Is Barefoot Squatting Effective For Building Muscle?
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- Опубликовано: 2 июн 2024
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0:00 Barefoot Squatting
1:08 Needed for Squat
5:05 When it's okay
6:00 Better Alternative 
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Quentin Tarantino does not approve this message
Dan Schneider wants to see them dawgs out.
@@Viking_Raven 💀💀
He rejects the hypothesis?
No one cares; QT isn’t jacked! 😂
Haha
I squat completely nude for maximum mind muscle connection in front of a red light.
Apart from the red light, I did this when I had a home gym. Actually I just worked out naked in general. Definitely miss it.
Sounds smelly
@@Salito.Official I actually don’t really sweat, probably due to my medications. Great for no BO, terrible for not feeling like I’m on the threshold of a heat stroke.
PENDULUM
Go on...
The most effective tool to improve your Squat isn't barefoot squatting. It's shaving your head and wearing an RP shirt
Fax
FACTS!
This is true
LFG!
As slavic person I am evolutionary designed to do squats.
He is russian...this is complete betrayal
A doubt it. Im polish and i never seen people squating like that. Its some anglo culture myth
@@krainex Ja też jestem Polakiem. Nie zobaczysz tego na siłowni. Kluczem do uruchomienia tych genów jest duża ilość wódki.
@@SuperDeathbody ta kultura alkoholizmu to jedna z największych krzywd tego narodu
😅😅😅😅yeah
I use zero drop (flat) shoes when i squat for one reason. I worked hard to get good ankle mobility despite bad genetics for it, and squatting this way helps me maintain it.
This.
If you’re chasing hypertrophy and your limiting factor is mobility, wear the shoes - exactly the same argument as using grips or a weight belt.
THANK YOUUU
Any advice on ankle mobility training? I have to hold something under my heels when I squat
You could likely maintain it more effectively in many other ways at different times, while also squatting with less hindrance. Sure, squatting is a nice loaded stretch, but it’s not very direct and it’s very little time spent in the stretch, so it’s definitely not the most effective approach. If you don’t want to do any other stretching and you’re getting everything you want out of squats, whatever keep doing your thing, it’s not a test of optimality. But both your squats and dorsiflexion would work better by just separating the two, like almost objectively.
@@railasvuo During your warmup, take a barbell or dumbell/kettlebell (20-30 kg) squat down and place it on your knee. Then, simply push your knee forwards, over the toe (keep the knee in line with the toe) and hold there for 15-30 seconds. Do this 2-3 times per knee.
How can I trust a man that doesn't like onions?
Omg frfr no cap lol xdd
Unsubscribed
My fiance loves onions. Last time I checked, she isn't Shrek or an ogre. She never has onions by themselves. She tends to have half an onion with rice and chicken. She says she was like this since she was a little girl, and her teachers would sometimes joke about her bringing onion to school.
@@Paraselene_Taobreath must be crazy
@@leoq5654
You know, it's funny, she always worries that her breath might smell bad from the onions, and then she'll give me raw onion to eat so my breath is the same. I have never noticed the smell or taste even once. I've told her over and over not to worry about it. Perhaps my sense of smell is poorer than most folks' sense of smell. 😅
We need a followup where Mike squats wearing different shoes and then declares if it was better to just squat barefoot. I am thinking bedroom slippers, crocs, and yes, high heels.
I second the motion.
high heels keeping you big as hell
Wth. This isn't the circus. This is hypertrophy 😂
@@akbananachucker2441We just want to see Mike in high heels 😋
@@qsanchez95 FR. I don't even need to train my calves anymore. Between growing up riding bikes on crazy mountain trails with my parents as a kid and rocking insane stilettos all through college, my calves are jacked AF. My BF is legit jealous. I hope to be the largest calved lady on stage this July. 😂
I only squat barefoot when i mistakenly wear running squishy shoes on leg day. Really makes you feel the difference though, some shoes just feel more unstable than barefoot.
Virtually all shoes are less stable than barefoot.
@@Woodnymph304 Except lifting shoes!
Yeah I wear ultra boosts and just recently started taking them off for leg press. Feels better having my heels connected. Probably just need more solid shoes.
