Equipment Questions

Training
21

[quote]PKS wrote:
Coach, I have finally started Oly lifting after many years of wussing out. Turning 40 is great time to start! :slight_smile:
Do you think I need, or should, get a pair of lifting shoes(elevated heel)? or can I execute the lifts correctly training in flat shoes?
I ask because of my experience with the snatch so far: I have found that as soon as some weight is on the bar, the rock-bottom squat position of the snatch felt so much better with my heels slightly elevated on a couple of tiny 1kg plates… Using just the bar, absolutely no ‘mobilty’ issue was apparent -easily did multiple reps without the help of the slight heel elevation, and with good form.

I have always squatted ass-to-grass and deadlifted without any heel elevation, and have very good ankle mobility, but that catch then rock-bottom overhead squat - even with only 50kg**- is mechanically/technically humbling!

**haha at my complete-noob-at-oly snatching starting weights! [/quote]

I do train a lot of athletes (mostly hockey, football and crossfit) who can perform the olympic lifts with regular shoes. But all those that change, notice a big difference mostly in the catch position of a full snatch and clean.

Understand that if every single serious olympic lifting competitor in the world uses specific shoes it is for a reason… and most, if not all of these guys have WAY above average mobility, superior to yours (and mine) yet they still use the shoes.

That having been said, it IS possible tp be efficient at the snatch and clean in normal shoes. Some crossfit competitors (Rich Froning for example) learned to do this because a lot of competitive Crossfit WODs have a combination of olympic lifts and stuff like running, rope climbing and jumping, in which the olympic lifting shoes are not ideal.

22

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

[quote]PKS wrote:
Coach, I have finally started Oly lifting after many years of wussing out. Turning 40 is great time to start! :slight_smile:
Do you think I need, or should, get a pair of lifting shoes(elevated heel)? or can I execute the lifts correctly training in flat shoes?
I ask because of my experience with the snatch so far: I have found that as soon as some weight is on the bar, the rock-bottom squat position of the snatch felt so much better with my heels slightly elevated on a couple of tiny 1kg plates… Using just the bar, absolutely no ‘mobilty’ issue was apparent -easily did multiple reps without the help of the slight heel elevation, and with good form.

I have always squatted ass-to-grass and deadlifted without any heel elevation, and have very good ankle mobility, but that catch then rock-bottom overhead squat - even with only 50kg**- is mechanically/technically humbling!

**haha at my complete-noob-at-oly snatching starting weights! [/quote]

I do train a lot of athletes (mostly hockey, football and crossfit) who can perform the olympic lifts with regular shoes. But all those that change, notice a big difference mostly in the catch position of a full snatch and clean.

Understand that if every single serious olympic lifting competitor in the world uses specific shoes it is for a reason… and most, if not all of these guys have WAY above average mobility, superior to yours (and mine) yet they still use the shoes.

That having been said, it IS possible tp be efficient at the snatch and clean in normal shoes. Some crossfit competitors (Rich Froning for example) learned to do this because a lot of competitive Crossfit WODs have a combination of olympic lifts and stuff like running, rope climbing and jumping, in which the olympic lifting shoes are not ideal.
[/quote]

Shoes it is. Thanks for clearing that up for me Coach, I really appreciate your awesome insight and advice.

Once I do start doing my Oly lifts in shoes, should I ensure that ALL my oly lifting sessions from then on be done in them to establish an ingrained movement pattern, or does it not really matter that much if I don’t wear them sometimes?

23

[quote]PKS wrote:

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

[quote]PKS wrote:
Coach, I have finally started Oly lifting after many years of wussing out. Turning 40 is great time to start! :slight_smile:
Do you think I need, or should, get a pair of lifting shoes(elevated heel)? or can I execute the lifts correctly training in flat shoes?
I ask because of my experience with the snatch so far: I have found that as soon as some weight is on the bar, the rock-bottom squat position of the snatch felt so much better with my heels slightly elevated on a couple of tiny 1kg plates… Using just the bar, absolutely no ‘mobilty’ issue was apparent -easily did multiple reps without the help of the slight heel elevation, and with good form.

