Look what arrived on my front porch minutes before Mal and I were about to leave for CrossFit last night! New lifting shoes! Yay!
Check out these beauties! They’re the New Balance WT20’s, which are part of the Minimus Trail collection. They’re basically a cross between barefoot running shoes and traditional, more cushioned trail running shoes. (FYI: They’re on sale right now at Zappos.com!)
Naturally, I needed to test them out immediately. Derp.
So, what’s the deal with my new kicks? Apparently, running sneakers (like I’ve been wearing to CrossFit for the past month) are the wrong type of shoes to wear for lifting weights. Here’s why (from CrossFit 781):
Wrong Shoes: Running Shoes. The air & gel filling is great for reducing impact shock from running (if you were running correctly in the first place you wouldn’t even need that!), but really bad for lifting. Running shoes will limit your strength and prevent good lifting technique.
- Unstable. Soles are squishy so you can’t predict their behavior on each rep. This makes it harder to control your technique and lift properly.
- Power Loss. The soles absorb the force generated against the floor instead of directing it towards moving the weight. You lose strength.
- Dangerous. Higher risk of injury, especially with heavier weights, since the soles make it hard to balance yourself and are less stable.
So, what should you be wearing? CrossFit 781 suggests Chuck Taylors, ballet slippers (for real), and going barefoot. Other options: New Balance Minimus collection, Vibrams, Inov-8 Lites, and Reebok.
Good lifting shoes fit snuggly and have sturdy, hard and slim soles that are not slippery. Basically, you want your feet as close to the floor as possible for optimum control and stability when lifting. Lifting shoes give you better traction and balance than regular sneakers because your heels better sense the pressure of the weight. Additionally, good lifting shoes can even fix technique issues since you’ll better sit (back) into your squats and your heels will remain on the floor. This, of course, reduces the risk of injury. Proper form also gives you more power! ROAR!
Workout
Last night, Mal and I headed to CrossFit a little earlier than usual, so I could work on the goal that I set for myself last month to do two unassisted pull-ups by February 1st. I’m trying to learn how to do kipping pull-ups as a way to make these unassisted pull-ups happen. Kipping gives you some momentum to do a pull-up, so it might seem like cheating, but it’s actually pretty difficult and requires some practice. The movement is taken from gymnastics, and it uses multiple muscle groups from head to toe. Here’s a kipping video if you want to see what it’s all about.
I wasn’t able to do a kipping pull-up last night, but I’ve made some serious progress in the past few week. I couldn’t even hang from the pull-up bar when I first started CrossFit, but now I can kip pretty well—I just need to do that pull-up! Maybe it’ll happen next week?
WOD:
“Nancy”
5 rounds for time of:
400 meter run
15 Overhead Squats (95, 65)
Another fun WOD! We did 5 rounds of 400m runs followed by 15 Overhead Squats. I used 35 pounds on the Overhead Squats for the first 4 rounds, but when I returned from my final 400m, there were no free 35-pound bars, so I grabbed a 45-pound one instead. Surprisingly, it wasn’t all that difficult. I was a little wobbly on my last two reps, but I think I probably could have handled 40 pounds for the entire workout. Next time, Nancy!
Dinner
I’m out-of-town until Friday, so I made a huge salad for dinner to use up some of the veggies in our refrigerator. I topped my salad with a can of tuna, Avocado Salsa, truffle oil, and balsamic vinegar. It might not look like it, but this salad was really massive. I actually wasn’t sure if I could finish it. But, of course, I did.
After dinner, I enjoyed a small handful of M & M’s.
Question of the Day
Do you change up your footwear for different workouts or just stick to the same pair of sneakers?
In the past, I always wore running shoes for my workouts, including Body Pump, Step Aerobics, Spin, etc., but now I’m realizing how important it is to wear the proper footwear.
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I try to wear the least shoe possible when I lift because I always feel more muscles working. I used to wear my Vibrams more often but stopped because I was tired of all the comments but after reading this, maybe I will have to just wear them and who cares about what kinds of looks I get!