I'm reminded again how much there is still for me to learn. I've done plenty in the bodyweight/plyo/martial arts space, but I'm much newer to proper weightlifting - as in more than just picking up a few free weights. As someone who also naturally tends towards barefoot in a lot of things (and usually to genuine benefit), this was super helpful in understanding a place where that ISN'T necessarily best suited to my goals and longevity, as well as a bit of the technical reasons why that is the case. This video was super helpful.
Squatting with regular athletic shoes (e.g., running shoes) < barefoot squatting < squatting in lifters
I can’t find any decent shoes anymore!
Especially sports shoes are like walking on concrete …flat flat concrete !
The consumer buy so much crap now without complaining they just blindly throw money at their products and all the products suck …. But the people at the top end up being billionaires and we end up with garbage nothing but garbage to choose from.
Because of all the idiots buying stuff too stupid and never question their products . Idiots control the market 😆
Now all we have in this country is overpriced garbage.
I would add minimalist shoes (zero drop wide toebox, super flexible) as a superior option to barefoot
That seems to be the general consensus. I was absolutely guilty of the first option (running shoes), but had migrated to barefoot, because we have a super-grippy gym floor, and part of me likely craved the sensation and feeling of security and plantedness present without trail shoe cushioning. I'll have to get me some proper squatting shoes.
I started doing barefoot squats bc running shoes are fkn terrible. Need to get me some “squat shoes”
@@MHNK77 Why?
I made the full switchover to barefoot shoes - wide toe box zero-drop minimalist shoes - this year and it was the best decision for my feet ever as they, along with my ankles, have gotten alot stronger and much more resilient. Keep on rockin'! 🤘
I like the “presentation” better, It helps focusing more than the black background with white words of the last video Thanks for the good content as always!🙌
I got squat shoes based on your recommendation about a year ago or so. I absolutely agree that it’s been an improvement for my leg days.
A corrective note. Weightlifting shoes don't give you more dorsiflexion, they give you less. That's the point. They allow a lifter to use less dorsiflexion.
I think a lot of people argue it gives artificial dorsiflexion because you are able to achieve more knee flexion with less dorsiflexion/hip flexion
A slight correction to your correction. Oly shoes don't change your dorsiflexion (DF) ROM. Normal DF is about 20 degrees and the heel wedge elevates the ankle joint to rotate that 20 degree ROM down below the plane of the floor (i.e. standing straight up in oly shoes you are in slight plantarflexion vs barefoot where your foot is neutral)
Thank you Dr. Mike!! I’ve been saying this for years! Watching people with restricted dorsiflexion squat barefoot is a nightmare….the subsequent distortion of the kinetic chain with the associated power decrement is painful to observe…
Just bought the RP program for a year, so I am ready to enslave myself to Dr. Mike's program like a willing guinea pig. I like how I was able to customize a 4 day split that resembled what I've been doing the last 6 months. Can't wait till Monday to get back in the gym and start my first RP Mesocycle. 🏋♂️ Let the gains begin.
@RenaissancePeriodization
Perfect timing! I was just wondering about this. I only see young lifters who don't squat very much do this yet seasoned lifters and everyone I see on this channel wears regular or lifting shoes.
I applaud you for taking down the nootropics video! Thank you! I understand not making a statement about it, once you get involved with drama back and forths it’s hard to get out. 👍🏻
wait what happened ?
@@prodkayprodigy it was a terrible video with some guy who had no idea what he was talking about and Dr. Mike didn’t know enough to call BS. Got huge backlash in the comment section
@@jamessmith4172oh yeah i was just looking into it and saw some dude making a video and u commented and he even said “i reconfirmed u from the comments”😭 thats crazy. i’m glad mike took it down. i think it’s smarter to back down when u know your wrong then to keep it up knowing ur wrong u kno
@@prodkayprodigy haha yep 😂 that was me. And I agree
I see yall with the new logo👀👀
$1099.99 for an RP blessing. 😲
Perfect timing I work out at home and basically never put shoes on. But I had been mostly feeling it in my glutes until I saw Dr. Mikes tip to get a surface raise my heel a bit and holy shit quads have felt it ever since.
