deadlift question... again!

cardio,shoot me

guys i was in the gym today,lined up beside a mirror, doing some deads just checkin ma form and i noticed how freaking tall i was and how big a heel was on my shoe.

so i decided to hell with it and started deadlifting barefoot.
Im about 6ft 5 with shoes on and 6ft4 without so im quite tall, i find deadlift and squat flexibility really hard to improve on but i keep cracking away.

but without shoes i felt it was much easier, not sure if phycological or not but made me feel like the stretch to the bar wasnt that bad, it also made it easier to keep my back arched "in the good way".

well anyway the point of this thread is i was wondering if anyone knew if it was a bad idea to deadlift barefoot?

brianthebard

its great, nothing wrong with it at all. Also are you wearing runners with these one inch heels? If so you might want to swop them for converse for all lifts.

podge57

for deadlifts, you should have very little between your feet and the ground, you will have a shorter ROM and elevated heels tend to throw you forward

also,if you are using running shoes, i would get something with a firm heel, you need to be able to push off the ground, not sink towards it

davyjose

There was an article in T-nation recently where they were basically raving about barefoot lifts, and a nice photo of Arnie deadlifting barefoot in there to boot <pun intended> :pac: .....

FunkZ

Personally I always deadlift and squat barefoot when I'm at home, but not in the gym. But I've never had any problems. There's been a recent article on www.t-nation.com about it I think.

Reyman

I reckon you move the bar 25" (if you're normal height) when doing dead lifts. Without shoes this becomes 24" so maybe you're doing 4% less work. This is definitely going to be easier on your back but perhaps you should lift 4% heavier to keep your work rate the same?

telemachus

davyjose wrote: »

There was an article in T-nation recently where they were basically raving about barefoot lifts, and a nice photo of Arnie deadlifting barefoot in there to boot <pun intended> :pac: .....

That article was worth the read just for this , I picture him de-manning himself seconds later with the kettlebell between the legs.

cardio,shoot me

thanks for all the helpful responses, time to try squatting , by the way what do u guys think of dcs or similar skate type shoes for training?

brianthebard

telemachus wrote: »

That article was worth the read just for this , I picture him de-manning himself seconds later with the kettlebell between the legs.

lol de-manning, great phrase.

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

thanks for all the helpful responses, time to try squatting , by the way what do u guys think of dcs or similar skate type shoes for training?

Do they have a thin flat sole? If yes, score. If not, get cons, as I already said. Chuck taylors (high tops) are the type most commonly worn afaik. The difference between them and runners really is huge imo.

Hanley

To be honest, I haven't really noticed a difference between my cons and Malteaser's Asics.

I've worn them a couple of times front squatting (up to 125kg) and didn't notice any sponginess or other strength sapping effects... I wouldn't dream of deadlifting in them, but they can quite easily be flipped off and socks just worn.

I'd be careful with the skate shoes - If they've an air bubble, they're not gonna be great. Con's are probably the best all around shoe, and with all the cheap no name versions of them out there you shuld pick up a pair pretty much the exact same as the Chuck Taylor's for < €20.

Obviously, finance permitting, the real deal are the oens to go for!

BossArky

I kick off my running shoes to squat & deadlift barefoot. I find it stops me being pulled forward on deadlifts and I can keep slightly more upright on the squat. It also feels more solid.

It also saves me having to bring two sets of footwear to the gym if I want to do some cardio at the end.