Oh ever since I've started lifting it has been with my heels. The thing is, however, I feel like I'm going to fall backwards on my ass with every rep. I even try to actively lift my toes off of the ground (through my shoes, mind you) so that I attempt to stay on my heels as much as possible. But the odd thing is, I fell into the habit of using more of the forward portion of my foot, just before the toes, instead of the rear.Shirley wrote:The gym I go to at lunch is a hole-in-the-wall, cheap place with lots of old free weights and it's full of competitive power lifters. I've heard them several times talking with each other about lifting from the heels instead of toes. Most of them even have special weight-lifting shoes (with flat soles). Hearing them, I have tried to use my heels instead of toes, but it's tough. Apparently, you actually get more power when you do it correctly from your heels (although that's not really a concern for me with the weight I'm lifting).
So within 2 seconds the dudes at this new Crossfit gym noticed immediately. And they noticed because the bar traveled out too much and I have to lean forward in order to catch it. Even after doing this a year, I'm still amazed that I'm learning things I didn't really notice before.
And I have a pair of Oly lifters too. They help me get lower in my squats and stabilize my ankles, but with a raised heel it feels like I'm even more on toes than with a flat shoe. I wear them, but I don't notice too much of a difference in power or technique. Maybe I'm just doing it wrong.