If your #WorkoutWednesday doesn’t include rows, you’re not doing it right. Thank you for always crushing in your Pedestals @laurenpak22 ???? #DitchYourShoes #AchieveFitnessBoston

A post shared by Pedestal Footwear (@pedestalfootwear) on Aug 7, 2019 at 2:12pm PDT

Minimalist/Barefoot Training has been a pretty popular subject matter in strength and conditioning over the last several years. More and more gym goers are starting to feel the positive effects of switching from traditional footwear to a more minimalist approach. Lauren Pak (pictured above) and her team at Achieve Fitness Boston have been using Pedestals for the last few years because they are better for your body and they keep their facility cleaner.

Without getting too much into the science of why Pedestals are better for your body, we know that when the feet are free (either barefoot or in Pedestals) our ability to control our body in space is dramatically increased, this is called proprioception. This heightened body control leads to more activation/stimulus, which leads to higher quality reps and ultimately better results.

Comments we often hear when someones makes the switch from sneakers to Pedestals are, "I feel my backside (posterior chain) much more since switching", or "I can't believe how much more I feel my hamstrings via my RDL's and KB Swings". This is exactly what we want to hear.

Below is a video of a swing demo from Lauren Pak on their turf at Achieve Fitness Boston.

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5 STEPS TOWARD BETTER KETTLEBELL SWINGS! #Repost @achievefitnessboston #DitchYourShoes #WorkoutWednesday - What’s up, Achievers?! @laurenpak22 here and today I’m breaking down the steps we use to progress to the kettlebell swing with proper technique! Here are some details about each step: - 1️⃣Hip hinge with PVC pipe: Hold the dowel along your back so it touches three points of contact (your head, upper back, and tailbone.) From there, practice hinging at the hips and sitting your butt back without losing any of those points of contact. This will help you learn how to hip hinge while maintaining a neutral spine! - 2️⃣Deadlift: After you’ve mastered the hip hinge, started strengthening that pattern with a kettlebell deadlift. - 3️⃣Hike pass: It’s important to learn the very first step of the swing because it is what will set you up for the entire set! To perform the hike pass, stand behind the kettlebell, hinge your hips with a neutral spine, grip the handle and tilt the bell back toward you. This is your starting position. From there, use your lats to hike the bell back between your legs, keeping it up high above your knees, then return it to the start position. - 4️⃣Dead stop swing: Now you’re ready to practice individual reps! The dead stop swing starts just like the hike pass, but instead of returning the bell to the start, you push your feet into the floor, extend your hips, lock out your knees, and allow the bell to float out in front of you. From there, swing the bell back between your legs again, and return to the start position. - 5️⃣Swing your heart out!! - We hope you found this tutorial helpful! Hit that little heart button if you did, and tag a friend who might find this useful! Until next time, ✌️???????? . . . #kettlebell #kettlebells #kettlebellswing #kettlebellswings #somervillema #achievefitnessboston

A post shared by Pedestal Footwear (@pedestalfootwear) on Jul 17, 2019 at 2:28pm PDT

The Owners & Coaches of the facilities we work with not only love the health benefits that come with using Pedestals, but they are pumped on the fact that the product is silver lined and antimicrobial. Cleaner footwear leads to a cleaner facility, which leads to a happier member base.

Whether you want to feel better or stay cleaner, your Pedestals we are here for you.

Thank you for reading and Ditch Your Shoes!

Much Love,

Brendan