weight training footwear

maradona10

what is the best type and brand of footwear to use for weight training?

where can they be bought in Ireland?

tribulus

Firm flat soles for DL'ing, chucks maybe, I just use an old crap pair that are flat.

Squatting some like flat soles again, though I think a bit of heel is better.

Do-win and Adidas make weightlifting shoes though I think you have to order them online and they're expensive.

After that i don't see why it would matter that much, whatever's comfortable and durable!

rubadub

You can get fancy expensive ones, but I know Hanley was using converse, even in competitions. I have seen lads in training books with them too. Very flat sole



You can get a pair of imitation "low" converse in dunnes for under a tenner.

Malteaser!

rubadub wrote: »

You can get fancy expensive ones, but I know Hanley was using converse, even in competitions.

True story, only for benching though.

maradona10

thanks lads.

rubadub do u know if the dunnes ones are of good quality.

are there any sport shops in dublin that have a few types available

rubadub

maradona10 wrote: »

rubadub do u know if the dunnes ones are of good quality.

Seem OK to me. I rarely use them, I have them in work incase I arrive with wet shoes from cycling in the rain. If all you are doing is lifting in them they will not get much wear, and they are under a tenner anyways.

True story, only for benching though

Yes, right you are, I thought it was for squats too but remember now.
I am not certain but I think he recommended them as an alternative for squats too, some casual lifter was asking about specific shoes before.

mack1

Chuck Ts FTW! Especially squatting!

Or you could save your money and do it like Arnie did - barefoot!

maradona10

where can chuck ts be bought. i presume they can only be got online.

reason im asking is im flat footed and am currently wearing shoes with arch support but I am having problems with deadlifting so i thought changing shoes might help.

im not sure if the flat converse or dunnes ones would help because of this but ill try them out

Malteaser!

They can be bought in any good shoe shop in town...Schuh, Office, Size? all stock them.

I'm sure there's a ton of other shops too, they're everywhere.

maradona10

Thanks Malteaser

WHIP IT!

mack1 wrote: »

Chuck Ts FTW! Especially squatting!

Or you could save your money and do it like Arnie did - barefoot!

People, what does "FTW" mean in internet message board lingo?

I need to brush up on me txt spk!

tribulus

For The Win

mack1

maradona10 wrote: »

where can chuck ts be bought. i presume they can only be got online.

reason im asking is im flat footed and am currently wearing shoes with arch support but I am having problems with deadlifting so i thought changing shoes might help.

im not sure if the flat converse or dunnes ones would help because of this but ill try them out

€55 in Schuh

I think the ankle ones are better, the strong canvas sides are ideal for squatting .

maradona10

anyone know if new balance or asics do a shoe suitable for weight lifting or if their walking shoes would be suitable.

BossArky

I've had asics for the past 2.5 years and used them for running, cycling, rowing, walking, shopping, climbing... and weight training. They are fine.

Unless you are taking things to a serious level with compeitions in mind I'd reckon keep it simple.

WHIP IT!

tribulus wrote: »

For The Win

Huh... no kiddin...

Thanks Guy!

g'em

BossArky wrote: »

Unless you are taking things to a serious level with compeitions in mind I'd reckon keep it simple.

Keep it simple for sure, but in footwear terms, little differences have big consequences. Outside of competitor considerations, keep footwear flat for lifting:

Eric Cressey on ericcressey.blogspot.com/ wrote:

When you elevate the heels chronically - via certain sneakers, high-heels, or any other footwear - you lose range of motion in dorsiflexion (think toe-to-shin range of motion). When you lack mobility at a joint, your body tries to compensate by looking anywhere it can to find range of motion. In the case of restricted ankle mobility, you turn the foot outward and internally rotate your lower and upper legs to make up for the deficit. This occurs as torque is "converted" through subtalar joint pronation.

As the leg rotates inward (think of the upper leg swiveling in your hip joint socket), you lose range of motion in external rotation at your hip. This is one of several reasons why females have a tendency to let their knees fall inward when they squat, lunge, deadlift, etc. And, it can relate to anterior/lateral knee pain (think of the term patellofemoral pain ... you've got restriction on things pulling on the patella, and on the things controlling the femur ... it's no wonder that they're out of whack relative to one another). And, by tightening up at the ankle and the hip, you've taken a joint (knee) that should be stable (it's just a hinge) and made it mobile/unstable. You can also get problems at the hip and lower back because ...

