Exodus Strength

Pioneer Fitness (aka Pioneer Powerlifting and General Leathercraft) is an American manufacture of custom powerlifting belts, wrist wraps, knee wraps, straps and lifting accessories.




Pioneer easily has the best customer service of any belt manufacturer in business today. Their customisation options are constantly expanding. They offer a variety of leathers, embroidery options, and exotic hides for their belts. They also have laser etched and powder coated levers.

Matt, the company's president, is very active on instagram and updates customers and let's everyone view their manufacturing process on instagram live daily.

https://www.instagram.com/pioneer_fit/

This thread is dedicated to showing off your Pioneer belts and to ask any questions you might have.



(No, Pioneer doesn't pay me)

This is a video put out by Matt that covers the major belt manufacturers on the market. He literally collected belts from them all, cut them open, and the sent samples of the leather to his leather curator. Really insightful.



Turns out there's basically only 3 main types of quality belts. Vegetable tanned sole leather (Pioneer, Best, Titan), shoulder/tooling leather (SBD, Wahlander, Cardillo, Rogue, Slingshot), and sole bend with leather board (Inzer, Crain, Bob's).

I have Pioneer, Wahlanders, and Inzer belts. I used to have a Best Belt, but I sold it.

As far as build quality, the Pioneer is the nicest of the belts I've used.

Not powerlifting reared per se, but I bought a tool/work belt from them for my father and it’s a fantastic piece of leather.

idlehands had recommended Pioneer to me.
I picked a Titan only because of the dumb IPF/USAPl approved list.
It did note the sole leather bit, and i got finished instead of suede.

Nice to see that part confirmed anyway.

I've heard various things about what is and isn't allowed at local USAPL meets, but didn't want to chance it since i could only buy one.

Here is a secret!

I coach someone from a small European country that set some records and placed top 3 for his age and weight class in his country's fed (nationals)...and it's in the IPF! Suck it IPF!

That's right, Pioneer belts have been used to set records and place in the umbrella of IPF federations.

KOTJ wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 4:24 pm Here is a secret!

I coach someone from a small European country that set some records and placed top 3 for his age and weight class in his country's fed...and it's in the IPF! Suck it IPF!

That's right, Pioneer belts have been used to set records and place in the umbrella of IPF federations.

Nice. I had definitely heard things along this line.

Manveer wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2017 4:57 pm You don't need IPF approved equipment for a local USAPL meet. Just has to meet the requirements in the rules.

Quoting this here to keep from further cluttering the Pioneer thread.

Yeah, i was operating in a bit of a vacuum information wise when i ordered my belt.
I'm still pleased with it. And it's nice to see it classes well for the type of leather used.

You don't need IPF approved equipment for a local USAPL meet. Just has to meet the requirements in the rules.

Wrist wraps are likely my next need to purchase item.
Looking in the wrist wrap thread, seems like Pioneer is a good choice for these too.

My first belt was the EliteFTS Econo belt. One of those "this is so tuff you gotta run it over with your truck to break it in."

I had no idea, but there was a big hard plastic piece in the center, which is what was making it stiff. Also, this would prevent the belt from ever truly breaking in to fit YOU. Anyways, I found out about the plastic when it broke.. while squatting.

My second belt was to supplement the EFS belt. I bought a 3" Best Belt for deadlifting. While I like that belt, had I known about Pioneer, I would've just went with a plain untreated 3" belt. No sense in paying $100 for a secondary belt.

I bought my gf (now wife) a Pioneer belt once she starting working out with me. This was back in late 2014 or very early 2015.

Then, finally, my I got myself a Pioneer belt in 2016 (actually, she bought it for me). Then, I bought a lever belt this year.

Here are pics of my belt.. and I'm going to cheat and try to just post from IG because I don't have another place for photos.

A giveaway coming soon...

Oh damn! Am I going to have to learn how to re-post on instagram?

Allentown wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:41 am Oh damn! Am I going to have to learn how to re-post on instagram?

...Yes.

Why isn't there just a button. There needs to be a button.

Allentown wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:49 am Why isn't there just a button. There needs to be a button.

Agreed.. baffling that there has to be an app to do a feature that the main app should do?

Cody wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:38 am A giveaway coming soon...

OHHHH!!!! OOOHHHH!!!!! PICK ME! PICK ME!

Also, may I use this for the Facebook group?

LexAnderson wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 11:30 am OHHHH!!!! OOOHHHH!!!!! PICK ME! PICK ME!

Also, may I use this for the Facebook group?

You'll get to throw your name in the hat! And yes you certainly may.

Das nice. Das ril nice.

Could be interesting. On the one hand, I don't really care, since I'm only ever likely to compete in local USAPL meets, where you can get away with non-IPF approved brands. On the other hand, if I ever wanted to compete, it would be nice to do so with my current belt.

omaniphil wrote: ↑Fri Jan 05, 2018 1:59 pm

Could be interesting. On the one hand, I don't really care, since I'm only ever likely to compete in local USAPL meets, where you can get away with non-IPF approved brands. On the other hand, if I ever wanted to compete, it would be nice to do so with my current belt.

Yeah, they've jacked the prices up again... Super expensive to do, would require tangible growth to make it a worthwhile expense. He's kicking the idea around right this second because the cost is way up over last time, and that was way up from the time before. I wouldn't fault him for making either choice.