Posted on July 14, 2015 by Jenny Cromack

Although there are lots of running and sports shops offering gait analysis, very few seem to offer good advice. During this blog I’ll help guide you through choosing the right trainers for the job, and focus on the best trainer for different activities.

Choosing The Right Trainers for Weightlifting

If you spend your days weightlifting and the notion of cardio involves going over the 12 rep range bracket then you need to invest in a good pair of weightlifting shoes. The majority of current trainers are designed with running in mind, not weightlifting, its a waste of your running trainers and can reduce the load your capable of working with. Weightlifting shoes have a slightly raise heel, enhancing ankle range of motion which benefits exercises involving the squat, in which the individual wearing weightlifting shoes is more able to sit upright. 

The heel is constructed using a solid material and can range from high density plastics to wood, because of this material at the rear of the shoe more of the posterior chain can be activated. No matter what anyone tells you about barefoot/ minimal trainers, nothing is more stable than weightlifting shoes, in reality all the shoe is doing is strapping an un-cushioned wedge to your feet. It is essentially barefoot training, with some material holding the wedge in place, just a lot more stable and safe. 

You might find a lot of individuals voicing opinions about weightlifting shoes not being functional, they have unfortunately not grasped the purpose of the shoes, as weightlifting shoes promote a greater range of motion and load than say barefoot squatting, I would therefore argue that they promote more “functional” development of an individual. 

 

Choosing The Right Trainers for Running 

I could sit and write about running trainers all day, before we begin I’d like to point out that for the majority of individuals using specialised running shoes to help over-pronation or under-pronation is like putting a bandage on a wound, not fixing the problem. It’s very hard to change running style, no matter what anyone tells you, and requires a very keen eye and thorough understanding of anatomy and biomechanics. All of the personal trainers at motive8 North are all trained in running conditioning and biomechanics and have a wealth of experience on the topic so if you want to discuss any of the further topics more, I’m sure they would be more than willing to help out.

Running shoes are designed in very unique ways and they differ brand to brand. Generally however they follow similar design principals, the key one being the distribution of varying densities of material on the base to help support clinically poor running gait. 

For example if your running style involves under-pronation of the foot or it doesn’t roll in correctly, having a trainer with a softer inside and harder outside would support your running gait. You can check if your an ‘under-pronater’ by simply looking at the base of an old pair of trainers, generally these will be more worn on the outside our the trainer than the inside.

Likewise if you over-pronate or your foot collapses inwards during running, then having tougher higher density material on the inside will help promote more normal gait. ‘Over-pronaters’ commonly have greater wear on the inside sole of their trainer. Its a crude way of measuring your running style, but it takes less than a second and can provide valuable information. 

If you look at the base of your shoe and notice that the wear is quite evenly distributed and follows a pattern of wear that starts at the middle of your heel and then follows a gently curved path to your second toe, congratulations your more than likely a neutral runner. If this is the case you need a neutral trainer, the base of the trainer should be consistent throughout the whole trainer and allow good movement of the foot. Racing trainers and minimal trainers are often good trainers for you.

Choosing The Right Trainers for Gym Based Training

I have searched for years looking for what I believe is a good gym trainer, something that allows a client to perform a mixture of resistance training, in circuit style sessions, with sprinting, plyometrics etc. Weighting shoes are out because they are terrible for running, likewise running shoes become easily defamed during resistance based training. Thanks to the rise of cross fit more and more companies have focused on designing trainers specifcically for gym based training involving a variety of activities and approaches. Currently Adidas and Reebock excel in this category I believe, with excellent variations. 

So there you have it, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to choosing the right  trainers, I love talking footwear so if you ever have any questions please drop me a line and I’d be more than happy to help out.