Just as losing range of motion at the ankle messes with how your leg is aligned, losing range of motion at your hip - both in external rotation and hip extension - leads to extra range of motion at your lumbar spine (lower back). We want our lower back to be completely stable so that it can transfer force from our lower body to our upper body and vice versa; if you have a lot of range of motion at your lower back, you don't transfer force effectively, and the vertebrae themselves can get irritated. This can lead to bone problems (think stress fractures in gymnasts), nerve issues (vertebrae impinge on discs/nerve roots), or muscular troubles (basic strains).

So, the take-home message is that crappy ankle mobility - as caused by high-top shoes, excessive ankle taping, poor footwear (heel lifts) - can cause any of a number of problems further up the kinetic chain. Sure, we see plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinosis, and shin splints, but that's just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what can happen.

How do we fix the problems? First, get out of the bad footwear and pick up a shoe that puts you closer in contact with the ground. Second, go barefoot more often (we do it for all our dynamic flexibility warm-ups and about 50% of the volume of our lifting sessions). Third, incorporate specific ankle (and hip) mobility drills - as featured in our Magnificent Mobility DVD.

Oh, I should mention that elevating the heels in women is also problematic simply because it shifts the weight so far forward. If we're dealing with a population that needs to increase recruitment of the glutes and hamstrings, why are we throwing more stress on the quads?

BossArky

So you reckon performing the squat and deadlift barefoot is better?

tribulus

I don't know if i like the idea of squatting barefoot just because it may help out your ankles etc. There's plenty of stuff you can do to help that without having a heavy bar on your back.

g'em

BossArky wrote: »

So you reckon performing the squat and deadlift barefoot is better?

Not squatting (although elevated heels in specifically designed lifting shoes would be highly beneficial at high level), but deadlifting in just socks is lovely. Dynamic warm-ups in just socks/ barefoot are hugely yummy too.

maradona10

so is it a slight heeled shoe for squats and flat sole for deadlifts then

g'em

g'em wrote: »

Not squatting (although elevated heels in specifically designed lifting shoes would be highly beneficial at high level), but deadlifting in just socks is lovely

No offense dude, but you're not quite at that stage yet. Converse are your best bet right now for lifting, and regular runners for cardio.

Jimmy Bottlehead

g'em wrote: »

No offense dude, but you're not quite at that stage yet. Converse are your best bet right now for lifting, and regular runners for cardio.

Haha, and the evening I forgot my runners and had to wear cons, I was embarrassed! I'll wear them with pride now!

wasabi

I'll just echo the recommendation for Converse, I do all my general lifting in them. As previously mentioned the flat sole makes them great for deadlifting.

The sole also doesn't squish the way runners will when you're squatting etc. That makes them good and stable for squatting, and also doing any other leg work like bulgarians, lunges, step ups. My original reason for getting them was because I tweaked my knee doing lunges in a pair of runners - I've never done that in the Converse.

I do also have a pair of Do-win weightlifting shoes, but only because I actually am learning weightlifting. I still sometimes squat in the converse to keep the ankle flexibility up, and to be honest the shoes don't make all that much of a difference for squatting if your flexibility is decent.

They're not something you'd be wanting to wear for anything else apart from squatting really, so if you got a pair you'd be constantly carrying around two pairs of shoes and changing them mid workout. Wouldn't bother, really.

tribulus

Where'd you get the Do-Wins Wasabi?

wasabi

Here: http://store.wfwclub.com/

However, they won't deliver to Ireland so I had to get someone in the States to forward them on. Trib, I think someone (not sure who, but I can find out if you want) in Hercs is now importing them and selling them though, so if you're after a pair they might be able to sort you out in there?

tribulus

That would be very handy, yes please.

Hanley

tribulus wrote: »

That would be very handy, yes please.

Talk to James Fleming about it bro.

daveirl

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