Review of Strength Shoes
Peter Wung
In article 5...@news.cso.uiuc.edu, g-ma...@uiuc.edu (Gregory A. Martin) writes:
>|898...@llnl.gov (Gary Tong) writes:
>|>=====================================================
>|>Great to hear some testimonials on the strength shoe. Any other
>|>positive stories on the strength shoe?
>|>Are there any horror stories on the strength shoes?
>|>======================================================
>|
>|I owned a pair of Strength Shoes - I was sold on the idea of significantly
>|increasing my vertical jump. The shoes basically have a block on the
>|front half of the soles, and it feels like you're standing on your toes
>|when you wear them. Since there is no support under the heel, your calf
>|muscles and ankles have to do all the work of keeping you standing. The
>|workout consists of sprinting, jumping in place, side-stepping, hopping,
>|and variations thereon. The claimed benefits are lengthening of the calf
>|muscles, increased flexibility in the ankle (to reduce injuries),
>|increased speed, jumping, and lateral quickness. Also there is supposed
>|to be a benefit in muscle learning because you do "real-life" exercises
>|instead of mindless repetitive weightlifting. These are the relevant
>|points in the order I learned them:
>|
>|GOOD: The workout is quite intense and, regardless of vertical jump
>|benefits, is a good thing for a serious volleyball player to do - it's
>|good aerobic and anaerobic training. If used regularly the shoes DO
>|improve your vertical jump - how much will be a function of the
>|individual and the intensity. There is no doubt the workout does stress
>|some of the muscles used in jumping, and over time they will increase in
>|strength and power. You do feel quicker after the program.
>|
>|BAD: You look REALLY goofy doing the workout - no problem if you want
>|to be the center of attention. If you do the workout right your muscles
>|are stressed heavily and need considerable time to recover. I found I was
>|essentially worthless for at least two days after each workout - the
>|leg muscles were sore and would not perform like I wanted them to. Attempts
>|to play volleyball during these recovery periods were extremely frustrating
>|(after the recovery period things did feel stronger and faster). Lastly,
>|the workouts are VERY harsh on the joints, especially the knees and ankles.
>|This seems to be a common feature of all plyometric training.
>|
>|ADVICE: These shoes are for serious athletes only. Physical improvements
>|require overall increases in strength and joint stability. Without a good
>|foundation of strength and fitness the shoes are dangerous. If you do
>|have a good strength base then go for it - if not then I recommend
>|sand jumping since it's much less stressful and also gives good results.
>|
>|Here are the plain truths of training for volleyball:
>|1) Any attempts to increase your physical abilities MUST start with a
>| rigorous whole body weightlifting program.
>|2) To jump higher, do a lot of jumping.
>|3) Physical improvements are hard. For most people, improving their
>| volleyball skills is far and away the wisest use of time. Find the
>| good players and emulate them. Ask them what you do wrong.
>|4) Play a lot of volleyball, every day if possible, and play with people
>| better than you.
>|
>|Three years of experience speak behind this post. Greg Martin.
>| g-ma...@uiuc.edu
>|
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*Peter Wung Email:wu...@ee.gatech.edu *
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*Georgia Institute of Technology *
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