Squatting with your shoes off

So I am one of those people who loves legs day. I genuinely do. And like all legs day lovers I am a fan of the squats.  This may be because I am fairly new to them. I avoided them for the longest time due to a supposed back injury (which turned out to actually be a shoulder issue, but that’s a whole other blog post) but now I cant get enough of them.

Squats are an awesome exercise. They engage a lot of large muscles, so are great for those wanting to lose weight. For those wanting to gain it, they are essential, because if you skip legs day, you end up looking all out of proportion.

One thing I quickly learnt was that technique with these is really, really important. You need to keep tall, push through your heels and go deep. I don’t want to go through all the pointers of technique, but if you are new to squats check out this video. Ignore his lack of shirt, as he shows some great technique.

What I do want to talk about is something controversial, that is squatting with no shoes on. People generally sit on one side of the fence or another. I am firmly on the no shoes fence for both squats and deadlifts.

One of the muscle groups you want to work in a squat is the glutes. To do this effectively you want to push up through your heels through the whole motion. This will make sure your glutes stay engaged through the lift. The alternative is you end up on your toes, which is not as stable and doesn’t engage the muscle groups you want as effectively as they could be.

But why do it without shoes, you may ask?! Well most running or gym shoes tend to have an uneven base, with more padding under your heels than your toes. This tilts you slightly forward. They do this to help cushion your heels when you are running, but it doesn’t really help you squat. In fact, it can cause the unsuspecting person to end up pushing more through the front of their foot than the heel when they are coming back up. Squatting without shoes on stops this tendency to end up on your toes. I find having my feet flat on the floor makes it easier for me to make sure I push through my heels and keep my glutes engages through the whole motion. It also stops me from rocking forward and becoming unstable.

Before you try this, just double check your gym is ok with you slipping off your shoes and squatting in your socks, as some don’t like people not wearing shoes. Also, if you wear some kind of orthotic insert, it might be good to check with your podiatrist they’re cool with it (I have no idea on that one, sorry!). If they don’t mind, I challenge you to have a go. Let me know if you are a fan or not.