When working out at a fitness center, you may often see people wearing sneakers to exercise. But did you know that some types of exercise require a special type of shoe? So, what kind of shoes are suitable for weightlifting?

Why Do We Need Special Shoes For Weightlifting?

Weightlifting is an exercise movement that focuses on using weights and lifting them. This exercise is designed to train body muscles such as the muscles of the arms, legs, shoulders, back, and buttocks. The types of exercises that include weightlifting are very diverse, including deadlifts, barbell lunges, pull-ups, overhead presses, bench presses, bicep curls, and others.

In weightlifting exercises, there are several forms of shoes that you can choose to accompany your training, namely:

• Choosing shoes with a raised or higher heel part of the shoe
  
  • To help you get down lower and bend your knees deeper when doing squats 
  • To keep the torso more upright for people who are experienced lifters
  • To maintain balance, preventing you from dropping the weight and minimizing the risk of injury
• For beginners who want to practice weightlifting positions, body stability and increase strength, you can choose shoes with flat and thin soles
• Equipped with additional straps and locks at the top of the shoe to ensure your feet are held in the shoe, increasing strength and control while moving

However, you don't need to worry if you don't have special weightlifting shoes, especially for beginners. Some weightlifting exercise movements can still be done even without using special weightlifting shoes.

Here are some reasons why you need special shoes when lifting a load:

1. Facilitates ankle elevation

Weightlifting shoes generally have a stacked heel. This is what distinguishes weightlifting shoes from other sports shoes. The stacked heel is designed to help you perform better squats.

Beginners who try weightlifting exercises tend to have difficulty squatting as low as possible. This causes them to bend their ankles more than they bend their knees and hips. With regular practice, you can improve the position, but it will take a long time, and there is a risk of injury during training.

By using this type of shoe, the raised heel increases the angle of the shin bone (tibia), making your squatting position better when compared to wearing sneakers.

2. Helps better posture when lifting weights

If your posture is correct when squatting, shoes with stacked heels can help maintain a more upright torso during lifting. This is especially helpful when the load increases, as it prevents losing balance and suddenly dropping the load in front or behind. Correct posture also helps the lifting process to be better.

Is it OK to Lift Weights Barefoot?

You may have seen some people doing weightlifting exercises using very thin-soled shoes or even not using shoes. This is believed to train you in squatting as low as possible because the feet are not far from the floor. It can also increase strength because you have to keep trying to stabilize the body, making the body have to work harder and spend extra energy lifting weights.

When weight training, especially weightlifting, it is important to use shoes and other supporting equipment, such as hand or foot protectors. But that doesn't mean that if you don't have special weightlifting shoes, you can't do the exercise. Consult with your trainer about the condition so that they can direct you to movements that minimize the risk of injury. 

If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

Looking for more tips and tricks for health, first aid, and other home remedies? Click here!