Simple is always best. A simple design with easy to use features will always trump complexity. The same goes for weight lifting and powerlifting belts. Belts with fancy features and design usually don't function well. When looking for a powerlifting belt, choose minimal materials and simple prong or lever designs.

The Iron Bull Strength Powerlifting Belt is simple and functional. With leather and suede combined with a convenient lever buckle system, the belt is perfect for no nonsense trainees. Keep reading for full details on the belt's features and performance during our heavy lifts. 

I am a big fan of Iron Bull Strength as a company. A home-grown Canadian company that is headquartered in Quebec. Not only do they focus on weight lifting and powerlifting products, they empower men and women. With a focus on everyday recreational lifters, Iron Bull Strength caters to all types of athletes.

Iron Bull Strength’s number one priority is the quality of their products. They proudly admit the use of engineers and designers involved in their product development. On top of quality, they always have the customer’s comfort in mind. I truly admire their passion for fitness and no judgement approach to weight lifting products. From top to bottom, it doesn’t matter who you speak to at the company, they all share a love for fitness.

As I mentioned, they offer many different types of weight lifting belt products. We are reviewing the Iron Bull Strength Lever Belt today, suited for powerlifters. We read reviews online and researched all aspects of the belt to write an in-depth article. Read on to get all the information you need to make a proper decision on your next belt purchase.

Iron Bull Strength offers lifters great quality products that are carefully designed with excellent craftsmanship. With a main warehouse in Quebec, Canada, the company targets customers looking to advance their fitness careers. As their website states, they empower men and women to help unlock their potential and reach goals.

Their powerlifting product is for the serious lifter. If your strength training involves heavy lifting during squats, deadlifts, and bench press then this belt is for you. With great durability and support, the Iron Bull Strength Powerlifting belt will help achieve your elite goals.

The Iron Bull Strength Powerlifting Belt has a lever buckle made of heavy-duty stainless steel. The company claims the lever belt can achieve a level of tightness beyond prong systems. The lever is fully adjustable with two bolted screws that can change the waist size easily. To make sure all the waist adjustments fit you properly, use the sizing guide as a standard. Use your measurement around the navel as the number for your weight lifting belt.

Always choose a weight lifting belt slightly bigger to accommodate any weight gains you’ll have. In addition, don’t forget the purpose of a weight lifting belt as a brace during movements. At the start of a lift, you breathe in and hold. This bracing movement pushes against the weight lifting belt and allows you to keep your core tight during a lift.

The Iron Bull Strength 13mm Powerlifting belt is available in 5 inch increments from 25 all the way to 50 waist size. If you need to adjust your lever belt you can use a screwdriver to adjust the position of the lever. The 13mm Suede Powerlifting Belt is not at all difficult to put on and rips off just as easy. Be cautious when putting your belt as initially it can pinch your skin when closing.

As you wrap the belt around your waist don’t try to take a breath in or out. Keep your breath neutral and you don’t need to relax out. Flex your abdomen and close the lever as you tighten the belt around your waist. You’ll need practice putting on the belt a few times to get the hang of it. You should be able to just put your hand through the space between your torso and the belt. A really good test of how tight your belt should be is the Squat Test. Squat as you would normally, but at the bottom of the movement breath out and see how comfortable you are.

After trying so many previous powerlifting belts before, I expected the 13mm Suede Powerlifting belt to be stiff. I ordered the medium size version based on my waist size. Initially, it was very easy to adjust and the perfect fit. After tightening the belt according to my waist, it felt tight, VERY tight.  

The Iron Strength Fitness Lever Belt took time to get familiar with the buckle system. The pressure on my torso was a little uncomfortable but nothing extraordinary. Let me remind you this is one of the thickest belts on the market at 13mm. I loved the uniform width feeling around my waist of the weight lifting belt. For any powerlifting belt, I prefer having a safe and secure feeling around my torso as it greatly aids my movements.         

To test the lever belt’s performance I tried it out during squats and deadlifts. Putting the belt on tight and secure I got into my lift position. As I braced and got into the bottom of my movement, I relaxed to test the stiffness of the belt. The belt fit well and felt pretty good. I wouldn’t recommend doing this during a heavy lift as it could dangerously lower the stability of your core. I performed this movement with 30% of my 1RM.

Now during heavy lift movements, the Iron Bull Strength Powerlifting Belt felt very stable. Now I’ll admit the stiffness made it hard to lower during squats or deadlifts. The stiffness and pinching into the hips can be annoying at first. But, one of the best features of the lever buckle mechanism is that I can release the pressure with a simple pull of the lever. As you get more familiar with the tightness of the belt, the pinching will also get better. Powerlifters will truly enjoy this belt as a comparable one to the SBD belt or Inzer Forever Belt. But the added advantage is better pricing and more styles available.

As we suggest with any powerlifting belt or leather weight lifting belt, you need to break it in for a few weeks. You can use the belt immediately out of the box and as it gets more repetitions, the leather will soften. You can also speed this process up by bending the belt and rolling it in different directions.

The Iron Bull Strength Powerlifting Lever is perfect for many lifters. The 13mm thickness combined with 4 inch width will provide great coverage for any serious lifter. The belt is heavy duty and solidly built. If you’re looking for a belt with maximum support and stability, then this belt is for you.

The premium thick leather with suede inner lining gives the belt a beautiful finish. In addition, with various style options, it will suit your gym fashion preferences. The adjustable lever is stainless steel and smoothly changes to your waist size. The belt is ideal for serious weight lifters and those who want to get the most bang for their buck.