Squatting with Heals on Plates or Wearing Boots with Heals?

[TooPowerful4u]

I wanna get some through going on this topic as it has recently been discussed more than a few times latly between me and some guys with great quads, not to mention read in articles. Pretty much it caught my interest and i wanna hear some thoughts on the subject

The gist of the theory is.... if you slightly elevate your heals during squats it places more stress on your quads and less on hams and glutes. I might add i did suggest that "what if someone had good form and kept their weight on their heals". I was told that elevating the heals slightly above the toes makes the difference. Thoughts?

 

[Conan21]

Good idea

I think its a good idea. But nothing should be used exclusively.

I sure feel it more in my quads if I stick weights under my heals. keeping a narrower stance helps too. If you feel it working better in your quads when you do this it means your targetting that muscle better. No need for discussion there.

 

[gainingmass]

I'm interested in hearing the responses to this. Bump!

 

[Dave_19]

its not too difficult to squat with plates under your heels. just use some 10lb plates.

 

[bluto]

Elevated Heels

Narrow stance and or Raised definitly makes me use my quads more but I am not able to push as heavier weights. I find if I go too heavy with plates under my heels then at full depth my knees are going past my toes too much and it kills my patella tendons.

For big legs I think using the heaviest weight possible for good reps would be best. But I guess it depends if you want just big quads with small glutes and hams ???????????????????????

 

[VinNJ]

I use plates when I go narrow basically because I can balance myself easier.

 

[IronMike]

...

I use plates under my heels. Not sure whether it does a lot re focusing the quads - for me it is a matter of comfort. My knees/ankles/other joints hit a better arc etc when my heels are slightly elevated. They have more strain put on them when I don't use an elevated heel. IronMike

 

[bulldog21]

Narrow stance and or Raised definitly makes me use my quads more but I am not able to push as heavier weights. I find if I go too heavy with plates under my heels then at full depth my knees are going past my toes too much and it kills my patella tendons.

For big legs I think using the heaviest weight possible for good reps would be best. But I guess it depends if you want just big quads with small glutes and hams ???????????????????????

I do squats with 10lb plates but have to lower the wieght too. I usually do a 3 count down one count up with lots of reps 15-20. Doing too much weight with elevated heels I usually feel nothing in the quads and al in the knee esp. the patella tendon...

 

[Hercules]

if your goal is to hit the quads more, then front squats are what you should be doing. they will hit the quads better than any regular squat with heels raised or not. best quad builder there is imo.

 

[BigSdawg]

I like to have my stance pretty narrow when i squat, really hits my quads good. I have never used the plates under heals tho.

sage

 

[g32]

i use plates under my heels so that way i can squat deeper , the closer you get your ass to your ankles the more you grow .

 

[badman]

I have had no problems with my heels raising during heavy work sets. I have never used plates to place under my heels, because I heard that puts the knees in an ackward position. Not really sure what to believe, but just a nice deep squat usually solves the problem for legs. My stance is just a tiny bit past shoulder width.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

I know many people who just can't physically squat without raising their heals. Personally, I don't try to put the weight on my heels or toes but the entire bottom of my foot. At least for me personally, whenever I've placed weight under my heals, I can't do the heavier weight.

It could be one of those things that is just based on the person. Good topic though. I'd like to know if raising your heals hits the quads better. It definitely would hit your calves more.

I'd be worried about rocking forward and injuring my back so I always sit back into them. Interesting.

 

[Vespa103]

Ok well if you believe that going heavy builds muscle I would think this is definately not the way to go

Shoes built for squatting are completely flat you want the foot surface area matching the ground. Nobody is powerlifting in heals. When you use a plate there is part of the foot not touching the ground at all.

Having said this most people squat with an eleveated heal already without realizing it. Take a look at those running type shock shoes everyone is wearing in the gym if you notice they have considerably more cushion under the heal than the toe. This essentially elevates the heal and makes you lean forward and while I don't like that its still probaly more stable than putting on a shoe that is already designed to make you lean forward then slippping a round plate underneath your heal

For stability a flat shoe or even barefoot would be best

But to each his own just don't wind up being the guy squatting while standing on a big blue ball for "core strength"

 

[Sesshomaru]

Elevated heels work the quad more mainly because it allows people to go down deeper (due to less flexibility required by the ankle) and requires greater flexion of the knee to reach parallel. The deeper you go, the more your vastus medialis is worked and the more glute you need to get out of the hole.

