belt while benching?

[ItalianGalleon]

Whenever I see a picture of a powerlifter doing any sort of bench, they're always wearing a belt. Why is this? Is this part of the shirt or is it worn for some other reason?

[ElPietro]

Probably because when you do a competition bench, you arch your back, which can put a lot of strain on the lower back. Some powerlifters don't arch as much, so they don't wear out their back for squats and deadlifts.

[c.u.fan]

The lower you pull a bench shirt, the more support it will give. The belt is used to keep the shirt down.

[phreak]

Actually some lifters (me included) bench with only a regular keep-the-trousers-up belt. This allows for the greatest possible arch while still keeping the shirt in place.

[ItalianGalleon]

Actually, I was wondering if having the belt would interfere with the arch. Good thinking.