Foot to Floor while doing squats?

Pipsg1rl

This is not a question about heel lifting.

Not a question about feet straight or slightly pointed outward.

I've tried to Google the answer and search the forums, but I'm not really finding what I need.

When I squat I curl my toes up and almost don't have any of the front of my foot touching the floor. I know most people have the opposite problem where their heels come up. (No problem with Sumo squats).

I'm not sure I'm getting the proper function out of the squat when I do it like this. I am in the middle of a BeachBody program and the trainer (Chalene) has a specific listing for "Heel Squats" which is where the front of the foot doesn't touch the floor and you push your heels down to target different muscles.

I'm trying to see if I may need to correct my feet and figure out how to keep them flat. I've been doing better adding weight and depth, but now I'm second guessing myself.

I guess I *thought* I was doing them right, but now I'm not so sure.

No_Finish_Line

not sure. assuming its just your toes off the ground, i dont think its going to effect which muscles are targeted, or at least not nearly as much as a part of the foot (heel or front part) being off the ground

Pipsg1rl

Ok, to be sure I just did one barefoot in my cube. (I'm a chic, I can do that)

I pull both the toes and gently lift the balls of my feet slightly off the ground.

For the specified heel squats I try to pull the balls of my feet more away from the ground and that is harder (for balance purposes).

No_Finish_Line

hmm, in that case i think it probably would be best to try to learn how to do it completely flat footed.

hopefully a form guru will chime in lol

DavPul

odd. you're saying you have no control to press your foot flat to the floor? while the weight should be centered over your heels, your stability comes from your whole foot, and if you're rocking further and further back on your heels i don't see what's going to stop you from toppling backwards as the weight gets higher. it's a squat, not a circus balancing act.

press your whole foot into the floor and keep it there. use an empty bar or pvc pipe and keep practicing form until you can squat without tipping backwards. i would say to work on mobility but i've never seen an able bodied person not be able to flex their foot forward enough to keep it on the ground, so that makes me think it's in head more. practice practice practice

rachelg145

When I went to a college with a major football program I occasionally worked out with one of the grad assistant coaches who was a football player previously and in phenomenal shape. He always said push through the heels and lift the toes (not the pad of your foot, only your toes, so you maintain appropriate contact with the floor) if you need to in order to keep your form right. That's how I've always done squats ever since. Not saying anyone is right or wrong, that's just who I learned from and he had top trainers available to him for years in a major conditioning sport.

WandaMM1

Based on what my trainer tells me - you should keep your whole foot on the floor for stability but have your weight centered (or SLIGHTLY) back. You should be able to lift your toes, as a test to determine where your weight is, but they should be on the floor.

By the way, heels up puts the main focus on the quads. Heels down keeps the focus on the glutes.

holothuroidea

The weight should be centered over midfoot, and should stay that way through the entire movement. If you're lifting the balls of your foot off the ground, the weight is too far back.

It's a problem because you're not maximizing your lift potential and because you risk loosing the weight behind you, and you'll notice these things more as the weight gets heavier. If you're only doing BW squats I wouldn't worry about it too much, you might be working a slightly different pattern of muscles but at BW you're not going to notice that much of a difference.

It might be a flexibility issue. If the muscles of your ankles and knees are too tight, you can't move your knee far enough in front of your hip to keep your weight balanced over the mid-foot.

Can you sit in a hero pose?

Pipsg1rl

The weight should be centered over midfoot, and should stay that way through the entire movement. If you're lifting the balls of your foot off the ground, the weight is too far back.

It's a problem because you're not maximizing your lift potential and because you risk loosing the weight behind you, and you'll notice these things more as the weight gets heavier. If you're only doing BW squats I wouldn't worry about it too much, you might be working a slightly different pattern of muscles but at BW you're not going to notice that much of a difference.

It might be a flexibility issue. If the muscles of your ankles and knees are too tight, you can't move your knee far enough in front of your hip to keep your weight balanced over the mid-foot.

Can you sit in a hero pose?

Sorry, I'm not a total newb, but: what is BW?

Also, I'm not sure about hero pose, I'll try today.

I'll have some time today to focus more on trying to keep my foot on the ground. I also have read that being able to lift the toes is a good sign.

Additionally, I thought squatting on your toes was bad form?

Maybe if I were to use a barbell instead of dumbells this could help?

JoRocka

body weight

Body weight squats = no weight- no bar.

I'm squatting BW means- I'm squatting 170.

Cherimoose

When I squat I curl my toes up and almost don't have any of the front of my foot touching the floor. I know most people have the opposite problem where their heels come up. (No problem with Sumo squats).

Your center of gravity is probably farther back than most .. usually due to longer thigh bones, or keeping your torso too upright. As your shin muscle get stronger your form should improve. In the mean time, add sumo's, goblet squats, or front squats.

