Benefits of Squatting with shoes that have a heel.

[big_swede]

The old timers like big squat chief Paul Anderson used healed shoes for squatting. Actually dress shoes were popular at that time among the lifters.





I use a pair of these..



JK

[nighttrain]

dont lie Swede i saw you last week in the gym with your shape up shoes!!!!! lol

[5kgLifter]

I do zerchers barefoot and with a 1/2"-3/4" heeled shoe; they both have a different feel to the movement and although I don't prefer one above the other, I reckon with the heel feels like a smoother movement.

Back squats I've only just started but decided to use the shoes and seemd fine, no throwing me off balance etc; that could well be because I've done zerchers though or because I've also practised the wall squat (Pavel style).

I wonder whether it's not so much the heel throwing a person forward, when that occurs, but more a case of worry about sitting back with the weight load.

[big_swede]

Originally Posted by nighttrain

dont lie Swede i saw you last week in the gym with your shape up shoes!!!!! lol

LOL =)

[bamazav]

Can you imagine going to the gym today in your wing tips? Then I can't imagine squatting in jeans and yet a few pages back is a pic of Draper doing just that.

[Rich Knapp]

Same as doing squats with your heels on a board.

[Trevor Ross]

Originally Posted by Rich Knapp

Same as doing squats with your heels on a board.

Somewhat, but the million dollar question is, can you maintain good (knee healthy) form on a 2x4, 4x4, or an Olympic Plate?

[xKyle10]

Nice topic. Whenever I put a plate in my heels it certainly feels easier to hit ATG and I feel it in the quads more, or at least used to. But then I began really watching videos of squat form of guys that know what they're doing and the issue stopped. All of the following squat barefoot/flat sole/vibrams I'm pretty sure none of them have an elevated heel. I'll post vids of their squats and quad development, as pictures/videos will be more exciting than words

Josh Hyaduck (Uses Vibrams)
(He's not big on taking videos, he used to swear by the hack squat/reverse hack squat and usually uses those for Sheiko):

YouTube - VID 00002 20101015 1033

YouTube - VID 00002 20101015 1033

Most recent pics (20+ weeks out from WNBF World's):

189.8 lbs


185.6 lbs


His log if interested: Josh Hyaduck: This is what legends are made of! - Bodybuilding.com Forums
(View his old thread for quad improvements, have come a LONG WAY in this offseason, he said he never used to take squats serious/rarely squatted and used machines, so that contributed a lot to the development)



Brett Freeman: About 5 Weeks out from the INBF Hercules (I think he squats in chucks)

YouTube - lower power part two

YouTube - lower power part two

YouTube - talking legs pt 2

YouTube - talking legs pt 2

Log(s): Team Striated Glutes: Paul and Bretts excellent adventure to the Pro Stage! - Bodybuilding.com Forums
sleestacks STFU & TRAIN log - Bodybuilding.com Forums



RJ Perkins: (Not sure of his contest plans...squats barefoot, I think?)





Log: Bodybuilding.com Forums - View Single Post - IFPA Pro RJ Perkins "Where One Journey Ends Another Begins"



Cohn Wolfe: 12 Weeks Out (Squats in Vibrams)

YouTube - 12 weeks out

YouTube - 12 weeks out

YouTube - 330x9 squats

YouTube - 330x9 squats

Log: Woofman81's first real contest prep and quest for a Natural Pro card. 24 weeks out! - Bodybuilding.com Forums





The vid that helped me the most was Rip's Hip Drive Vid:

YouTube - Mark Rippetoe: Fixing the Squat: Hip Drive

YouTube - Mark Rippetoe: Fixing the Squat: Hip Drive

Since using that for around a month, my squat form is basically a spitting image of RJ's

[SCStrong]

Ran across this thread and just wanted to comment..... I just got some Chucks and I am loving them!!! I felt an immediate improvement on squats and deads the first time I used them. I was lifting in a cross trainer and found myself leaning too far forward on the squat. ( had a slight heel ) I have not been lifting long but I noticed a difference right away.