stupid question guys
but training barefoot in your own home gym of course
does anyone see any pros or cons to this?
I find that when I am lifting my ankles feel better when I am barefoot,doing squats specially.
please comment
EDIT: I did search and I found this topic has been covered before but I was seeking a fresh take on it I guess
With lack of arch support you may hurt your feet since they are used to shoes.
NIKE actually has a line of shoes that make it so your feet can get used to being without a traditional shoe… so you can run without shoes and what not.
I’ve never lifted in shoes because I don’t own any even remotely appropriate shoes and I ain’t gonna lift in cowboy boots. But my ankle flexibility is pretty good and I’m always barefoot when I’m at home (and sometimes barefoot outdoors, even if there’s snow on the ground).
Pros: don’t need to buy shoes.
Hmmmmm. Seemed to work ok for this guy. Anyone know his name? Anyway, Aaron, do what is most comfortable. I’m sure you don’t go barefoot all the time. I don’t see how are arch is going to be negatively affected. If have a noticeable difference in ankle flexibility then go right ahead.
FWIW, I’ve squatted regularly for years (front and back) without shoes, and it feels more comfortable to me than I remember when I wore shoes. Tried it in just socks years ago because of T-Nation and it just felt more stable.
Of course, I was wearing New Balance shoes and not flat-soled, so there was a built-in angle that wasn’t exactly what evolution intended for my feet. If I had flat-soled shoes, maybe I would be wearing those.
You admission about ankles feeling better is the strongest argument for leaving the shoes off.
its generally better to not wear shoes, specially for squats and deadlifts
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
Hmmmmm. Seemed to work ok for this guy. Anyone know his name? Anyway, Aaron, do what is most comfortable. I’m sure you don’t go barefoot all the time. I don’t see how are arch is going to be negatively affected. If have a noticeable difference in ankle flexibility then go right ahead.[/quote]
I have no idea if its him or not but I found a picture of David Rigert squatting barefoot
I usually do lift in whatever I have on because its in my own home and I own a pair of steel toe workboots but thats a no-go.
sometimes,I am in jeans and no shirt
yes my ankles feel better and when I squat,at the top I push up on my toes sometimes and stretch it out because I do go really light on them still.
just didnt want to do any damage to tendons or whatever
I typically lift in shoes since I lift at my university rec for 9 of the 12 months in a year, but when I am home I will occasionally lift barefoot. Going barefoot definitely feels like it provides better contact with the ground, more natural, etc. Check out Vibram Five Fingers…I think thats the name. They are basically gloves for your feet.
I know John Cena squats without shoes. He is a good guy to model yourself after in the gym. Hard ass worker.
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
Hmmmmm. Seemed to work ok for this guy. Anyone know his name? Anyway, Aaron, do what is most comfortable. I’m sure you don’t go barefoot all the time. I don’t see how are arch is going to be negatively affected. If have a noticeable difference in ankle flexibility then go right ahead.[/quote]
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Anyway, it’s not a possibility for me because I lift at a gym, but if I had the choice I would definetly lift without shoes.
[quote]Zelazo wrote:
TheDudeAbides wrote:
Hmmmmm. Seemed to work ok for this guy. Anyone know his name? Anyway, Aaron, do what is most comfortable. I’m sure you don’t go barefoot all the time. I don’t see how are arch is going to be negatively affected. If have a noticeable difference in ankle flexibility then go right ahead.
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Anyway, it’s not a possibility for me because I lift at a gym, but if I had the choice I would definetly lift without shoes. [/quote]
Why can’t you take your shoes off at the gym?
For those of you who have ankle support issues and/or cant take off your shoes at your gym a good compromise could be to get yourself a pair of wrestling shoes I used to do everything in them, run lift ect. There is good ankle support and they are very flexible. beings as we are coming to or in most places done with wrestling seasons you can usually pick up a pair relatively cheap in the clearance section of most big sports stores.
[quote]Digity wrote:
Zelazo wrote:
TheDudeAbides wrote:
Hmmmmm. Seemed to work ok for this guy. Anyone know his name? Anyway, Aaron, do what is most comfortable. I’m sure you don’t go barefoot all the time. I don’t see how are arch is going to be negatively affected. If have a noticeable difference in ankle flexibility then go right ahead.
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Anyway, it’s not a possibility for me because I lift at a gym, but if I had the choice I would definetly lift without shoes.
Why can’t you take your shoes off at the gym?[/quote]
Foot odor.
Haha just kidding, but it’s considered unsanitary. Kind of like the no shirt no shoes no service policy. I’m saving up for a pair of Nike Frees though, which I figure is the next best thing.
But enough thread hi-jacking from me.
What if you’re wearing socks…is that unsanitary at the gym? I’m going to try front squats sockfoot tomorrow.
I did my front squats today with socks on. Surprisingly, I was able to add 10 lbs to my lift. I was surprised by that…I had a great leg workout today. I don’t know if it had anything to do with not wearing shoes. Regardless, I liked the feel.
You get better proprioception(feedback) of the foot,ankle and lower leg when squatting or deadlifting without shoes. It strengthens the foot and ankle and recruits more leg muscle and causes you to work the correct muscles in the upper leg, buttocks and lower back in the correct manner.
What’s not to like?
If you don’t like getting your feet dirty, or are in a place that doesn’t allow even sock-footedness, you can wear Converse’s Chuck Taylors or Nike Frees as suggested by another poster above. Keep the CT’s laced loose about the ankle.
i own a set of nike free, chuck taylors and some vans similar to the chucks. the vans and chucks are superior to the nikes for deadlifting but not as good as bare foot.