Heel to butt, heel to butt, heel to butt...

1, It’s so smooth, effortless and joyful compared to conventional running, IF you get the technique right.
2, It’s very hard work and takes a lot of patience to reset the muscles, calves in particular, to tune into barefoot running technique.

I have searched the Internet for more guidance on barefoot running technique and reviewed a lot of videos and texts. The most comprehensive and scientifically backed approach I have found is the POSE method.

POSE and CrossFit

The POSE method is a system of teaching efficient human movement developed by Dr Romanov, former Olympic coach from Russia. In essence his method is focused on getting the hamstrings to work by pulling the heel towards the butt and then letting it fall to the ground again landing on the ball of the foot. Keep your upper arms vertical and bend at the elbow to keep your fore arms horizontal. Try this standing still in one spot. Assume the POSE and focus on pulling the heel towards your butt. When you feel comfortable with this continue the same pattern of movement and adjust your centre of gravity slightly forward. You will notice that just a little lean will make you start moving. That’s pretty much it! Check out PoseTV on YouTube for more about Dr Romanov and POSE.

So back to my own experiences of barefoot running. I have actually stopped barefoot running. Temporarily.

The new muscular stress on my calves has only become slightly milder so in a transition period to running in my Vibram Fivefingers I have bought a pair of Puma LIFT. A very light shoe with minimal cushioning and therefore very little wedge between your foot and the ground. The little shock absorption it offers makes a huge difference for how my calves handle barefoot running according to the POSE method. In one of the CrossFit videos below they talk about problems with calves in POSE running and state that it only occurs when you run on your toes. I beg to differ.  I am very conscious of landing on the ball of my foot and falling forward rather then stretching forward in each step. My problem may be that I have a calves of a bodybuilder rather than a runner and years of conventional running technique with poor stretching habits gives me a tougher starting point than the average runner.

There are two videos in particular that I strongly recommend that you watch to get the fundamentals of proper running technique .

Teaching Running as a Skill by Brian McKenzie and Intro to the POSE Method for Distance Running by Mike Collins. You will need a subscription to CrossFit Journal to view the clips but do not hesitate  - it’s only USD25 per year.  A CrossFit Journal subscription is a must have for anybody interested in perfection of motion technique to maximize your physical ability in most areas of physical exercise. For a taste of CrossFit Journal and a few previews check the running section in the open part of CrossFit.com.

Going forward..

My focus now is on POSE drills in my Puma LIFT shoes to work on technique and getting more used to the Vibram Fivefingers by wearing them as often as possible. As quickly mentioned the first part of the barefoot running series the FiveFingers do look a bit weird and I get a lot of looks and comments. Wearing them a day on town is a great way of spreading happiness, I have never had so many people looking at me, my shoes and them me again with a big smile! Vibram FiveFingers – changing the world, one step at a time! ,-)

Let me know how you are progressing developing proper running technique!

Almost barefoot running

The FiveFingers sure look funny and I have received a lot of looks and comments wearing them for walks in the neighbourhood. “Hey, have you taken up ballet dancing?” is one of many more or less funny remarks.

They are fantastically comfortable to walk in, like walking barefoot without worrying what to step on. You feel the surface you walk on, the Vibram sole protects you from any sharp objects and you have fantastic grip, also when wet. After the first few hours of walking in the FiveFingers it was somewhat strange to wear sneakers again – so heavy, clumsy and no feel at all. From a comfort only perspective I could wear FiveFingers only.  Not sure if Vibram has an office design of them on their product development roadmap.

Running in FiveFingers

If you’re familiar with the concept of barefoot running you will know that the barefoot running technique is different from the technique wearing modern running shoes . In essence: No heel strikes, light landing on the ball of your foot and your calves act as  springs to absorb the impact of the landing and pushing you forward into the next step. Check the videos and articles in the first part of Barefoot running in this blog for more info.

I set out along the river Vltava running south on the east bank on the asphalt walking and biking path. Maybe not the optimal surface for a test run but anyway. I felt really light running, no problems adjusting the technique to stretch out the foot to land properly, found that it came more naturally with longer strides, with shorter strides the heel tended to drop and it was more of a flat foot landing.

After only 2 km or so my calves started to protest! They are definitely not used to taking the impact full 87 kg in each step. On the 3km I started to get blisters in exactly the same spot on both feet – in the middle of the ball of the foot where I land in each step. The run went very quickly from enjoyable and refreshing to painful and awkward. I turned back and walked home.

Back home my calves were so contracted that it was very hard to stretch and with the blisters on the ball of the feet the normal calf stretching exercises with the foot firmly on the ground was quite painful. Did my best and prayed I it would not be too bad in the coming days.

One week of agony

The first couple of days after my first run in the FiveFingers were ok. My calves were hard as stone and every step was a bit stiff but not too bad. On the 4th day I did some light squats but didn’t stretch the calves afterwards. The day after my calves locked up completely – could hardly walk and getting up or down a staircase was a major undertaking. Now, on the 7th day after running I have carefully stretched the calf muscles and I am slowly getting back the flexibility in the calves.

