when i say consistency i meant consistency of form or having exacting standards for training and competition movements.
browsing through supertraining and remmebered this thread
“over-reliance on ergogenic devices such as lifting belts, hand grips, bandages for joints, special shoe inserts, wedges under the heels for squatting and elasticised training suits can modify the neuromuscular system to such an extent that effecient or safe training without them becomes difficult.”
siff, pg 9. supertraining.
Charlie, I only recall you saying Ben doing 1/2 squats, did he do full ROM ones as well?
As Arnold S. says, shorter athletes have an easier time squating. Taller athletes due to longer limb lengths, sometimes need a small block under their heels to prevent themself’s leaning too far forward at the hips. it help keepthat athlete in a correct squat position.
I don’t know if I’d agree with that, Arnie has been known to tell a few porkies!
If the femur and fibula/tibia are very unequal perhaps there’s an issue, but once the bones are relatively close in length it doesn’t make any difference to heel raises
I think Arnie is talking about leverages rather than technique issues.
that doesnt change the fact that it will have an adverse effect on the neurological system.
in what way? it gets a guy who has lever issues to squat safely, are you talking Powerlifting for powerlifting comps? then perhaps, but most of them wear powerlifting shoes that are elevated.
Are you compairing it as a means for sprinting/running? A squat action is just up and down, the 100m only realy does that for 1 stride, out of the blocks, even then, the feet are both in differnent angles to each other and the blocks themeself are set at different start hights.
im sorry, but your reasioning is too vague and makes no sence.
he has for sure told a lot of porkies, yet, i have tried this advice, and have gotten other that were tall and leaning way to far forward at the hips, and they too have experienced better squating tech., less stress off the lower back and more onto the areas that matter, the hips and legs.
But, this is only for at the end of the day, for those that suffer from Leaning forward during the squat action, not from using too much weight and unable to control it, and even when able to squat without the slight heel raise, they seems to loose balane and start to sway forward again. I dont think its a flexability issue, they can do it, i think its just a mechanical issue that causes the body to lean!
And with the slight heel raise, they can still squat without that affect worring them, they just squat.
Its not a large percentage, its not all tall people and most of the time, its not flexabilty in the calf.
Either way, its not a massive deal to worry about, just find out whats good for you, and damn well squat.
ok its simple… if u sue them they change how your nervous system recruits your muscles. you may not notice the difference but you neural system does. if you train long enough under these altered condtions they become engrained into your system. jus tlike you learn how to run properly you learn how to squat with your heals elevated. now you go to squat without them, your system is use to the heels elevated and so uses those motor patterns during the squat without the heels raised. but those patterns arent what is most effecient for the squat your doing now. ie increased liklyhood of injury. the same could be said about how well it aids physical activity outside of the gym but tha twould be really complicated to explain involving kinesiological analysis. its all about motor patterns and achieveing the most effeceint ones possible to 1. make the most out of the muscles you have and 2. prevent injury.
i agree on your conclusion, its just for some, they need to raised heels to get that response. without the raised heels, they wont get the training response and are more likely to become injured.
everyone can squat properly its just may be more difficult for some than others, and using someting to raise the heels acts like a crutch and we all know reliance on a crutch leads to atrophy of a system.
I used to think this was true until I got an athlete that couldn’t squat at all because his calves were so tight. I had it checked by many doctors and they say he has reduced rom at the ankle because of aditional bone growth. What would you suggest I do here?
Be pragmatic, which I think you have, and have him squat with elevated heels. I know plenty of people with troubles getting into a full squat (butt to heels when barefooted and keeping toes pointing straight forward), including myself. While I see the value of being able to perform the full motion (reducing achilles-tendon-stress etc.), it will always be troublesome for some people. We don’t want to “over-stretch” soft tissue if the actual problem isn’t there - I feel the pressure around/beneath the talus area. But if it’s a calf/achilles issue, then gradually lower the elevation.
push on top of him till you hear a pop then push till hes in postion lol jk. obviously the answer is to increase range of motion. if you had an ARP you could put him into any postion you wanted instantaneously.
What about constructing and using wedges of several different heights? They could differ in centimeters or smaller increments I suppose and the range of motion could be improved almost imperceptibly over time.
thats a possiblity but if any large amount of time is spent with elevated heals then motor patterns will be learned imporperly and take time to unlearn and relearned.
No they can’t, not without aids. Most can, not everybody can. The people that can’t, if they do it your way, will be lucky to be squatting 40kg after 12mnths! Or they could be squatting 140kg with a wedge under there heels! It’s a very simple remedy.
ofcourse if you have no legs squating would be an issue or perhaps your a paralized. whats more important, squating or squating properly. squating is instituted to accomplish a goal, change the biomechanics of the excercise and you change the outcome pure and simple. sure you can “squat” 140kg with wedges under your heals but it doesnt mean shit. i can squat more in a hack squat machine as im sure you can but … it doenst mean shit.
looks like we agree to disagree then ey!
That’s exactly it - you have to do what need to do.
Sort the ST out and gradually reduce the heel height.