Got My PowerFirm Shoes, Plus BEST Midsection Move

[Gary Gibson]

I got my shoes from Power Firm a few days ago. They look pretty damned snazzy, but to be totally honest I think I prefer lifting in my Chucks. I think it's probably that I'm just used to them. My absolute favorite squatting shoes are my brown leather dress Aldos. They have a little bit of a heel and the base is very wide where the ball of the foot becomes the arch. I would look silly squatting in those, however, so I'm sticking with the Power Firms. Don't get me wrong; they're fantastic. They're just not the huge improvement I thought they'd be. Coach, is this all in my head or is the wideness and non-compressibility of my dress shoes preferable?

Second, I'm doing barbell presses for the first time in many years. I can't believe I left them out so long. This is the world's best core movement trying to pass itself off as an upper body pressing movement. Between these, pull/chin ups and heavy squats and deads, what more ab training could one possibly need?! The day after a heavy press session and relatively light pull ups, my abs weren't just sore; they were deeply fatigued. Every time I contracted them I was in danger of painful cramping and locking up. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to squat that night, but my abs got better over the course of the day. Got the same sort of feeling trying to do hanging leg raises after heavy deadlifts once. No amount of unilateral pressing, windmills, bent presses or overhead squats have produced the sort of ab/lumbar eustress that proper pressing has. The world is truly a poorer place since the press lost its popularity. I'd go so far as to say that after the squat, the press is the most essential thing one can do in the gym (but I think you already said something to that effect).

[Mark Rippetoe]

Are you saying that you think the Power Firm shoes are compressible? And you're obviously right about the press.

[Gary Gibson]

Are you saying that you think the Power Firm shoes are compressible?

Heck no. I meant the relative non-compressability of my dress shoes. They can't beat the wood (heh heh) of the wieghtlifting shoes for that, but there is something to be said for that width.

[Mark Rippetoe]

How are your dress shoes wider than your WL shoes? Maybe you'd better take us a picture before too much longer.

[RobertFontaine]

I can understand where it takes a little bit to adjust to the wedge heel over chucks but I've been extremely happy with my powerfirm shoes. I had the advantage of going over to his house so I getting to try them on made it a no brainer for me.

The only item on the shoes I might ask for a bit of improvement on are the laces. The shoe itself is excellent. My chucks have not been worn since I got a real pair of shoes.