Word of advice

I am still convinced that barefoot running is healthier and that it reduces the risk of injury but the transition period from modern running shoes to barefoot will be longer than I first thought.

- Start slowly. If you are new to barefoot running technique keep your first couple of runs to under the kilometer to slowly accustom your body, calves in particular.

- Tape your feet. I recommend a layer of textile type of tape on the ball of your feet to prevent blisters.

- Stretch. I know, rule number one after running but be extra diligent when you are learning techniques and stressing your muscles differently than normal.

Let me know how it goes!

Burpee - exploding out of the deep squat!

The burpee is a great allround exercise to build aerobic and anaerobic capacity. You build stamina through the complex movement with three jumps, you build leg explosivity in the jumps and upperbody strength in the push-up phase of the burpee.

1. Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Go down in a squat so deep that you can place your palms flat on the floor closely in front of your feet, you may need to balance up on your toes to be able to place your palms flat on the floor.
3. With your palms flat on the floor jump back into a straight bridge, the starting position of the standard push-up.
4. Perform a push-up.
5. Once back at the top of the push-up, keep you palms firm to the floor and jump to place your feet closely behind your hands again.
6. Remember to keep your back straight and explode upwards into a jump, reaching high with your hands.
7. Land with your feet shoulder-width apart.
8. Repeat.

Check out the burpee instructional video on www.crossfit.com!

On June 1st, time yourself completing 60 burpees. Practice hard during the month and time yourself again on June 30th!

Good luck and remember to post your June 1st time, your progress and your June 30th finish time.

Re-learn how to walk

For the past 15 years or so I have weighed in at around 85-90 kg (14 stones) and I have always had running shoes with thick cushioning to reduce the impact of all my kilos striking the ground heel first.

On top of this I have twisted both of my ankles a couple of times through the years. Last time it to 6 months before I could run without ankle pain again, I now run with extra cushioned running shoes and for a while even taped the ankles to prevent further injury.

Actually,  as a kid I was walking too much (according to whom?) on the ball of my foot and the local doctor gave me special types of clogs with high firm heels to reduce the ankle flexibility and force me to land on the heel.  It really worked….

The modern running shoe was essentially invented by Nike in 1972, and the running shoe industry has become a $20 billion industry. Loads of money involved and loads of fancy new features introduced to the running shoes every year so the shoe makers can gain market share over the competitors.

Hmm.. makes my wonder…..

Didn’t people run before 1972? If they did, was the injury levels dramatically higher than now?
Are running shoes preventing or causing injuries?

Read this article and check this video, to get a quick intro to barefoot running.

I am convinced, it all makes sense, I will retire the running shoes, get a wooble board to start building up the muscles of the foot and ankle again and investigate if to buy Vibram Fivefingers , maybe Feelmax , or have a go at making Huarache running sandals. 

More reading:

The painful truth: Are running shoes a waste of money? 

The Running Shoe Debate: How Barefoot Runners are Shaping the Shoe Industry

‘No evidence’ on running shoe safety

Join the Pistol Fight!

This is how the challenge goes:

A pistol is a one-legged squat, one legged raised in front of you and kept parallel to the floor while slowly squatting down one your other leg and then pressing up again.
Voila! Easy right?

On the first of May make as many pistols as you can alternating between your left and right leg. Practice like crazy for a month and on May 31st try again. Greatest improvement wins! You challenge yourself here so set a challenging but realistic goal!

Tips for the novice!

If you’re struggling with one pistol start with half-pistols from a chair.

• Sit on the edge of the chair with a straight back, extend one leg and position the other leg on the floor as close to the imaginary vertical line extending from head to butt.
• Extend your arms in front of you to aid balance.
• Toes and heel to the floor (avoid balancing on your toes) slowly press yourself  up to standing and in controlled movement sit back down again.
• Repeat for the other leg.

When you master 10 half-pistols on each leg I suggest you start practicing aided pistols.

The aided pistols are complete pistols but with an aid to keep balance and momentum. They can be done in two ways, start with placing a chair next to you and hold on to the back of the chair through the range of motion, using your hand to push you through the tough parts of the motion and to keep balance. One you complete 10 of these on each leg move to the 2nd type of aided pistols. Fasten the middle of  a rope in front of you in shoulder height, grab both ends of the rope and start your pistol. Use the ropes to pull yourself up to keep momentum and balance.

For more tips on the pistol see this article from Power Athletes Magazine.

One you’ve completed 10 rope aided pistols on each leg it’s time for the real stuff!

Challenge for the intermediate pistoleer

Steve Cotter Weighted Pistols

If 10 pistols per leg is a piece of cake add some weight for a weighted pistol. Grab a kettlebell, hold it close to your chest or in extended arms and get going! Check these videos for some further ideas on how to challenge yourself.

Advanced pistoleers only

Try the jumping pistols to build explosivity. Step one is to explode out of the bottom position to jump as high as you can, land on the same leg again (still the other leg extended) and rebound up to repeat.

When 10 of these on each legs is too easy it’s time to clean the kitchen table….