I have always squatted ass-to-grass and deadlifted without any heel elevation, and have very good ankle mobility, but that catch then rock-bottom overhead squat - even with only 50kg**- is mechanically/technically humbling!

**haha at my complete-noob-at-oly snatching starting weights! [/quote]

I do train a lot of athletes (mostly hockey, football and crossfit) who can perform the olympic lifts with regular shoes. But all those that change, notice a big difference mostly in the catch position of a full snatch and clean.

Understand that if every single serious olympic lifting competitor in the world uses specific shoes it is for a reason… and most, if not all of these guys have WAY above average mobility, superior to yours (and mine) yet they still use the shoes.

That having been said, it IS possible tp be efficient at the snatch and clean in normal shoes. Some crossfit competitors (Rich Froning for example) learned to do this because a lot of competitive Crossfit WODs have a combination of olympic lifts and stuff like running, rope climbing and jumping, in which the olympic lifting shoes are not ideal.
[/quote]

Shoes it is. Thanks for clearing that up for me Coach, I really appreciate your awesome insight and advice.

Once I do start doing my Oly lifts in shoes, should I ensure that ALL my oly lifting sessions from then on be done in them to establish an ingrained movement pattern, or does it not really matter that much if I don’t wear them sometimes? [/quote]

Wear them all the time. Be aware that the first session will feel ackward and your results might actually go down. A lot of my athletes get their shoes and expect immediate progress and are always demoralized when their first session with the shoes is really bad.

24

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

[quote]PKS wrote:

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

[quote]PKS wrote:
Coach, I have finally started Oly lifting after many years of wussing out. Turning 40 is great time to start! :slight_smile:
Do you think I need, or should, get a pair of lifting shoes(elevated heel)? or can I execute the lifts correctly training in flat shoes?
I ask because of my experience with the snatch so far: I have found that as soon as some weight is on the bar, the rock-bottom squat position of the snatch felt so much better with my heels slightly elevated on a couple of tiny 1kg plates… Using just the bar, absolutely no ‘mobilty’ issue was apparent -easily did multiple reps without the help of the slight heel elevation, and with good form.

I have always squatted ass-to-grass and deadlifted without any heel elevation, and have very good ankle mobility, but that catch then rock-bottom overhead squat - even with only 50kg**- is mechanically/technically humbling!

**haha at my complete-noob-at-oly snatching starting weights! [/quote]

I do train a lot of athletes (mostly hockey, football and crossfit) who can perform the olympic lifts with regular shoes. But all those that change, notice a big difference mostly in the catch position of a full snatch and clean.

Understand that if every single serious olympic lifting competitor in the world uses specific shoes it is for a reason… and most, if not all of these guys have WAY above average mobility, superior to yours (and mine) yet they still use the shoes.

That having been said, it IS possible tp be efficient at the snatch and clean in normal shoes. Some crossfit competitors (Rich Froning for example) learned to do this because a lot of competitive Crossfit WODs have a combination of olympic lifts and stuff like running, rope climbing and jumping, in which the olympic lifting shoes are not ideal.
[/quote]

Shoes it is. Thanks for clearing that up for me Coach, I really appreciate your awesome insight and advice.

Once I do start doing my Oly lifts in shoes, should I ensure that ALL my oly lifting sessions from then on be done in them to establish an ingrained movement pattern, or does it not really matter that much if I don’t wear them sometimes? [/quote]

Wear them all the time. Be aware that the first session will feel ackward and your results might actually go down. A lot of my athletes get their shoes and expect immediate progress and are always demoralized when their first session with the shoes is really bad.
[/quote]

Thanks again Coach, will do.

25

i’d like to thank everyone for their contributions to this post.
so far between my oly shoes, braces, and belt, mytraining has been so much more enjoyable. even working through the lower back strain i got about 2 weeks ago. it’s still there, but a lot better than it was. today was the first time i was able to do hi pulls.

got a new pr across the board, sghp, sglp, cglp. amazing. and was able to squat with some reasonable weight yesterday.
would not have been able to do these things without the aid of the equipment!
Thank You very very much

26

sheiko straps are amazing. and now i really understand how valuable they are to sghp.
today, my 6rm is what my 1rm used to be!
i can understand how you can get spoiled with these things.