Weight Lifting in Wrestling Shoes

I used to be a wrestler and I've been weight training for a little over a year now. I recently discovered that some serious weight trainers lift wearing wrestling shoes. Why? Well it's important to know how I'm defining "serious weight trainers" in this article. Really, I'm just referring to those individual who aren't hitting the gym just to work on their biceps. I'm talking about the people who go in doing the old time strong training like squats and dead lifts. 

So why wrestling shoes? Well the simple reason is because of how minimal the sole is. When you lift it is important that you are stable under foot, but it's also important that you don't lose your arch and you can control the position of your ankles. Wrestling shoes make this really easy because it's pretty close to being barefoot. That natural feeling makes it easier to control your body.  In fact some lifters will go barefoot when doing a really heavy dead lift. That's how some of the old olympians did it in competition back in the day. 

Some athletic shoes attempt to give you a lot of cusion and even create a cushioned platform for your heal to rest on. This can create instability and make doing heavy lifts dangerous. 

Which Wrestling Shoe Is Best For Weight Training?

Not all wrestling shoes are created equal. I've worn some that were in fact a little unstable and caused some degree of pronation (that's when your foot rolls to one side a little putting more pressure on the sides then on the bottom… not good). You want to look for a wrestling shoe that allows your foot to lie flat and stable on the ground without losing your arch. Most should work pretty well. Adidas makes quality wrestling shoes and is my go to brand. Also be careful about the tread on the bottom. Some wrestling shoes have a tendency to be a little slippery. It's something you wouldn't notice on a wrestling mat, but can be pretty important when weight training. 

3 Ways to Kill Sprickets

They're tricky because they jump right before you get them. Below are some ways that work for me and believe me I have tons of experience! I'll keep this short in case you are involved in a battle right now.

The No Look, No Touch Way

We'll start with my favorite method. You won't have to directly kill the cave cricket with this helpful tool: The Roach Motel. That's the brand I used and it worked great for me. They love the glue smell on the inside and are attracted to the dark space. I had a huge infestation and I put a bunch of these around the house (corners, behind toilets, laundry room etc.) and it only took about 2 weeks before I was completely rid of sprickets. 

Distance Killing

Pick up a powerful spider/roach spray. They shoot pretty far so you can maintain a safe distance. They work relatively fast. But fair warning, it isn't instantaneous. And before the spricket is dead it will jump around like crazy! Gives me the chills just writing this.

Weird Method that Works Great

So the problem with sprickets is they always see you coming. Throwing a book, using a newspaper or coming at it with a paper towel (for the insanely brave only) are extremely difficult because they jump. And the worst part about jumping is they have no control and often bump into you. They can't hurt you, but who cares they are disgusting!

during a particular dangerous encounter with an army of sprickets I found the the best close-quarter combat weapon was actually a child's golf club (my apologizes to my nephew Gavin). The kind that is made of plastic. I believe it was a driver. I think they work so well because they strike fast before the cave cricket has a chance to jump. 

Good luck and fight well!

Where are the Cicadas?

So you haven't seen any cicadas. Was it the extra rain? The unseasonable cool weather? Well it was actually none of the above. In fact the Cicadas did arrive as expected. 

Some people thought the weather may have delayed the cicadas, but according Professor Mike Raupp, an entomologist at the University of Maryland if you haven't seen any by now, you probably won't unless you take a road trip. But even then time is running out. 

They did come, but not in all the areas where experts were expecting the cicadas to show up. The thing about Cicadas is they don't travel very far, so if they didn't pop up in your neighborhood, it's not likely you would have seen them. 

So why didn't we see them in our areas?

Well there are some theories, but nothing concrete. Some experts say it was the rain and low temperatures. Others say it was an increase in development. When trees are removed, so is the cicada's food source. 

Well after it's all said and done, if you haven't seen the full force of Brood II, you most likely won't. Personally, I would say you were lucky. That's how I feel anyway. I wasn't looking forward to crushing cicada stuff under my shoes. But I will admit there is a part of me that's disappointed. A little left out. But I'll be ok :)

Here are some resources from the web if you wanna read more about where the cicadas are:

• http://www.nbcnews.com/science/dont-see-lots-cicadas-yet-dont-be-surprised-6C10232677
• http://cnnradio.cnn.com/2013/06/05/where-are-the-cicadas-already/
• http://www.ydr.com/local/ci_23477603/so-where-are-cicadas-63
• http://news.msn.com/science-technology/where-have-all-the-cicadas-gone

Preventing Sprickets From Getting Into Your Home

Hey, do you know what would be worse than a huge creepy spider?

One that would uncontrollably jump at your face anytime you were near it and is a thousand times harder to kill

     ....enter the spricket...


Spricket: A most disgusting mix between a spider and a cricket.

If you're reading this I probably don't have to tell you how disgusting these creatures are. I've spent a lot of time thinking about these camel crickets and have had more than enough experience killing them. I recently posted about ridding your home of these jumping terrors. But I thought it would be nice to prevent them all together so here are 3 tips for doing just that.

