Slippery Deadlifting Platform

mom23mangos
mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
So my gym just recently put in these really pretty deadlifting platforms. They have a nice cushioned rubber matting on the outside and are hardwood in the middle. As much as I love the rubber, I'm struggling deadlifting now because of the hardwood. I'm pretty short and like to sumo deadlift. My legs are not long enough to reach the rubber part and my shoes just end up sliding on the wood. I tried going barefoot last week and it worked a little better until my feet got sweaty and then they just started sliding too. Any suggestions? Go back to conventional deadlifts? Chalk my feet? Different shoes?

Replies

  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    what kind of shoes are you wearing?
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    chunky_pinup wrote: »
    Cheap, sticky hairspray. Spray it on the bottoms of your shoes. It'll help until the wood gets the sheen worn off a bit!

    Ingenious! There's a sticky spray we used to use in aerial silks too! Totally wouldn't have thought of that. Thank you!
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    what kind of shoes are you wearing?

    Knock-off chucks
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,454 Member
    mom23mangos wrote: »
    chunky_pinup wrote: »
    Cheap, sticky hairspray. Spray it on the bottoms of your shoes. It'll help until the wood gets the sheen worn off a bit!

    Ingenious! There's a sticky spray we used to use in aerial silks too! Totally wouldn't have thought of that. Thank you!
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    what kind of shoes are you wearing?

    Knock-off chucks

    There you go. Real Chucks aren't bad but no where near as good a sole as when they were the standard basketball shoe. I can't imagine the sole quality on knock-offs.

    My gym has deadlifting platforms as you describe, I wear Nike Metcon and New Balance Minimus and had no issues since they were installed.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
    My gym's are also as you describe. The wood gets dusty and slippery. I'll rub my shoe along the rougher rubber part to scrape off dust and rough them up a bit. I pull conventional, so less likely to slip anyway.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Chucks can be slippery to some sumo pullers.

    I suggest to use leather wrestling or soccer shoes. They should have better arch support, side support, and a sole that grips the platform.

    If you train at a powerlifting/strongman gym you might have luck with finding a single rubber mat or horse stall mat laying around that you can lay on the platform.

    Lastly might try deadlift socks though I usually don't recommend them to most lifters for the same reasons I prefer leather wrestling or soccer shoes.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited April 2019
    I hate that platform. We have one like that and two that are all rubber, luckily. I just stick to the all rubber ones, and leave the wood one for those who don't pull sumo. Even the gym owner says the wood platform was a mistake. It looks cool, though. It has the gym logo on the wood.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    edited April 2019
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Chucks can be slippery to some sumo pullers.

    I suggest to use leather wrestling or soccer shoes. They should have better arch support, side support, and a sole that grips the platform.

    If you train at a powerlifting/strongman gym you might have luck with finding a single rubber mat or horse stall mat laying around that you can lay on the platform.

    Lastly might try deadlift socks though I usually don't recommend them to most lifters for the same reasons I prefer leather wrestling or soccer shoes.

    Thanks for the suggestions. I have been debating about trying out wrestling shoes for a while. I go to 24hr fitness, so no rubber mats, BUT I do have a really thin hot yoga mat. Basically a towel with rubber grippies underneath. I might try laying that down on the wood.
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
    edited April 2019
    I also go to 24hr fitness...we are likely using the same equipment (powerlifting setup with Eleiko bumper plates, wooden platforms with some sort of less dense foam flooring on the sides). The wooden portions do get much less slippery with time; my gym had these stations installed roughly about 5 months ago.

    Would opt to NOT stand on the non wooden portions (not compact enough, like standing on a mattress). Seems like things were not thought out well

    Could opt for standing on a stepper with the rubber gripping (but creates a deficit)
    y4upmryqj5mj.png

  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    Just wanted to let you know @chunky_pinup that the hairspray worked this morning!
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,454 Member
    edited April 2019
    Keto_Vampire wrote: »
    I also go to 24hr fitness...we are likely using the same equipment (powerlifting setup with Eleiko bumper plates, wooden platforms with some sort of less dense foam flooring on the sides). The wooden portions do get much less slippery with time; my gym had these stations installed roughly about 5 months ago.

    Would opt to NOT stand on the non wooden portions (not compact enough, like standing on a mattress). Seems like things were not thought out well

    Could opt for standing on a stepper with the rubber gripping (but creates a deficit)
    y4upmryqj5mj.png

    Also the steps have a weight limit. Will depend on the brand model. I do lunges to a step and noticed the particular one I was using had a 300 pound weight limit stamped on it. Not an issue when stepping forward and putting one foot on it. Could be when standing with both feet on it and holding a barbell.
  • 4LeafMint
    4LeafMint Posts: 65 Member
    Try putting chalk on the bottom of your shoes... If that is allowed.

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