13: did you train your toes today?
i’m a big foot guy. no, not like that. all of my clients train barefoot in my gym and we also add in toe exercises to their warm ups.
why?
so glad you asked.
because everything starts from the ground. in order to create the most amount of force and power your connection to the ground must be strong and engaged. imagine doing a push up but you’re only pushing into the base of your index finger and thumb and the rest of your hand was limp. it’ll be pretty hard to get yourself up wouldn’t it? it’s the same thing when you try to jump, squat, or hinge and your only engaging part of your foot. i recommend all my clients train barefoot but i know that most will probably be in shoes all day after our session, so foot exercises will have to do. below are three you can try out at home or before your workouts.
toe lifts
feet shoulder width apart (2 fists should be able to fit between your heels), drive three points of contact into the ground —base of your big toe, pinky toe, and heel— and lift and lower all of your toes
1-2 sets, 10-15 reps
big toe lifts
feet shoulder width apart (2 fists should be able to fit between your heels), spread your toes as wide as you can and push them into the ground like you’re trying to grab sand with them. keeping this tension try to only lift and lower your big toes.
1-2 sets, 5-10 reps
heel raises
feet together, try to get up as high on your toes as you can and lower yourself down slow.
1-2 sets, 10-20 reps
how to have active feet
toes facing straight forward, make a strong arch by externally rotating your ankles (imagine you’re trying to open a can with your feet), make sure you have three points of contact with the ground —base of your big toe, pinky toe, and heel— then grip the ground with your toes like you’re trying to pick up sand.