Tip 1: Stay Dry

Sprickets love dark moist areas. They are also referred to as "Cave Crickets" because that is their preferred habitat. So if you have a basement that has a tendency to get damp, you can bet you'll have some unwelcome guests. Invest in a dehumidifier and dry out the damp areas in your home.

Tip 2: Stay Clean

The problem with these bugs is they can pretty much eat anything. Especially if its deteriorating. They love carpet fibers and dry rot. Keeping your house in order will help keep the sprickets away. Sweep entry ways regularly, clean up your yard and repair any rotting wood.

Tip 3: Stay Away

Keeping away from marshy areas is always a good idea if you can help it. The disaster I encountered was due in large part to the fact that there was a stream and heavily wooded area behind my house. It was pretty much an ideal location for camel spiders. Granted, you can't always avoid this type of location, but doing the other tips should help a lot.

And if after following my guidelines here you still encounter a spricket infestation, you can always use my secret weapon the "Roach Motel"... Seriously! This brand works fantastic. It attracts them because it is dark and they can smell the glue which they apparently find delicious.

How to Get Rid of Sprickets (AKA Camel Crickets, Cave Crickets and Spider Crickets)

UPDATE:

To skip the long (but extremely well written *horn toot*) story and get straight to the solution, read this recent, more condensed post -- The Best Way to Get Rid of Sprickets (3 Steps)

---

Sprickets are given that nickname because they look as if a spider and a cricket decided to have a child. They also go by the names camel cricket, cave cricket and spider cricket. Before I tell you the absolute best way to get rid of these terrifying creatures (without touching them) let me tell you my horror story...

My wife and I recently moved into a small townhome. Spricket season was coming so we were mentally preparing ourselves for the occasional scare...nothing could have prepared us for what was about to happen...

It seemed like there was an endless supply of these vile hoppers and I had no idea where they were all coming from. They seemed to come out mostly at night. One night--as we sat on the couch--one crawled out from under door of our laundry room. My weapon of choice (before I discovered the secret weapon for getting rid of sprickets) was a child's plastic golf club. I sneaked up on the evil spider cricket and swung. Success!

But like every other night shortly after killing one--another would appear. The cave crickets were relentless! Where were they coming from!? And why were there so many!?

The Secret Lair of the Sprickets

One night I had an epiphany-- Behind the wall of the laundry room was a storage room we had yet to go into. The exhaust from the dryer led into that storage room (you see where this is heading?). I walked to the storage room and cracked the door slowly. Light flowed into the room as the door opened revealing a black wall. As more light filled the room I noticed the black wall began to move--revealing a white wall underneath.

Big shocker. There was no "black wall."

No sir. It was in actuality a wall of sprickets!!!! The entire wall was covered. And if you've ever surprised a spricket with bright light you know what happened next...

I started hearing popping noises. The disgusting camel crickets began jumping off the wall trying to escape the light! I slammed the door and ran screaming like a girl--flailing my arms about.

The next logical step was to go buy a case of bug bombs (which is not the secret weapon. That comes later). I rolled two of them into the storage unit like I was a S.W.A.T. team getting ready to take down an armed bank robber. I placed a rolled up towel at the bottom of the door to prevent their escape.

...Then I waited...

No more than 6 minutes later a terrible thing happened-- sprickets began spewing out from underneath the laundry room door! How could I be so stupid? I forgot to block their entry into our home! Huge fail.

I let the bug killer flow taking careful aim at each spricket. When that wasn't enough I grabbed my trusty golf club. I spent hours killing, screaming, getting the willies and offering up prayers.

After a couple hours the flow of sprickets stopped. But I knew I didn't get rid of all of them. I knew they were hiding in my home in far greater numbers than before.

Over the course of the next couple of days we were inundated with sprickets. Every time we turned around one was there. Even when they weren't there, it always felt like one was on my leg or in my hair. My wife and I couldn't even sleep at night.

Finally, The Secret Weapon

Now pay attention, because I am about to reveal my secret weapon for getting rid of sprickets...

My wife and I stumbled on a forum where someone suggested using roach traps-- specifically the brand Roach Motel. We went out and bought them instantly-- and placed them in the laundry room, all corners of the house, behind toilets and a few other places--

--Saying they worked would be an understatement. I literally watched sprickets walk into the traps! Once I opened the laundry room door and startled a spricket (I am more afraid of them then they are of me). It jumped once-- landed and scurried right into the Roach Motel! Checked-in.

We noticed an instant decrease in sightings of camel crickets and within a week it was like we lived in a normal house again. Sure we saw one here and there--but it was nothing like before.

...Then something incredible happened-- after a couple more weeks I stopped seeing the sprickets completely! The roach traps were a miracle. I went from having a large army of these vile creatures to sleeping peacefully at night. Long story short, I retired my trusty golf club.

So if you have a spricket infestation (Probably not as bad as mine) then go pick up some roach motels. Or you can get a good deal on Amazon using the following link: Roach Motel 61009 [Set of 12].


Sincerely,
Your fellow Spricktophobe

Related Articles:

Preventing Sprickets From Getting Into Your Home

3 Ways to Kill Sprickets

What Do Sprickets Eat?

Are Sprickets Poisonous?