In the past couple of years there has been a change in the way that individual’s workout. Most would head to the gym, get their workout out on so they would look good in a bathing suit. Now when you head to the gym, there are people who are training for bodybuilding contests powerlifting meets, physique competitions, CrossFit, and last but not least Olympic lifting.
One piece of equipment that has been utilized in all these different fields is the rise and use of Olympic lifting shoes. You might be wondering, what are Olympic weightlifting shoes? Olympic weightlifting shoes are shoes for Olympic weightlifting, but they are now more commonly used in different types of weightlifting across the board. As you can see below, these shoes have a distinctive look and shape;
the heel is raised by three-quarters of an inch to one inch and made of solid wood or another hard, rigid material. These shoes lace up the front and have a strap on the upper portion in which to tighten and narrow the fit. There's just enough traction on these shoes for what a lifter on a platform needs: to not slip and slide when under a heavy load. Olympic lifting shoes are heavy and awkward but are built with one purpose in mind: to allow the Olympic weightlifter to apply maximum force into the ground while lifting a heavy weight.1
There are many benefits from wearing Olympic weightlifting shoes. The biggest benefit that you gain from wearing this type of shoes is stability. Thanks to the wide base on the shoe you feel like you are firmly planted into the ground. The straps also add to that stability because they help give the snug fit feeling .2 Another benefit from wearing Olympic lifting shoes is the gained range of motion you gain from the raised heel. The elevated heel is the game changer portion of the shoe. You can get deeper into your squat, knees stay out, and your ankle flexibility is amazing. That is what the elevated heel does for your squat. People who have tight ankles and hips will see a huge improvement in their ability to squat while wearing Olympic shoes.2.
The one drawback that is associated with Olympic lifting shoes is that people tend to overuse them when lifting. People get so comfortable wearing them because of the increased mobility that when they squat without them they struggle to get to their depth, and hit the weight they are used to getting. For more information on hip mobility and ankle mobility visit these links below.
Ankle Mobility:
Hip Mobility:
References:
- Green, C. (2013, September 10). Do CrossFitters And Other Athletes Benefit From Weightlifting Shoes? Retrieved April 16, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-green/weightlifting-shoes_b_3900828.html
- Burgener, C. (2013, August 8). Benefits of Olympic Lifting Shoes. Retrieved April 16, 2015, from http://www.crossfitinvictus.com/blog/benefits-of-olympic-lifting-shoes/
I agree with you that people overuse them, I even find myself wearing them throughout my lift when I'm doing things that do not require the shoes, just because I don't feel like taking them off, but they do provide a great benefit
ReplyDeleteLifting shoes changed my work outs entirely. I was struggling to squat properly in my tennis shoes, talk about a game changer. This site http://bestliftingshoes.org got me on the right track to get my first pair which I am still using.
ReplyDelete