deadlift, squat, rdl - always keep the wieght on heels? (srs)

[luka5]

why everyone tells that i should keep the weight on my heels during deadlifts, squat or rdl ? is there any reasoning behind this? why not to push with whole feet, not only heels?

 

[indysoccer16]

I don't know if this is the right answer or not, but I have noticed that when I drive through my heels I force better form which means that I am not putting the stress on my back. If I use my whole foot, then I kind of shift forward and that puts strain on my lower back.

 

[mattsams89]

why everyone tells that i should keep the weight on my heels during deadlifts, squat or rdl ? is there any reasoning behind this? why not to push with whole feet, not only heels?

During squats and dead lifts, it would be more accurate to say heel to mid-foot as well as placed on the lateral (outside) portion of the foot. It's physics at work. Placing your weight on your forefoot (typically) creates a forward lean during squats and dead lifts, which moves the bar further away from the center of rotation (in this case, the hip). As it moves away from the hip, the force at the hip required to bring the weight up increases quickly. This shift also affects the ability of the hamstrings and glutes to contribute effectively to the movement (think hip drive), thus decreasing the maximal force you can produce. Further, the ankle isn't a strong joint. Shifting into plantarflexion will negatively impact the force you can produce (have you ever watched someone go onto their toes and bomb a squat?). Finally, in an ideal world, you want to apply force strictly vertically (this goes back to the forward lean point). As you move out from the body, a horizontal component also comes into the mix. Now, some of the force you're producing is going away from your body, instead of down into the ground. Again, this decreases your force output and will negatively impact the weight you're lifting.

RDLs are very similar. I didn't mention the knee in the squats and DLs, but a similar rationale applies to it. As far as RDLs, though, the primary movement occurs at the hip. You want the weight as close to your center of rotation as possible. As your weight shifts, the weight is (likely) going to shift away from the body, requiring you to produce greater forces to move the weight and also placing undesirable increased stress on the lower back.

Take-home message: It's more efficient and will allow you to move heavier loads. Also, it's less stress on the lower back. Hope that answers your question.

 

[tigerdb2]

Moving onto your toes also causes your knees to track forward which increases stress at the knee