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Dress shoes decreasing my strength in squats?
Like a lot of you working Joes, my job requires me to wear a monkey suit and with that comes dress shoes. Most dress shoes are like mine with a raised heel and despite being Ecco's, Cole Haans, or any top of the line shoe they still have a raised heel. (I won't even comment on ladies and their heels in this post.) This is where our squat problem exists.
What is the problem with dress shoes and the raised heel?
The problem with dress shoes and a raised heel is that for the entire time you are standing, which for me is all day, you are busting your butt and working with your ankle in a constant state of plantar flexion. Plantar flexion is the position where your ankle is extended out to a larger angle (Toes pointed out). Dorsiflexion in contrast is when your ankle angle is smaller (Like when your stretching your calf). By leaving your ankle in this position you start to develop a lack of flexibility in your calf muscle and your dorsiflexion becomes restricted. Try pulling your ankle into dorsiflexion now, how easy can you do it, how flexible is it, any problems?
So how does this effect how much I squat?
To effectively squat you need to have good form, flexibilty, and functionality in your kinetic chain and central nervous system. The lack of flexibility in your calf muscles restricts how far down you go in your squat which effects the performance of your form. Many individuals with minimal calf flexibility compensate by turning their toes outward which allows them to squat down further. Although it may seem like a clever way to squat down further, this in turn exercises different muscles and throws off key muscle relationships that are responsible in keeping your kinetic chain functioning effectively. As soon as your start to see your feet turn outwards, stop or your screwed.
A lot of gyms I have been to, I see guys barely squating down with three or four plates loaded on each side screaming like Ronnie Coleman. Most gym rats notice these fools too and choose to take the right approach to squatting and get low. But in this process they realize they can't get low even with a reduction in weight and pride. Some start to externally rotate the feet, others stop squatting. The remedy is simple, calf flexibilty and dorsiflexion.
What do I do?
The remedy is easy to say, the task is easy to do, but still half of you won't do it. When I say half I mean more like 80% of people. Stretch your calves people!!! and focus on dorsiflexion. At my work I have a staircase. So any opportunity I get, I use a stair for static stretching, holding a stretch to lengthen the muscle for 10-30 seconds. By simply stretching you can prevent all kinds of problems and the next time your at the gym squating you won't have to look like a duck with externally rotated feet or take off any of those plates you worked your ass off for.
What is the problem with dress shoes and the raised heel?
The problem with dress shoes and a raised heel is that for the entire time you are standing, which for me is all day, you are busting your butt and working with your ankle in a constant state of plantar flexion. Plantar flexion is the position where your ankle is extended out to a larger angle (Toes pointed out). Dorsiflexion in contrast is when your ankle angle is smaller (Like when your stretching your calf). By leaving your ankle in this position you start to develop a lack of flexibility in your calf muscle and your dorsiflexion becomes restricted. Try pulling your ankle into dorsiflexion now, how easy can you do it, how flexible is it, any problems?
So how does this effect how much I squat?
To effectively squat you need to have good form, flexibilty, and functionality in your kinetic chain and central nervous system. The lack of flexibility in your calf muscles restricts how far down you go in your squat which effects the performance of your form. Many individuals with minimal calf flexibility compensate by turning their toes outward which allows them to squat down further. Although it may seem like a clever way to squat down further, this in turn exercises different muscles and throws off key muscle relationships that are responsible in keeping your kinetic chain functioning effectively. As soon as your start to see your feet turn outwards, stop or your screwed.
A lot of gyms I have been to, I see guys barely squating down with three or four plates loaded on each side screaming like Ronnie Coleman. Most gym rats notice these fools too and choose to take the right approach to squatting and get low. But in this process they realize they can't get low even with a reduction in weight and pride. Some start to externally rotate the feet, others stop squatting. The remedy is simple, calf flexibilty and dorsiflexion.
What do I do?
The remedy is easy to say, the task is easy to do, but still half of you won't do it. When I say half I mean more like 80% of people. Stretch your calves people!!! and focus on dorsiflexion. At my work I have a staircase. So any opportunity I get, I use a stair for static stretching, holding a stretch to lengthen the muscle for 10-30 seconds. By simply stretching you can prevent all kinds of problems and the next time your at the gym squating you won't have to look like a duck with externally rotated feet or take off any of those plates you worked your ass off for.
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