Benefits of Squatting with shoes that have a heel.

[BendtheBar]

Anyone know if there is any correlation between squatting on the toes and knee related problems/strain?

I think you could have a raise heel shoe and still squat on your heels to a certain degree, but that's speculation. I never tried that I can remember...

[AdamF]

Yeah, I guess you're right. I remember when I first got them I had to really make sure that I was pushing through my heels or I would dump the bar forward and eat the floor. But once I learned to sit back and push through the heels. Once I got that though, everything was fine.

[bamazav]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Anyone know if there is any correlation between squatting on the toes and knee related problems/strain?

I think you could have a raise heel shoe and still squat on your heels to a certain degree, but that's speculation. I never tried that I can remember...

As AdamF has pointed out, it is possible. My points earlier stem from my experience with noobs and gravity. If you start leaning forward, you have to consciously work at keeping your weight back. I am not saying it can't be done, just that for new lifters, it is not the best way to lift.

I would also add that our own personal bio-mechanics can affect our squats. I use a fairly narrow stance to get down deep, my son has to go fairly wide to achieve the same depth. That is why it is dangerous to for anyone to state that any one movement is optimal across the board. AdamF and Trevor love the heel elevated squat, for me it puts my center of gravity too far forward and hurts my knees. It is not the position that is wrong, it is my bio-mechanics that are wrong for that position.

For a beginning lifter, do they need to focusing on these other dimensions or learning proper form. As a lifter advances, as we all do, they can begin to try different variations of the lift.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by bamazav

I would also add that our own personal bio-mechanics can affect our squats.

Very much so.

I am a flat foot squatter, but am simply curious if raised heel causes knee issues. I have a feeling this might be the case, but reserve the right to be wrong. It might be body-type dependent.

[AdamF]

I think that an extreme knee lift would absolutely hurt your knees. But I think that the accepted height of a heel in a squat shoe is 1" +/- 1/4". Too much more than that would push your knee too far forward.

[ILoveLifting]

Does anyone have any insight to whether or not squatting in a heel would be advantageous to a person with flat feet?

[glwanabe]

I wear oly shoes to squat in, and I love them. The hard sole, and slightly raised heel feel great. I have no issue with keeping my weight on my heel.

I used to wear Chucks, but my feet hurt after squatting dueto the lack of support from the shoe. I have the VS athletics oly shoes.

[andys_trim]

Originally Posted by ILoveLifting

Does anyone have any insight to whether or not squatting in a heel would be advantageous to a person with flat feet?

This. I have Fred Flintstone feet, flat and wide. I couldn't invest in oly shoes without knowing if they would fit right. I just wear nike shocks when I squat.

[AdamF]

Originally Posted by andys_trim

I just wear nike shocks when I squat.

Ouch.

[IronManlet]

I was squatting in heeled shoes for a while, but I found that they really screwed with my deadlifts so I had to get some chucks (gym doesn't allow going barefoot). First couple weeks my glutes/hammies were on fire all the time while I adjusted.

I find going without any heels at all to be great for me, but if you're looking for more quad development/a quad-dominant squat, then by all means.