Dr mike
Paint your nails and show them to us it's really important for the fitness industry
I used to squat in Vibrams. Upgrading to an actual lifting shoe was quite the improvement. Ankle mobility was never an issue, but the extra friction from the proper lifting shoes made a difference I absolutely felt.
Ohhhhh. New pfp looking good
I work out at home, and I used to exercise in my room, so it was on thick carpet, where barefoot traction wasn't an issue. I also barefoot squat outside, where I'm on soil or brick or concrete, so again barefoot traction is great. I use it to target foot strength, in hopes of helping reduce likelihood of ankle and knee injury. I agree that hitting PR's and specifically hypertrophying the quads and adductors, and especially in a gym where you're touching rubber or metal and foot fungus exists barefoot exercising isn't ideal, but if you want to strengthen your feet specifically there's nothing like it, imo. You just have to be on the right surface.
Also, yes, squatting is one of the basic human movements, it's how we used to poo, and many people still go #2 that way. We are designed to go that way. We're not necessarily designed to do squatting PR's, but we are designed to squat baskets, animals, family, firewood, shelter, etc. and the squat or some form of it was usually the primary method. And over the last 10k year's we've been squatting bricks and stone, so yes the squat is a basic human movement.
I find myself more comfortable in barefoot shoes (often times forgetting they're even on lol), so I found a nice, grippy pair for weightlifting and exercising in general
I have tried barefoot, minimalist shoes , lifting shoes, and running sneakers. And by far, my best lifts are barefoot, followed by minimalist shoes. For me, I have extra wide feet and high arch , and for me personally, it is hard to engage in a shoe that arent designed for high arch feet and wide toes. My toes feel cramped even in wide toe shoes, and my performance suffers.
My guess is wide foot and high arc people probably do better shoeless or minimalist wide toe boxed shoes because you need custom insoles and extra wide shoes to properly engage, and that is hard to get.
That's me! I literally spread my toes as one of my steps to setting up squat. I will never put an Adidas®️ toe condom (tm) on just to do my favorite movement
I think the kicker isn't so much the width/arch size, but just how much time one spends on their feet while barefoot.
If you have never done physical activities while barefoot, you aren't gonna flip a magical switch the moment you put on barefoot shoes. It's probably gonna be uncomfortable. You're probably gonna be unstable. You probably are gonna hate it.
If I'm on my property, I'm barefoot unless I'm doing something that actively risks injuring my feet. Cleaning up glass, working with tools, mowing the lawn/weed whacking, etc.
The only thing that was weird that I had to adjust to was my toes slipping inside of the shoe if I tried to 'curl' them for balance, but within a couple days I was just pushing my toes straight down instead of 'dragging' them backwards.
I've been wearing them pretty much exclusively since last august and I wouldn't say that they're some magic bullet that improved every aspect of my life in and out of the gym, but my squat has gotten significantly deeper, I don't get foot cramps anymore even if I actively *try* to by curling my foot like a fist, and just in general I feel more comfortable.
@@Hyatice >*My squat has gotten significantly deeper*
You guys could be squatting deeper?
@LCDRformat honestly I don't think so. I'd be happy to try them if given the opportunity but my knees are already 5-6 inches past my toes and my knees are past my armpits.
I have very wide feet as well. If I don't wear foot-shaped shoes, I get horrible cramps. Squatting barefoot has given me a noticeable improvement, and I don't think I could ever go back. I feel like we need a wide-foot support group to protect us from "big shoe" trying to force us into skinny shoes.
I love that t-shirt Dr. Mike! Is it custom or possible to get somewhere?
Squat and dead variations I perform barefooted it’s gotten the best results over 18 years with heavy raw dead’s at 605 and 500 raw squat with no knee pain and very minimal low back back pain that came from Infantry service in the Marines the rest of my training sessions I use 2-3 different types of various training shoes…. I.e. flats, running shoes or hybrids for cross training
I got his official RP Blessing to squat barefoot. Thank you.
After 27 years of training i started barefoot squatting and I'll never go back
Why?
@@akbananachucker2441tripod foot balance improves
Yep I’m a fan of relatively flat foot as well. I am less interested in ankle flexion than a grounded foot and my knees just don’t like the lack of contact on the ground.