I know I should be wearing different shoes when I lift, but I’m too freaking cheap to buy them. Lame, but true!
i have different shoes for running (asics) and bootcamp,zumba,kickboxing (reeboks strength training shoes).
I never used to, but my hubby got me these really fun cross training Nikes for my birthday, so I have been wearing those when I do dvds at home or just basic cross training type workouts, but I stick to my Asics for running since they have better support in the areas I need it.
I have recently come to the same realization. Until a few months I took about 10 months off of serious running, but am now training for a half marathon and possibly a fall marathon. I found that the Nike Frees I bought were great for my classes at the gym, but really painful on shins for running. Bought my first pair of Kharu running shoes and am in love!
I have those shoes and I love them! My husband has them as well and he is also a huge fan. Enjoy!
I’m liking your new shoes! When I do BodyPump or just head out to lift, I wear my Nike TR Free training shoes. It feels so much more sturdy than my other shoes and are cute to boot
I have my Mizuno wave riders that I use for outdoor runs and the elliptical. Then for treadmill runs and weight lifting I wear Nike Free 3.0′s. I like switching it up, and found when I always wore the same shoes my feet would get sore.
I got spin shoes for Christmas and I feel like they really make a difference in my pedal stroke.
For running I use my Nike Pegasus, which I will be devastated if they ever get rid of the pegasus or vomero shoes. For spin, I use my Nike Free running shoes, because cycling shoes are not cheap. When I teach Zumba, I wear my dance sneakers or sometimes and old pair of running shoes that have no tread on them whatsoever. Although, I’ve just recently started wearing my Vibram Fiver Fingers while lifting weights, because I just can’t run without heel pain in them. Sometimes I lift barefoot, but for plyometrics I use old running shoes. My closet is full of workout shoes.
excellent shoe choice! I have the same ones, and two pair of the Minimus 10s. I really prefer the 10s for lifting. I think they’re more comfortable than the 20s. and they come in cuter colors.
I’m a bit addicted to NB Minimus and order another pair every time a new color comes out!
Thanks so much for sharing those shoes!
Did you find the size is in line with other New Balance’s you have had? I am considering ordering them for my crossfit-type training as well and my trainer actually suggested those.. and since they are on sale why not try them NOW?!
Good question! I was debating what size to buy since I got them online. I wear a 7 in regular shoes, an 8 in New Balance running shoes, and the 7 New Balance WT20 fit me perfectly. Hope this helps!
@Tina: yes very helpful! Thank you!
Oh yeah. Great excuse for some new shoes!!! I have a confession. I usually just use my worn out running shoes for other workouts.
I have mizuno minimalist sneakers that I initially bought for running but since have basically stopped running I find them great for lifting and crossfit. They have a low heel so they work well, but I’m considering wearing my chuck taylors to class today after reading that, I didn’t know they were recommended!
I wear my New Balance Minimus shoes for lifting and Adidas for running. I definitely notice the difference between wearing my NBs for lifting – such an improvement and feels so much better. You’ll love it!
Interesting about the shoes- I always assumed running shoes were suitable for all workouts!
Love the shoes! I wear the same ones for Crossfit. I was a little skeptical at first, I thought my feet would be killing me after a set of box jumps but I absolutely love them. Great work Tina…I love hearing about your new crossfit obsession. Right after my first WOD I new crossfit and I were meant to be.
Same here. I was pretty skeptical and put off buying them for a month, but I wore them last night (and even ran in them) and loved them! My Overheat Squats were really good last night!
LOL that is a great quote! I wear running shoes for most of my cardio (Asics all the way!) but for spin, I absolutely must have my spin shoes on. Before I started teaching, I just wore my running shoes, but the difference is enormous and after 3 1/2 years of having the proper shoes, I don’t think I could ever go back!
Love that quote!!
LoL. I noticed you’ve been really uping your protein lately. Is this because of cross fit? I’ve been trying to do the same by eating salads with lean protein options. I’ve also dramatically cut out down on my carb intake in order to help me build muscle and strength. I’ve really been feeling better too.
