Footwear and Nutrition

Footwear:

We were talking a bit about footwear and I wanted to give you some more information on what to where and when. When we're doing barbell training or you're in a situation where you're standing, applying force into the ground and trying to move a load, the more cushioned the shoe, the worse it is. What happens is some of that force you are trying to put into the ground (and in turn lift the load) is lost in compressing the cushioning within the shoe. Therefore, running shoes, basketball shoes, even some cross-trainers end up not being good options. My recommendation would either be to go barefoot/Vibram Five Fingers (there is essentially no material to be compressed between your foot and the ground) or use weightlifting shoes.

There are two things that make weightlifting shoes unique. First, they have a very hard sole, usually made of hard rubber or wood, with minimal cushioning in them. Second, they have a raised heel which, as I've mentioned and done with some of you before using plates under your heels, artificially increases your ankle's ability to dorsiflex, therefore making it easier to get into a biomechanically sound position from which squat, deadlift, push press, etc. Check out this website for reviews on some of the different brands and styles of weightlifting shoes out there before purchasing a pair. If you're really interested here's an article discussing the history of weightlifting shoes and why they're designed like they are. If you get a pair, remember that you're going to be using them just for barbell training. You won't wear them out on the town or even do any running in them. That being the case, they should last a long time. While they can be pricey, you shouldn't need to buy a new pair each year. Feel free to ask me more questions and I'll even bring my pair in sometime to show you if you'd like.

Nutrition:

I'll try not to overwhelm you with information; there is a lot to discuss regarding this topic. I should warn you ahead of time that my take on nutrition tends to fly in the face of conventional wisdom. But if you consider that conventional wisdom is what most people adhere to and the fact that most people are unhealthy and/or overweight, then maybe conventional wisdom isn't as wise as we think.

In short, my dietary recommendation is to eat plenty of animal meat (beef, poultry, seafood, eggs, pork), lots of vegetables, some fruit, and good amounts of healthy fat from sources such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, coconut products. Stay away from grains, especially gluten containing ones (i.e. wheat), legumes (peanuts are legumes not nuts), and possibly dairy (situation dependent). And if it has a long shelf life, its not food so don't eat it. Food spoils if its not eaten fairly soon after picking/killing it.

This way of eating is commonly known as paleo or primal eating, meaning eating foods that are real, natural, and have been around forever. If you google paleo diet you'll find oodles of information going into greater detail about it. Basically, by following a diet like this, we are able to take control of insulin and get our hormones in check, minimize inflammation within the body (even inflammation that you can't see or feel), and take care of autoimmune issues such as diabetes, arthritis, Crohns disease, and ulcerative colitis. I will admit that my formal education is not in nutrition and that I have not read all of the information out there concerning these issues and the effects of a paleo diet on them. But I know from anecdotal evidence (in my own experience and that of other people I know) that this stuff works. It requires a change in mindset and perspective on food, but if you want to look, feel, and perform better, this is where I'd start.

Robb Wolf (website may be down for a day or two; he's updating it) is one of the foremost experts and proponents of the paleo diet and this is an interview he did a couple weeks ago which provides a good overview of what the paleo diet is, how it works, and what it looks like. You can listen to it from that link or download the podcast of it free from iTunes by searching for Underground Wellness and finding the episode about the Paleolithic Solution. Again, come to me with your questions and I'll do my best to answer them and help you implement this. It will be worth it for you.