Not as long, but barefoot squatting works perfectly fine for me
@@akbananachucker2441 for a few reasons one is it feels more planted, more stable, better on my knees but also because I started wearing toe spacers when I work out to try to correct a lifetime of cramming my foot into shoes. The combination made a huge difference in hip and knee stiffness as well as what feels like improved balance
155lbs body weight; 335lbs squat; 1.5 years lifting.
~2016, I picked up a pair of Nike Hyperfr3sh on clearance. Found them again spring cleaning last year & they've been my lifting shoes ever since. They're light w/thin soles like a converse, but they're midtops w/a 1/8" heel elevation. The one con I can think of is that my calves don't stretch as much w/my heel elevated, but that's mitigated w/accessory work.
These videos are so good it’s insane we get them for free
Ankle mobility video when? 🤞🏻🙏🏻
Vivo barefoot Primus Lite feels as close to barefoot as possible and it’s one of the best accessories I have bought for my squat and ankle mobility !
I do quite a few things barefoot, but with socks. Squat, hack squat, barbell rows, barbell shrugs, calf raises, deadlift. I’ve never tried weightlifting shoes, but compared to the springy thick soles on my Nike air max, barefoot makes a huge difference!!
Weightlifting shoes are worth trying :)
oof, socks are way too slippery for me!
@@sagebauer1077Then your gym probably doesn't have good surfaces for lifting. On the designated areas for squats, deadlift, etc. in my gym, the floor itself has quite a lot of friction, so I've never had issues with socks.
barefoot squatting is a goal that demonstrates controlled range of motion, not a technique for easy hypertrophy.
I can absolutely see this in terms of heavy weight maximal squatting. However, I do like the barefoot squat for the purpose of giving subjective sense of ground occlusion. In my physical therapy experience as a student, there’s a lot of discussion on sensing stability and occlusion at the feet in order to initiate maximal contraction (which I have interpreted as an extension of the limitations of unstable lifting) as something important for beginners that don’t have a great sense of grounded contact through three points of contact. This has just been my perspective on this but I’m curious about what other people think because I found this video really interesting. Discussion time!
As someone who rode horses using the English position from a very early age into late 20s, ie ankles pushed right down in stirrups, my ankle mobility is still very good and i can't do heels of any kind. Squatting barefoot or in barefoot shoes is perfect for me to get that proper spread of weight. So it's one of those where a one size fits all approach isn't necessarily going to work, while at the aame time i appreciate that some people don't have good ankle mobility and so might need a wedge or a stacked trainer
Hi Mike, can you please make a video on wedges/slant?
Cheers
Been enjoying using my toe shoes while squatting lately. I'll level up to dedicated lifting shoes for Christmas
I wear running shoes for normal workouts. They have soft soles so to improve stability and prevent ankle roll, I take my shoes off. Works well for me with grippy socks. Also easier to feel the weight transfer for me. Even for Deadlifts actually.
Train no RIR and hold at the top/bottom!
Thanks Uncle Mike!
- Godspeed
Hey Dr. Mike just another reminder that you are awesome and you should keep doing what you're doing.
i second this!
Im a powerlifter and I do my comp squats in a flat/minimal shoe (bare foot) because I’m more consistent in my ability to maintain center of mass, ie be stable. But if I’m doing squat accessories or variations where my goal is to further bias the quads I’ll where my weightlifting shoes.
I do have to disagree that the shoes weren’t designed for squatting. They were designed to catch a clean or snatch. A bit of semantics since you proceed to squat it from there. Even if they were designed for squatting then I don’t think it’s a valid argument for them. Heroin was developed as a medicine.
that's the best shirt i've ever seen
I've wondered this as well. We didn't evolve squatting barefoot with 300+ pounds on our back. It was much less weight then that I'd imagine. This is where I can see the need for a good stable shoe.
Barefoot shoes have amazing grip. Squat wedges if you don't have the mobility.
I didn't realize this was such a big deal. Back when i started the starting strength program I had a coach recommend squatting in my socks or lifting shoe instead of my running shoes. I squatted in my socks and never looked back. Feels good to me but hey, I might have to check out some shoes.
I squat as a powerlifter and use shoes and tbh they’re essential. I snapped my Achilles in the armed forces and my ankle mobility is terrible. My tendon just doesn’t feel long enough to squat flat footed without shoes with decent range of motion.