Start up on the kitchen table (or on any stable table / chair / bench of a height somewhere between your knees and hips). Extend one leg and jump down to the floor, all the way down through the motion of a normal pistol, round with explosivity to jump back onto the table again. As soon as your foot land on the table explode up again to jump off the table to repeat.

Be inspired by Steve Cotter in this video. Steve Cotter’s jumping pistols!

Let me know how you’re progressing!

Use the comments to post your start count, update me on your progress and I

Acemazing Balancing Weighted Pistols

look forward to hear about your results come May 31st!

Enjoy the muscle pain!

Trivia: Pistol is originally a Czech word for pipe or whistle (píšt’ala) and took it’s current meaning from the use of píšt’ala as a slang term for a light harquebus used during the Hussite wars ca. 1420-1434.

I dare to call myself fit. Spent my late teens in the gym, Muscle & Fitness was my bible and Arnold Schwarzenegger my God. My early twenties was all about martial arts, mixing Jiu-jitsu with western boxing and thai-boxing. The last ten years has seen my fitness level decline radically but I have tried to keep a decent level by periodically running, swimming, boxing and lifting weights.

The thing is, since I no longer have an ambition to become the next Schwarzenegger or Bruce Lee and I only exercise to feel good and to be able  to manage daily activities without being limited by my level of fitness, I can’t push myself to give 100% in any specific sport. I want to have fun through-out the session and I do that by keeping a high level of variation.

In addition, back in the gym-rat days I found that although I could bench-press or squat heavy weights there was little use of this strength outside of the gym. It wasn’t easier for me to carry two heavy bags of groceries to the 5th floor than for the next guy. For this reason I loved martial arts, a lot more functional use of my fitness.

Over the last few years the concept of functional training has gone from rough military fitness training to branded mainstream movements.

I find the CrossFit and MovNat to be the two most exciting concepts in this area.

Crossfit

CrossFit was founded by former gymnast Greg Glassman in the 1980s and is based on the concept of functional training, fitness training with the objective of improving your overall ability to excel in your sport of choice and every-day life.

The CrossFit concept has gained popularity in law enforcement and military training in particular and has been formally adopted by both police departments and military units, particularly around North America. According to Business News Network it’s “one of the fastest growing fitness movements on the planet”.

The essence of Crossfit is variation. By combining elements from different disciplines CrossFit aim at creating athletes that are equally fit gymnasts, weight-lifters and sprinters giving the individual a higher fitness level than a gymnast, weight-lifter or sprinter.

CrossFit works with ten elements of fitness (cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, stamina, strength, speed, power, coordination, balance, accuracy, agility) and aim at incorporating as many elements as possible in each work-out.

The work-out sessions are typically intense without rest between the sets and incorporate a wide variety of equipment, ranging from body-weight to traditional gym equipment, car tyres, ropes, kettlebells, etc. The list of excercies is long and varied.

One popular feature of the CrossFit concept is the WoD, Workout of the Day. A daily exercise routine posted on the CrossFit homepage and the members post their results to inspire and show-off.  Check-out the WoD’s here.

MovNat

MovNat is an abbreviation of the French “Mouvement Naturel” and is created by Erwan Le Corre. It’s an evolution form Erwan’s studies of French Naval officer Georges Hébert’s “Methode Naturalle” combined with his own studies  of sports (karate, brazilian jiu-jitsu and weight-lifting to name a few) and outdoor activities.

George Hébert’s story is very interesting in itself. Before and inbetween the two world wars he devised a training philosophy after studying the athleticism of the indigenous people of Africa of which he wrote “Their bodies were splendid, flexible, nimble, skillful, enduring, resistant and yet they had no other tutor in Gymnastics but their lives in Nature.”

Hébert’s training philosophy, “Metode Naturalle”, was based on the ten fundamental groups of movement: walking, running, jumping, quadrupedal movement, climbing, equilibrium (balancing), throwing, lifting and defending and swimming. His idea was to combine each of these 10 elements in every training session of 20-60 min to achieve a varied and complete physical development.

The modern military obstacle course is a direct legacy of Hébert and the modern sport Parkour (“the art of movement”) acknowledges Hébert as pioneering the sport.

Erwin Le Corre talks about “zoo humans” to describe our modern life. Our social conventions, technological environment and commercial pressure leaves us disconnected from the natural world and ourselves. We suffer physically, mentally and spiritually and become numb, we become “zoo humans”.

MovNat is based on three pillars: Nature – Respecting the laws of nature, Evolutionary – Trusting our primal heritage and, Situational – Satisfying real world demands.

The Brazilian jungle is the current training ground for Le Corre. Here he found the fighters to help home develop his fighting skills and in them also a eager companions in developing MovNat. The training sessions make use of what nature has to offer,  from passing big rocks between each other, to racing in the sand with a friend on your back, to climbing trees and swimming the rivers up-stream.

Just open your door and the world is gym. If the Brazilian jungle is too far away check out some of the urban gym / ghetto gym videos on YouTube to be inspired.