With that said, you dont need to deep squat for big legs. You can quarter squat, stack the weight, and watch your vastus lateralis grow, but you better make sure that the rest of your training addresses your hamstrings and vastus medialis (i.e. 45 degree leg curls, deadlifts, lunges, etc.).

Now, you can squat in any shoe, but you run the risk of having a shoe that will buckle overtime under serious weight. If you have arch issues with your feet, then youre running the risk of throwing off your knee mechanics and can hurt yourself (speaking from experience). If you're squatting some serious weight, you might want to invest in a pair of squatting shoes, with a flat footing and wooden heel so that it wont give at all. This is an example (note there are cheaper shoes out there, but this is the quickest example):

**broken link removed**

 

[TooPowerful4u]

With that said, you dont need to deep squat for big legs. You can quarter squat, stack the weight, and watch your vastus lateralis grow, but you better make sure that the rest of your training addresses your hamstrings and vastus medialis (i.e. 45 degree leg curls, deadlifts, lunges, etc.).

Are you saying that quarter squats build sweep better??????? I neeveerrr feel my sweep unless i go deep enough, im confused

 

[g32]

[COLOR="Black[COLOR="Black"]"With that said, you dont need to deep squat for big legs. You can quarter squat, stack the weight, and watch your vastus lateralis grow, but you better make sure that the rest of your training addresses your hamstrings and vastus medialis (i.e. 45 degree leg curls, deadlifts, lunges, etc.)."

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I dont know anyone who has really big legs that doesnt squat deep . try squating deep and watch your legs grow . You know i used to think exactly like wht your saying then one day i seen this one guy with some really huge legs and i ask him whts your secret he told me its simple you gotta squat deep for 20 reps .He also told me you wont be able to do alot of weight deep at first . then he went on to tell me when you can do 225 for 20 as deep as you can go and you do it consistantly your legs will be bigger than the guy doing 375 to knee height . i was squating 315 to knee height for 15 . i started to do squats deep i could only do 185 for 20 reps . now im up to 275 deep as i can go . My ass touches my calves . my legs have grown considerably and have changed more in 3 months than they have in three years . Just my 2 cents .

 

[Sesshomaru]

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I dont know anyone who has really big legs that doesnt squat deep . try squating deep and watch your legs grow . You know i used to think exactly like wht your saying then one day i seen this one guy with some really huge legs and i ask him whts your secret he told me its simple you gotta squat deep for 20 reps .He also told me you wont be able to do alot of weight deep at first . then he went on to tell me when you can do 225 for 20 as deep as you can go and you do it consistantly your legs will be bigger than the guy doing 375 to knee height . i was squating 315 to knee height for 15 . i started to do squats deep i could only do 185 for 20 reps . now im up to 275 deep as i can go . My ass touches my calves . my legs have grown considerably and have changed more in 3 months than they have in three years . Just my 2 cents .

Before eveyone starts jumping in, let me clarify a few things:

1) I squat deep, in fact for my sport I squat deeper than most people are willing to and 3-5 times a week.

2) Deep squatting will build big legs, BUT if you have an issue that is preventing you from squatting butt to ankles (i.e. torn PCL, long femurs relative to the tibia), you can build your legs well in another fashion. I mean nothing more, nothing less from that statement.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

I still lift in wrestling shoes (old habits die hard) - cheap and flat on the bottom. How deep is deep? I get to parrallel (maybe slighly below) and my calves and hams are resting on each other... I don't think I could go any lower no matter what I did. Is it possible that everyone's kinesiology is just different enough to prevent ONE definitive way of squatting?

 

[badman]

Depth depends on a different person I am about a true 2-3 inches from touching the floor with my ass lol... If my calves were not in the way I probally could...