SapiensPisces

My guess is that you have a relatively short torso and long femurs (thigh bones) so without pushing the upper torso really far forward, you're going going to have your toes come up as you get lower into the squat as the weight will be behind or close to the back side of the heels just to balance yourself. There's a nice article here about this situation as it comes up with others especially tall athletes: http://voices.yahoo.com/why-femur-torso-ratio-squatting-not-nonsense-11801453.html

Front squats and goblet squats are good alternatives for this situation. You'll want to add some extra glute exercises as well if you happen to drop doing back squats all together (I did exactly this because I have the same problem with leverages and never looked back).

DavPul

body weight

Body weight squats = no weight- no bar.

I'm squatting BW means- I'm squatting 170.

you weigh 170? are you taller than i thought?

holothuroidea

Sorry, I'm not a total newb, but: what is BW?

Also, I'm not sure about hero pose, I'll try today.

I'll have some time today to focus more on trying to keep my foot on the ground. I also have read that being able to lift the toes is a good sign.

Additionally, I thought squatting on your toes was bad form?

Maybe if I were to use a barbell instead of dumbells this could help?

BW is Body Weight, or doing a squat with no barbell, dumbbells or other weight added.

The hero pose is a good test for knee and ankle flexibility. See if you can do it. If not, you need to work on those areas and doing the pose a few times a day will probably help.

Proper form is to keep the weight centered over midfoot. You should not lift your heels or the balls of your feet off the ground, although you will be able to lift your toes a bit.

No harm in trying a barbell to see if it's easier for you, but I really suspect this is either a flexibility or anatomy problem.

JoRocka

body weight

Body weight squats = no weight- no bar.

I'm squatting BW means- I'm squatting 170.

you weigh 170? are you taller than i thought?

I am as of this morning 166 lbs (tomorrow will probabaly be back at 170- my body likes that number)
I've Been stuck at 170- dropped since the peak of my bulk from 180.

I'm a serious fat kid- it seems at 5'8" I hide it well.

DavPul

body weight

Body weight squats = no weight- no bar.

I'm squatting BW means- I'm squatting 170.

you weigh 170? are you taller than i thought?

I am as of this morning 166 lbs (tomorrow will probabaly be back at 170- my body likes that number)
I've Been stuck at 170- dropped since the peak of my bulk from 180.

I'm a serious fat kid- it seems at 5'8" I hide it well.

No, you're not. not even close

SezxyStef

In order to see if I had most of my weight going through my heels during squats I have lifted my toes...but that was effort and I lifted to high once and almost fell backwards...

that was scary..

Not sure how you aren't going backwards if you toes are coming up consistently...

JoRocka

body weight

Body weight squats = no weight- no bar.

I'm squatting BW means- I'm squatting 170.

you weigh 170? are you taller than i thought?

I am as of this morning 166 lbs (tomorrow will probabaly be back at 170- my body likes that number)
I've Been stuck at 170- dropped since the peak of my bulk from 180.

I'm a serious fat kid- it seems at 5'8" I hide it well.

No, you're not. not even close

apparently for these forum's I am tall and heavy- that or a lot more people are lying than my honest nature is willing to admit. LOL... I'll also admit- it's mostly an inner fat kid

Pipsg1rl

Thanks everyone!
Ok, duh to BW=Body Weight. Now that you say it it makes total sense.

I can do the hero pose, no problems, even gently wiggle myself around with no problems.

I'm 5'2, 132ish, and wear a Petite length pant. I have been told before that for such a "short girl" I have a long torso (this from a person trying to fit me properly in a specialized scuba BC.)

I was definitely paying attention yesterday... I wonder if it may be the shoes I'm in that makes it feel like my balls of the feet are not on the ground.

I do sumos but will try and swap the regular squats for the goblet squats.

Thank you all for not thinking I'm crazy.

alyssa_6481

I have the same issue. My toes are rarely on the ground when I do squats.

My last trainer was always trying to make adjustments to my form but I had a really hard time balancing just right to do it the way he wanted me to. I do have a short torso and long legs. Generally I have great balance so I know it isn't a regular balance issue.

Thanks for posting this!

Pipsg1rl

I have the same issue. My toes are rarely on the ground when I do squats.

My last trainer was always trying to make adjustments to my form but I had a really hard time balancing just right to do it the way he wanted me to. I do have a short torso and long legs. Generally I have great balance so I know it isn't a regular balance issue.

Thanks for posting this!

Yay! Glad someone else got some benefit

McCluskey1128

I'm same height and weight and my toes come up too! I just accept it for what it is! The squats have been working, as far as I can tell...a** is looking good! At least compared to what it used to be.

SezxyStef

can you try squatting barefoot? I do...mind you it's at a home gym but maybe sock footed?

kcmcd

Long torso here, too (hooray, right? God bless being long waisted). My toes sometimes come off the floor when I'm pushing up from a squat. Especially if I'm moving a little too quickly. It's hard to keep the weight centered 100% of the time. But I'll also lift my toes on purpose now and again to make sure I'm not leaning forward... I guess I'm all over the place.

Pipsg1rl

I definitely think it's the shoes. I'm currently working out in a gym in the office building I'm in, so I'm not sure I want to go barefoot.

Today I did try the goblet squat idea and DANG! I could really feel the engaging and it didn't seem like my feet were coming up, maybe because of the position of the weight?

High Fives all around for helping me try to figure this out.