavier weights during pulling exercises.
But Hall argued the performance jump from using them is enormous — far bigger than many people probably realise.
“Like the difference it makes in lifting is insane,” he said.
He went on to estimate just how much stronger supportive equipment can make an athlete feel under maximum loads.
“You’re talking at least another 10%.”
And in the world of elite strength sports, that extra percentage can completely transform results.
Hall also pointed out that the numbers climb even further once specialist lifting suits are introduced into the equation.
“If you get it right with suits and stuff, like 15 20%,” he noted.
In strength sports, particularly powerlifting and strongman, supportive gear has always been one of the most argued-over topics. Purists often believe “raw” lifting is the truest test of strength, while others see equipment as simply another part of the sport — no different to footwear in sprinting or aerodynamic bikes in cycling.
Hall appears to sit somewhere in the middle.
On one hand, he openly agrees that the equipment provides a significant advantage. On the other, he questions whether it can really be considered unfair if every athlete has access to the same tools.
“So, yeah, I would agree it is cheating, but if everyone’s allowed to do it, is it cheating?” Hall questioned.
It’s the kind of debate that probably won’t disappear anytime soon.
Whether it’s a beginner buying their first lifting belt or elite athletes squeezing into reinforced deadlift suits, gym equipment continues to blur the line between assistance and advantage.
And if one of the strongest men to ever walk the planet says it adds as much as 20%, plenty of lifters will probably look at their gym bag a little differently next time they train.
Featured image credit: Eddie Hall / The Good, The Bad & The Beast / YouTube
