Hey crew. Just a quick question. I’ve just started back to squatting (oh how I’m paying too). Perfect form- I mean perfect. I’ve studied Paul Chek’s stuff to death (in fact I’m doing his “SQUATOLOGY” course tomorrow at the CANFIT PRO (Canadian Fitness professionals Conference) at the Toronto convention center.
My question is- I was squatting in worn crappy ole running shoes . .medium suport- I can’t tell if I want more or less suport ? Like a dependancy on the weightlifting belt and incorrect abdominal activation, I’m concerned that overly supportive shoes might make me grow dependant as well . . should I do this in socks/ sandals/ barefoot OR is it a prudent move to use work boot type wear ? Any thoughts or experiences are appreciated.
Thanks alot
Mike D
Barefoot always felt the most natural to me. I feel like if I have on my New Balances there is a delay in the tranfer of force from the floor to the wieght, it feels as is yhe running shoe dampens the force I am exerting to move the weight. Don’t belive me? Do a set barefoot, and then put you shoes back on and do the dame weight, you will feel alot weeker coming off the bottom of the movement i gurrantee. Give it a whirl, I wouldn’t use workboot though, I shudder at the thought of turning your ankle over on one of the big heels. Owwww!
The problem with running shoes is that the cushioning they provide for running becomes an unstable platform for the foot when loaded in the squat. I squat barefoot (I workout at home). There have been warnings on many boards, however, of foot slippage in competitions when there’s a lot of chalk on the floor. I’ve also squated in wrestling shoes (whenever I use a gym, as most of them don’t allow barefoot) only laced to the fold at the ankle. Using workboots could possibly put your foot in a problem position (heel elevated). My take is barefoot is best, followed by thin soled shoes. Chuck Taylors work well, by many people’s accounts.
Converse Chuck Taylor’s are your best bet if you’re going to wear shoes. Personally, I avoid high-tops, medium-tops, or whatever else they choose to call them. I broke my ankle a few years ago because (in my opinion, anyway) I had worn support shoes forever and my ankle stability was severely weakened over time. When I rehab’ed my foot, I started wearing regular shoes again and my ankles got much more stable.
The Westside Barbell guys swear by Chuck Taylors, and I’ve found them to work well also.
Thanks guys - I’ve noticed the same- that less= more. Too many FLEX photo shoots pushing cut off jeans and workboots LOL
If I learn anything new at paul Chek’s seminar I’ll post an FYI . .
Thanks again for the input
Mike
Barefoot…thats the only way to get your natural stability, and go deep brother…real deep
I had a pair of sandles I got from payless that were great for deads and squats, wore them out. I also have used tims and found them very comfortable. point is use what you feel comfortable, maybe if you were a running back or something you MAY have to worry about ankle stability but if you are just a wt. trainer, don’t worry about it, use whats comfortable. peace
Use either the old style Chuck Taylor converse or try using some of those cheap water slippers…I forget what they’re called but they’re very thin with good traction.
I use work boots (with a low heel) as suggested by Ian King. MikeD - If you are familiar with Ian King’s squat technique can you let me know if it is different from what Paul Chek recommends. I’ve incorporated Ian’s technique concerning thin tummy which positions the pelvis & hips. This works well for me but I am open to other techniques.
I like using weightlifting shoes (Adidas Ironwork) for front squats and Olympic-style squats. I have to use these for overhead squats, can’t get all the way down otherwise. Chucks are perfect for Powerlifting squats. I’ve tried wrestling shoes… they’re ok, but the surface area on the bottom is really small so they can be unstable. I’ve used sandals before just like Hetyey and they worked fine. Anything with a good, solid, flat sole is going to work.
I’m not familiar with Ian Kings “thin” tummy squats BUT Paul maintains/proves that beltless with a strong abdominal vaccuum after a deep breath to maintain a stable TA / thoracicvertbral columnAND he fiercely showed how importanthands in close so that traps, rhomboidsand lats are tight AND that the lat/ glute crosscontraction prevents curvingthe spine inward.
I’d really reccomendanyoneserious about squatting goes to paul Chek’sebsite andorder the SQUATOLOGY certification corespondence course.
Mike D. to be correct, Chek has not proved anecdotally or clinicly that his method of squatting is better than anyone else’s or even sound. He has proposed a theory, nothing more. Mel Siff, everyone at WSB including Dave Tate, and Zatsiorsky disagree, and Alexyev hinted at the benefits of a larger “corset” in an article, furthermore, i have not heard of one elite OLer that sucks his stomach in while lifting.
Chuck Taylors all the way
. . . and just when I thought I had nailed it and had a full understanding . . . .back to the books . .thanks for the input.
I will wear a workboot on one foot and an sandal on the other . . a tight belt and vacuum in and . . oh boy . .
Leg Presses anyone ? LOL
Al to MikeD & Dman
My understanding of squatting techniques (Ian King’s and Paul Chek’s approach sound very similar) is this - thin tummy or vacuum (which positions the hips), hand position and elbow pointing down, narrow stance, focuses the load on the quads. This type of squat balances the training effect of deadlifts. The wide corset, WSB technique is a power lifting approach. The two different techniques are valid but serve different purposes. Comments?