I also do Thai Boxing and we sometimes squat bodyweight barefoot. The amount of people doing a proper squat is nearly 0. Rounded backs, elevated heels (doing them on their toes) or very shallow.
An elevated heel is just the best way for most people.
right on time
Been training in Adidas slippers for 3 years now. Probably not the best choice, but haven't run into any issues either lol.
Next you gotta talk about barefoot deadlifting!!
New Set who dis
Totally agree with this, however, I must point out that wearing weightlifting shoes, with a heel wedge, this actually reduces the amount of dorsiflexion we can reach. If we were to place the forefoot under a slight wedge, that would increase dorsiflexion at the bottom of the squat. The downside of that is that it would reduce overall stability/safety.
Thanks
I train at two local gyms, and have trained at couple of gym when living in a larger city in the past, So this kind of stuff doesnt surprise me at all. I have noticed allot of people avoid training to failure on the majority of their training especially most women. Its like they have some kind of mental block or going to failure is just not in their mind. Most people hit a predetermined rep number and just stop. This one of the main reason people dont carry allot of muscle mas.. I love this guys advise. I agree 90% want more muscle mass except for allot of women, which I am thinking want more muscle definition. BUt sadly most people are not willing to train hard or to failure or close to it.
The Versalifts are good inserts for footwear that does not have a heel drop and help me improve Dorsiflexion. I feel more muscle activation than joint stress
I almost missed the video because of the new channel picture. Anyway, squatting is fun. I don't really take off my shoes, even if I pop up into the gym with standard running shoes.
Former gymnast turned avid squatter. I will never squat with shoes on unless I'm required to in a PL meet... then I'll train in them leading up to the event. I have 99 problems, and mobility isn't 1 😅
I only squat barefoot for stability and connection with the ground. I'm sure I would love a lifting shoe, but its kinda hard to justify spending 100-200 bucks for like 2 exercises.
I've come to love a shoe called the Crossfit 84. Not sure why, because I've never done crossfit, but it's got a flat and hard sole, and grips and connects super well with the ground. I train ankle flexion to make sure that this isn't my limiting factor, rather than using the shoe as a crutch for that.
I have always squated using barefoot or used chuck taylors. I bought squat shoes with a raise and immediately noticed knee pain. Got rid of those shoes and pain went away just as fast. Went back to old way and never had a problem.
I love using my squat shoes but the extra mobility I get usually bottoms out all machines. Great for free weight squats
I hate squatting without my shoes. When I first got them, I wasn't sure if they'd actually help that much, but I can't imagine willingly not using them for a squat ever again. I use them when I'm benching, too, and that actually feels really good.
I'll definitely buy an RP Blessing for $9.99.
I love you Mike.
Asian here - i am built to squat. The first time i barefoot squatted (with weight) i felt a lot more activation than with shoes. Wasn't concerned with slippery feet because it was a rubber floor. These days i prefer minimal shoes for the friction but i don't sweat much in general.
I didn't know this was a thing!
I have been waiting for this. Squatting barefoot feels so right.
It really does. I can’t feel foot pressure balance when squatting with running shoes at all. I’ve not tried lifting shoes so I’ll give it a try.
gay
I try to do as much training in general barefoot but there are certain movements and circumstances that you should have on protective gear like shoes or sleeves
The hardest part for me to do when it comes to lifting shoes is finding shoes that fit me. Size 16 isn't easy to find good shoes in.
That said, I squat barefoot because it's better traction for me, I have the ankle mobility, and it's easier for me to keep weight on my heels and toes. When I squat in shoes (or do machines in shoes), I lose a lot from my heels because I tend to press through my toes if I have extra space between my heals and the pressing surface.
I almost always squat barefoot. I'm not dogmatic about it, but I typically do my workouts in flip flops or take them off when squatting or deadlifting.
I love the new channel picture
I've always been for the position that your shoe choice really doesn't matter outside extreme cases, I remember Chad Wesley Smith setting records in boat shoes. Consistency is all that really matters unless you are an elite, and my feet are remarkably consistent becuase I wear them 100% of the time.
Its just such a minor factor, you would be better just sleeping slightly earlier or strechng more or practically anything besides switching your shoes.