Yep!
I crossfitted for almost a year in my running sneakers, but would kick them off for certain exercises (any thing with a squat). For Christmas I got the NB minimus 10′s, and am loving them! I’m waiting for this version to go on sale since the new versions are coming out soon and I’m going to buy some backups!
If you like those, you should definitely try the MX20s, which is New Balance’s “true” Xfit shoe. I rotate through a bunch of different shoes, the two pair of these that I have are definitely my favorite. They do run a half size small, but they fit perfectly if you don’t wear socks (as they are designed).
dear Tina, guess what? today i had a Carrots N Cake breakfast – whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter, banana, and chia seeds! i adore your blog (thanks for motivating while still writing in an approachable, relatable way). my sister and i now say, “Carrots N Cake would be so proud!” whenever we work out, or eat something that we have seen on your blog. here’s to reaching our fitness and life goals in 2012!
wow… you and this crossfit buisness is getting really annoying. Its all you talk about and surprise not all your readers relate to it! Do you not have anything else to talk about? Im going to stop reading this blog due to that and Im sure im not the only one. If you are going to have a blog and quit a normal job to have one, you might want to keep as many readers as possible and talk about a wide range of topics. It sounds like all you do with your day is crossfit and run. How sad.
L/Sara: I’m sorry to see you go, but a lot of my readers enjoy this new content and can relate to it.
L (or is it Sara?): What constitutes a ‘normal job’? Just want to make sure I have one. TIA.
Hey Tina!
I’ve been following your blog for years now, but I’m just starting to officially enter the blogworld. To be honest, I have never given a second thought to shoes while exercising! In the past, I would simply choose a comfortable, safe, and cute pair; if it fits, it worked for me! Your post makes me think about switching up shoes for different exercises…I’m interested now!
http://www.vegancitydweller.wordpress.com
SO.MANY.SHOES
I have invo8′s for crossfit and some running, free 3.0 for distance running and pendlay weightlifting shoes for strength days!!
My, oh my. Glad oyu are enjoying crossfit. Only advice, which I wish I had followed more in the beginning was adaquate rest. Rest is when the magic happens.
Also dont be freaked out when the day comes that you cant follow a 3on 1 off or whatever your normall schedule is – especially as the weigth you use n workouts increases. Some days you might need a rest day after 1 on. And thats ok!!
@Megs: Thanks for the reminder. It’s so hard to take a day off, especially because I love the workouts so much as well as the people at my box. I feel like I am missing out if I miss a day, but you are totally right. I’m trying to schedule in at least two rest days each week, so the magic can happen!
@Tina: Trust me, totally relate!!! Or just when u should rest a wod with stuff you LOVE (for me double unders, chipper, or burpees) comes up…but the reality is They’ll show up again!!
@Megs: totally agree! I just did a WOD on sunday that had pull ups, OHS, double unders, and kettlebell swings..my arms have been so sore!!
Oooh also, I love Nike Frees for crossfit
I have clip-ins for spinning, but I wear the same running shoes for strength training and cardio. I do feel like I’m a little wobbly during bodypump, which I’m sure isn’t helping my over-use knee injuries. Probably a good idea to invest in some better lifting shoes.
P.S. I made an appointment with the chiropractor (Erik) at Ombe based on a review you did a while back to see if I can get to the bottom of my knee problems. My husband saw him a few times for runner’s knee last Spring and he’s been running pain-free since! Crossing my fingers he can help me. I’m getting so frustrated!
@Amanda: Nice! Erik is great! Good luck!
omg, those shoes are so nice.
and i love zappos – best customer service
I definitely change up my shoes. — love yours btw.
When I was a competitive powerlifter, I practically wore flats in order to be as low to the ground as possible. Post of the powerlifters wore Converse… I wasn’t cool enough.
I always wear the same shoes, but that’s more of a money issue. buying new shoes is expensive when you live off student loans! I do want to buy some minimalist shoes though!
Oh my word, I love that quote!! Too funny!!
