Why Standing with Your Feet Close Together Can Help You Build Bigger Arms
Think you can't do another rep of your favorite upper-body lift? Try this trick: Stand with your feet closer together.
"It's called blocking your feet, and it gives you a firm base of support while engaging all of your muscles from your toes to your head," says BJ Gaddour, C.S.C.S., author of Your Body Is Your Barbell. "Gymnasts use this technique because it allows you to transfer energy from your lower body into your upper body, amplifying the strength in your working muscles. Suddenly, those last couple reps aren't so difficult."
Not only does blocking your feet help you bang out more reps, it also helps you lift heavier loads. If your core is weak, your back can't hyperextend or twist as easily under the weight, explains Gaddour, who uses the stance during lifts like the curl, front raise, and overhead press, and even during some body-weight moves like the pushup and burpee. Blocking your feet fully activates and stabilizes the core, so you can apply more force to the barbell or dumbbell.
Moving your feet a couple inches closer won't do the trick, though. To reap the full benefits of blocking, make sure your feet are touching. Drive them into the floor by squeezing your legs together, clenching your glutes, bracing your core as if you were about to be punched in the gut, and drawing your ribs and shoulders toward the floor. "Your body should feel like one thick tree trunk that's firmly rooted into the floor," says Gaddour.
While blocking your feet has many benefits, it's not a good fit for all lifts, he warns. Explosive exercises, like push presses or jerks, still need a shoulder-width athletic stance that lets you quickly and powerfully move the weight.
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