It’s strange when we think about it - that is until we actually think about it - how we pay so little attention to our athletic foundation, our feet. They absorb, propel and support all our standing everyday activity and of course our sporting pursuits. Without strong, ankles, toes, arches and fascia and the connecting calf and shin muscles and ligament and tendons we are weak. Muscle Runners – and the clue is in the name - are in part designed to boost foot complex strength - to give us very strong foundations.
Our feet are multi-faceted structures - there are 29 muscles and 26 bones in each and over 100 ligaments and 19 tendons. The Achilles tendon, for example, acts very much like a spring which deforms and recoils on every impact from walking to sprinting.
Greater Achilles stiffness can boost sprint speed in particular. As can a stiff, high, yet flexible arch. And so too can the tendons that control our toes – those that open and close them rather like those in our hands which ball and then open our fingers when making a fist.
Muscle Runners are specifically designed to strengthen our feet and ankles as noted. Some of the first things you may well notice when you begin to wear our dynamic speed training shoes are their stiffness and forefoot elevated stance.
Our fast shoes incorporate Forefoot Gain™ technology - which provides an 8-10mm drop between heel to toe (based on shoe size). This means that the forefoot is the main point of contact with the ground when using them for speed work.
You’ll realise because of this - and their dual density carbon fibre plates with our ForeSpring™ technology - just how difficult it is to actually get your heels to touch the ground when wearing them.
This “pushed forward and up position” places a lot of emphasis on the foot’s structures to maintain this stance - they have to stabilise and absorb and produce power incredibly quickly.
Consider that an elite male sprinter may only be in contact with the ground for 0.90 milliseconds or less. And in that time the feet (and other lower limb structures) will have to overcome many multiples of body weight to help propel the body at over 12m/s at peak velocity (not too far off 30mph!).
And in this regard the joints of the toes have been identified as playing a key role – of which more later.
Toeing the speed line
Many exercises are recommended for specifically strengthening the toes and feet:
- Short foot exercises (see other posts)
- Doming
- Toe curls
- Barefoot running, plyometrics and drills
And to these we can add wearing your Muscle Runners
In previous posts we suggested that those new to the “first and foremost forefoot running shoe” initially wear them around the house to begin to build some solid preliminary foot strength and acclimatisation to their feel.
The forefoot stance which the shoes drive even at walking pace will develop the stabilising calf muscle strength and help prepare all the other foot’s structure.
To add additional power to your footsteps you should also do some additional basic foot strengthening inside and outside of your Antepes.
Here’s an example:
Research indicates that the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints are crucial when it comes to sprinting (1). Each toes has its own MTP. They are located behind your toes at the front of your foot. Wonder why coaches talk about “toe-off” and its importance? Now you know.
1: Toe curls
These are completed barefoot and use a towel and can be performed sitting or standing. The idea is that you slowly curl your toes to fold the towel. This exercise works the intrinsic foot muscles only (those that are within the foot) and those crucial metatarsals.
In future posts we will consider more specific exercises for foot strength in and out of your Muscle Runners.
1: Front Sports Act Living. 2019 Oct 11;1:46. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2019.00046