When I was doing crossfit I wore Nike frees or Nike free trainers. I started to really like the Nike free trainers. They are very flat but have a little more lateral support than regular frees. I HATE Nancy!
@Alicia: i hate nancy too!! its the first WOD i felt like I was going to throw up after…even worse than Fran for me.
I always switch up my shoes depending on what I am doing : teaching Zumba, running, lifting, teaching BodyPUMP, etc. It is SO importnat–great tips, Tina!
Nice work on the overhead squats! Have fun in NYC
That’s interesting! I just wrote an a blog post about barefoot/minimalist running shoes a few days ago! Check it out if you have time. I normally don’t leave links on people’s blog post because it seems kind of intrusive, but check it out if you have time. You might find it interesting.
http://lengslog.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/barefoot-minimalist-running-the-new-trend/
Thank you! I will definitely check it out!
Love all the crossfit info/ enthusiasm ! As a gymnast myself I wonder how the workouts would compare to my normal conditioning routine. Are any instructors/ fellow box mates former gymnasts ? Keep up the great work- once you do those pull ups there’s no going back !
Yes, a couple of them are former gymnasts, and they’re really good at CrossFit– super stronger and pick up new things really fast!
When I used to lift, I wore my running shoes but if you’re serious about lifting, or any particular physical activity or sport, I think it’s always best if you can swing it$$ to have different shoes targeted to that sport.
Enjoy your new kicks!
L said it a little more directly than I would have, but I have must admit I tend to agree. The “Cult of Crossfit” seems to turn people into zombies capable of talking about only 1 thing. I don’t recall such frequent and in depth descriptions of Body Pump, for instance. I still like your style and will tune in occasionally, but the constant CF/running stuff has made me somewhat uninterested to catch up daily. Guess you can’t please everybody though!
I definitely change up my footwear for lifting and circuit training. I use some very light weight Nike’s. I need a little bit of cushion because most of my work outs involve some kind of cardio as well.
I definitely change shoes. Here’s the list –
Size 11 Running shoes – easy/long runs
Size 10 running shoes – track workouts (they aren’t as long, so my feet don’t swell)
NB Minimus – Crossfit
Vibrams – Straight weight lifting
Whenever I’m wearing running shoes and I need to do balance work, I always take my shoes off. I have no balance with all that cushion. Too many years of dance.
While I think it is great that you are into cross fit and learning all about it, I will say I was a bit disappointed to see how the direction of your blog is going and maybe that is just due to changes in your goals and lifestyle. One thing I really liked about reading your blog is that you lead a healthy lifestyle, but still eat and live like the rest of us. I guess what I am saying is that now it seems like you are really changing the way you eat and exercise. I liked seeing that you are fit and healthy but still enjoy eating regular things, too….ie cake, making recipes without some alternate flour or ingredient substitution to make them “healthier”….etc. Lately here it seems like you do make a lot of substitutions. And while I do think it is interesting what you can add to a recipe to give it more proteing…one thing I liked about your blog is that you would eat that regular apple crisp, have that piece of pizza, but stayed healthy and looked great. You showed that moderation was part of it…Now it seems like that occasional regular dessert isn’t so much of an option. I saw that you are taking a new challenge with eating for the weight loss and waist circumference challenge part of it. You seem really fit, small waist, and are thin. Losing weight at this point seems a bit unhealthy. Why are you trying to lose weight? It also seems like you are crazy into working out a ton now. Why all of a sudden this change? I am really trying not to criticize, but I have noticed as a reader of your blog, it made me feel like what I was doing and how I was living was great. That you could eat those things in moderation, but also make healthy changes and choices and be fit and healthy. There are too many sites out there devoted to becoming very thin, only eating very healthy, and losing weight and I feel like this is where this blog is headed. In the past few weeks reading your blog, I have noticed lately that I have felt like I am not doing enough and not eating properly, where that might not be the case. That being 5’4″ and 117 lbs isn’t healthy enough. I do workout and feel I am in good shape. I know there is always more you can do and I am open to that, and I do realize that I need to be myself and decide what is best for me and not let others influence me, which I guess might be not reading your blog anymore. Maybe I need to find better sources for me. I wondered what your thoughts on this are? Maybe I am looking at your changes in the wrong way?? Again, I am not trying to be harsh. I love your site and reading about your life, so I thought I would share my thoughts with you. Thanks
Yea, I think you’re looking at these changes in the wrong way. I’m trying to make healthy changes to my life that work for me, which includes CF and cleaning up my diet. I still eat junk (chocolate, pizza, booze), but less of it and more of the healthy stuff, which, to me, is a GOOD thing. I want to be healthier and more fit all around, so it really has nothing to do with losing weight. (I’m only participating in that part of the challenge because it was part of the baseline measurements.) If anything, I want to gain muscle!