As long as I have my squat plug, it doesn’t matter if I’m barefoot or not
Nice take, I'll stick to the "barefoot" shoe cause it ticks all the checkboxes for me.
But hell yeah most people in my gym don't have the ankle mobility to squat comfortably.
Heberden's nodes at the DIP joints (2:58): Mike's very likely to be suffering from osteoarthritis
I was not prepared for Dr. Mike to bust out the perfect pronunciation of Буратино in a video
We need a video on how to look like Toji from Jujutsu Kaisen💪
thats a new shirt
those do-win chinese squat shoes are dope, the chinese apparently have wide feet so it was the only pair that fit me
I have literally been going back and forth with this for weeks. This settles it.
Hey dr Mike,
I've got a question! I see a lot of guys (and gals) focussing on 1 training day and ABSOLUTELY blasting a muscle group.
However, I notice I'm more comfortable doing a (sort of) full body day, and spliting the compounds and isolations of the same group over multiple days in the week.
I get less sore and it makes my day to day life a lot easier and I feel like I can go WAY harder on the excersises then if I would do them all in 1 session.
Do I leave gains behind when I do these excersises split over a week with more sessions?
Example:
Others: Squat, leg press, leg ext, 1 sesh
Me: Day 1: squat (+other muscle excersises)
Day 2: Leg press (etc.)
Day 3: Leg ext " "
We need video about barefoot deadlift!
It's probably dealer's choice with deadlift. ROM limitations due to flexibility isn't really a problem. If you were doing some deficit deadlift then barefoot would be harder.
I feel I make a better connection from my feet to my Quads and hamstrings when I wear a really good stability shoe. But if you feel it better barefoot then do what feels best for you.
I don't know about for squats, but I swear by barefoot/minimalist shoes. The way they force your ankles to get strong is unmatched to the point where I was playing tennis and accidentally landed my entire body weight on my ankle rolled on its side (I only weight 120lbs but usually that would take me out) and I felt the full pain but the moment I got off of it, I was COMPLETELY fine. No pain, no hint that anything had even happened.
It also took me months to get good at forefoot running. At first I had a lot of ankle pain and had to warm up slowly. Now, I can break into a forefoot run on concrete and it's my preferred running technique. While these shoes may or may not be ideal for squats directly, there are certainly strength/stability/pain benefits to using these shoes outside of squats.
I've worn flip flops and did MMA for so long that I literally can't feel the ground/feet connection with shoes on. I feel unstable in them. I can only squat barefoot, whenever I try a shoe, it makes everything goofy for me.
Great video. Not too much gay stuff, a few jokes, and right to the point in aroun 10 minutes.
As a person born with bare feet I approve this message
If you want affordable barefoot shoes... I would recommend feiyue. It has enough cushioning for comfort but you can feel the floor and everything on it.
I squat barefoot because I can. heel elevated squats do feel different when I'm cold but I don't need lifts for work sets.
I like barefoot shoes with a wedge under the heels. Best of both worlds!
Lol would love to hear Squat University Aaron duke it out with Dr Mike. 😂
Playing in fast forward super early just to confuse the algorithm!
Would love to have heard Mike address the fact that most of the strongest powerlifters wear flat bottom shoes like Chucks.
I need that shirt.
I use vivo barefoot shoes 🙌🏼
Love this channel it's ZERO bullshit and 100 % facts. I've been wearing barefoot shoes or fully barefoot (running/jumprope/weight training) for 13 years and my calves and feet are made of adamantium. Is there really a random joe out there who believes that barefoot squatting will make him stronger or bigger like magic 😂. BTW train your feet, most babies have stronger feet than you😁😁
Why are u so good at
pronouncing russian words? And how do u know about Buratino?
I used to love squatting in my converse high-tops. Made the switch over to barefoot a couple of years ago, and I will NEVER go back. The feeling of my feet being in contact with the ground gives me great feedback if I need to adjust during the movement, and I've never felt stronger in the bottom position.
BTW: I'm NOT training for hypertrophy and strength is my aim. I can also go ATG, have great ankle mobility and I still have great quad development. I'm 5'9" 188# at about 10% body fat and have a 500# squat. I'm never buying a pair of heeled Olympic lifting shoes.