Friday 100115

Ben raw-socks the 365 lb. deadlift.

We have been answering a lot of questions regarding footware at MBS. Typically the questions come from our new members who see the funny wooden shoes being worn by the guys and girls that are lifting a lot of weight over their heads. If you are one of these people questioning what the heck the deal is with these weightlifting shoes, let me explain the reasoning.

Proprio-what?
First, our bodies contain sensory organs that tell us where we are in space. They help us feel the ground beneath us and where we are in relation to ourself. These organs are collectively known as proprioceptors and they are located in our muscle tissue, skeletal muscles, and in our joints…basically all the stuff that makes us move.

Propriceptors are pretty neat in the fact that they feed information to our central nervous system lightning fast. They can tell us when our muscle is being stretched, if our footing is unstable, and if we are about to fall over and how to reposition ourselves to stop or break the fall. So, how does this all apply to CrossFit?

In CrossFit we lift weights. Specifically, we use power lifts like the squat, deadlift, and press to get stronger, and we use Olympic lifts like the clean & jerk and the snatch to get powerful. In order to do these lifts correctly, we use proprioception (the act of using proprioceptors) to position our body in the appropriate position for the lift. You often hear us telling you to have your knees and hips back in the squat, or “active” shoulders in an overhead squat – proprioception allows us to feel and respond accordingly.

In lifts that require us to pull, push, press, or jump, from the ground, whether it is slowly or violently, we need a solid surface to do this from. Olympic weightlifting shoes are made of leather and have hard, stable soles to push against. Most of these shoes also have straps that go over the top to stabilize the foot within the shoe. This is much different than the running shoe that has a large soft heal that cushions the foot. Running shoes compress in a heavy lift making an unstable position and leave the foot searching for a stable position. A typical running shoe will also not have straps over the top and the foot will rotate within the shoe only making the lift more difficult.

Being more stable and able to set your body in the appropriate position, you are going to use the right muscles on each lift. You will be able to set your hips and knees back in the squat and use the hamstrings and glutes instead of the quads. Basically, you are going to be stronger. There will be less wasted effort of trying to balance yourself on an unstable surface and more applied effort to lifting the weight. Additionally, the stable surface will allow you to put your body in a more “correct” position, which will keep you free from injury.

If reading this hasn’t convinced you to go out and buy a pair of Olympic lifting shoes, you are in luck. I’m am not saying that everyone needs O-lift shoes to do CrossFit or lift weights. There are plenty of alternatives. Flat-soled shoes like Chuck Taylor, Vans, and some skate shoes are going to offer similar benefits. I used bowling shoes for about 6 months before I got my first pair of O-lift shoes for Christmas. They worked great and I only paid $10 for them at a local thrift store. However, if you really care about your lifts and wish to progress free from injury, I highly recommend investing in a pair of Olympic weightlifting shoes. They are only found online and for under $100, you can find a decent pair that will last nearly a liftetime. Happy lifting.

Workout
Find max height box jump

then, for max reps:
Burpee pullups
Knee to elbows

Do 3 minutes of BP, then rest 1 minute. Do 3 minutes of KTE, then rest 1 minute. Continue for 2 and 1 minutes. Chuck reps to comments.