It was recently pointed out to me that I was wearing a pair of running shoes during one of my instructional videos.  The person asked me if those were the shoes that I recommend when lifting.  My answer was no. 

Yes, on occasion I have worn the wrong kind of shoes during one of my videos but it is in no way representative of what I wear when I perform my actual workouts.  To that end, I have stopped the practice and instead shot my videos wearing what I would normally have on during my workouts; no shoes.

I never wear shoes of any kind while I am working out.  I lift in bare feet or shocks and nothing else.  The reason you should do this is because athletic shoes made today are made with shock-absorbing material.  Good for running or playing tennis or basketball but bad for lifting weights.  One reason for this is that these kinds of shoes can create instability when standing to perform lifts like the deadlift or military press or kettlebell snatches.  Another reason is that athletic shoes built to absorb shock tend to have a heel that is slightly elevated.  This shifts your center of gravity forward which in turn can create unnecessary stress on the knee and can alter its range of movement. 

But wait, it gets more complicated that that.  Researchers have found that when you wear shoes during your lifting, the shoes act to diminish the sensitivity of the foot which can act as an off shitch to the strength reflex in your legs.  This reflex is enabled by the pressure placed on the sole of your foot under load. 

Watch a powerlifter perform a deadlift and you will note that he does not wear shoes.  He knows that he will be leaving weight on the ground if he does.  In my own experience, I find that my legs actually contract harder when I am not wearing shoes.  My deadlift poundage went up and I have not experienced any negative affects from not wearing shoes. 

The same holds true for my kettlebell training.  I just feels more natural to me to not have shoes on when I workout.  For exercises like pistols and military presses, I actually try and grip the ground with my toes which helps me tense my legs.  This sends the tension right up my torso and into the kettlebell resulting in more weight being lifted. 

Going barefoot for me is no problem since I workout outside or in my home gym.  If you lift at a commercial gym, the owner might not want you walking around without shoes.  You may also want to consider not doing this for health reasons.  There are a few solutions to this.  One would be to wear shocks or a pair of deadlifting slippers.  Checkout a powerlifting store or go online to get yourself a pair.  The other solution is to get a pair of athletic shoes that are flat.  The best kind in my opinion are Chuck Taylors. 

Now for our hands.  Unless you have some kind of problem with your hands that prevents you from lifting without gloves, don’t.  There is absolutely no benefit to wearing them except I guess if you think you look cool.  If you have a problem holding onto the barbell or the kettlebell, either work on your grip or use chaulk.  And don’t worry about getting a few calluses, it ain’t gonna kill you.

Next, lets talk about belts.  Again, I don’t wear them.  Unless you are a powerlifter, belts do more harm then good. They aid in helping to support your back by artificial means.  The point of working out is to get strong and to learn to handle a heavy load.  Unless you are planning on walking around all day wearing a lifting belt, why would you want to wear one in the gym.  If you have a problem with lower back support, work on strengthening your core and learn how to tighten up the abs and breathe behind the shield during your lifts.  I never wear a belt, even during heavy deadlifts and I have never once injured my lower back.  Sure, I could lift more weight but I’m not a professional powerlifter so the 10 percent or so I lose is worth it in order to build a resilient, injury resistant lower back.

And lastly, I almost never wear any kind of support wrap for the same reasons I don’t wear a lifting belt.  In addition to strong, powerful muscles, I want to build strong powerful joints.  Wraps can go counter to this goal.  With that said, I injured my wrist almost 20 years ago playing softball and on occasion it gets a little sore.  If I perform a very heavy maximum lift or an odd lift like a press holding 2 kettlebells in one hand, I will wear a wrist wrap on my injured wrist and only if the lift is very heavy.  Other then that, I don’t. 

I really comes down to your personnel preferences and whether or not you have injuries that prevent you from lifting natural.  Aside from the shoes which can promote injuries if your wear the wrong ones, using belts or wraps is your choice.  I can tell you that for years I wore a belt and wraps and for years I was prevented from making the type of gains I should have.  I remember using hooks when I deadlifted.  This caused my grip to be very weak.  I couldn’t even hold onto a barbell loaded with 225 pounds because my grip was so weak.  It has taken a long time to make up for that lack of strength in my grip.  Don’t make that mistake.  Use chaulk if your grip slips.  The only personal pieces of workout equipment you need buy is a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.  Save your money for the important stuff like buying a heavier kettlebell.

Yours in Health,

Dennis

P.S. – Have a question about anything I’m doing, email me and I’ll be more then happy to answer it.  ironkettlebellfitness@gmail.com

Before entering into a fitness routine, especially one that incorporates kettlebells, be sure to consult with your physician or medical professional to be sure you are healthy enough to begin a strength and conditioning regimen.  Be sure to learn the proper way to perform each lift and complete each exercises in strict form employing a spotter when applicable.  In other words, if you hurt yourself, it’s your fault.

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