Salad looks yummy! I do change my shoes up…I have my running shoes (2 pair), and then I have my aerobic shoes.
Love the quote!
Ironic, I was just wondering about running shoes and lifting the other night. And because of the cushion in the running shoes. Then last night, I just happened to see The Natural Running Store on twitter and found out about the Inov-8 Lites. And tweeted about them. Thank you for finding out the info.
Guess it gives me an excuse to shop for new shoes.
I wear Nike Frees for lifting. The frees since they are a minimalist shoe, and Nike because I like their shoes in general. They are great for the squat rack!
Not wearing the right shoes for what you are doing is like wearing flip flops in the snow.
Hey those are the same lifting shoes I wear! Except mine and black and pink. Love em. Before that I just wore my Converse Chucks! They worked pretty great, too
Just wanted to thank you for the oatless oats. Kept me full for 5 hours which regular oats never do.
I switch my shoes up for all my workouts. I can tell when a shoe was not intended to do a certain activity. And I have a major shoe problem.
Hi, Tina. I am a long time reader of your blog since back to the days when you were getting in shape for your wedding. I’m happy that you’ve found cross fit and you obviously really love it. However, it seems to be the number one topic on your blog and I’ve found myself not really reading your posts like I used to. I’m not interested in cross fit. It doesn’t fit into my lifestyle or my budget. It’s almost like I can’t remember what you used to post about before cross fit! Anyways, I will still check in from time to time, but probably won’t be a loyal reader like I was in the past. Just wanted to give my honest feedback!
Thanks for the shoe recommendation! I am looking into getting my first pair of strictly lifting shoes as well since I definitely think it can make a difference.
So are you planning on sticking with CrossFit for the long haul then? I am just curious since I have just started CrossFit too and the only thing that make me hesitant about regularly doing it, is the price! CrossFit is kind of expensive where I live. If you don’t mind me asking, and of course you certainly don’t have to answer, but what does your Box charge for a monthly membership?
@Jordan K.: Yea, it’s very expensive, but worth the price. Mal and I pay $300 for an unlimited couple’s membership.
I CrossFit in those shoes, too! I love them. It really does make a huge difference–I find it helps a lot with agility stuff like double unders, as well as heavy lifts.
Just wanted to say its been fun reading about all the changes you are making (cleaning up your diet, crossfit). It’s inspiring me to eat more veggies! Also, it’s been fun to watch your enthusiasm for Crossfit. Crossfit isn’t my thing (I love running and REALLY hate the gym) but I have been doing some bootcamp workouts at home to improve my strength. I normally wear Asics GT 21XX shoes while running. I have a naturally “good” mid-strike stride & have never been injured (not even a twinge through 25+ races), so I’ve worn the same brand/type of shoe for 7 yrs. When doing bootcamp I go barefoot. I feel like I can feel more to get proper form/balance when going barefoot. I also spent a LOT of time barefoot as a kid running around, which I think has helped with my “natural” running form, so barefoot feels extremely normal and “good” to me.
I don’t really do alot of cross training but my running sneaks are for running only – I don’t even do errands in them unless the sneaks have been retired to work around the house sneaks. My running shoes are removed immediately post run. I do have a pair of vibram shoes if I can ever get my butt to the gym. My philosophy is the more shoes the merrier.
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