Lifting with weightlifitng shoes or flat chucks/no shoes

[Justin Fricke]

is there a biomechanical disturbance that would be created if lifting either way. I mean what would be the down side to the hips,knees and ankels...with WL shoes for a (years upon year of time) if any. just a question that came up in a discussion earlier on another forum. I personally dont think it is bad as long as proper form is used at all times. But is there something else to it?

[Greg Everett]

WL shoes have a lifted heel specifically to increase the ROM of the ankles and allow the hips to sit in farther under the shoulders. Remove that, and you'll be placing a new dose of strain on the ankles/achilles tendons and on hip extensor/adductor flexibility. If the necessary flexibility isn't there, you have injury or at least discomfort. So yes, you can lift in CTs or barefoot, but you'll be limited in your max weights, and if you're going from WLs shoes to CTs/barefoot, make a conservative transition and spend plenty of time on ankle flexibility.

[Justin Fricke]

Thanks for the reply Greg.That is what i was thinking keep good form = no harm. I see a PLers use the chucks for deads and the PL low bar squat but it just doesnt look or feel natural to me. I understand the thought for using CT for deads (an inch or two less they have to move the bar secondary to being lower to the ground and not raised) Personally i like doing deads in my WL shoes..I am more of WL minded person than PL but i have had to focus on mostly just Squats, Press and the O-Lifts with DB because of the facility i am at right now. it has no bumpers or platforms and i for one dont have the time to drive 20 minutes one way to my old Univercity. So yep just a question that came up and that i have otherwise been thinking of. So thanks again Greg.