Feet Are Not and Are Hands

In a recent post I mentioned my Vibram Five Finger "shoes"


https://bahzobsblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/feeling-my-feet-vibram-fivefinger-shoes.html

I did so as a prelude to this post.

I've been very lucky regards aches and pains while cycling. But recently I have had issues with my right foot.

It's been all sorts of issues, I won't go into the gory details.

However, finally, thanks the Cyclefit London I got the root of the problem.

Long story short my right toe is arthritic and this means my right foot cannot make a proper arch.

Which is a lead in to my favourite scientific area - evolution.

IMO Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace were two of the greatest scientists to ever draw breath and the theory of evolution is the most beautiful thing that the human mind has ever devised/discovered.

The foot is a wonderful example. As humans we are among an extremely rare group of bipeds. Great apes our closest "cousins" (an evolutionary incorrect term but still useful all the less) can use their feet as extra hands.

We cannot.  Our feet have morphed into something unique thanks to our foot arch and, despite living with them for all our lives, we are still discovering new things about them.

https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/science-and-technology/2020/03/why-human-feet-evolved-arches-and-what-happens-if-you-lack-them

Like so many other aspects of our body our foot arch is something you either use or risk losing.

The risk is especially big since the foot is so often hidden from display. The design of many shoes exacerbates the issue, with insoles and soles that prevent them feeling the ground as they were intended to.

This is why I love my Vibrams so much. While your feet are not hands it is useful to sometimes imagine they are and practice trying to grip the floor.  

Most workouts ignore the feet, but they need tlc too. Just trying to squeeze the floor by itself is good for your feet. It is also the best way to prepare for any activity that will load up your body. 

Just like a skyscraper it is best to build on firm foundations. So if lifting anything start by

• Grip the floor with your toes, really feeling the arch lift (tip if you check in a mirror the ankle bones of both feet should be level)
• Counter rotate your feet, (so left goes anti-clockwise, right goes clockwise)

This simple act will automatically engage your entire lower body, stabilising and strengthening it so it behaves more like the Empire State than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

PS I could not possibly mention feet without thinking of Douglas Adams, one of the 20th century's greatest authors, philosophers and comedians. It still hurts so much that we lost him so soon. 

He came up with many brilliant notions, including the shoe event horizon, more about which here,


https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Shoe_Event_Horizon

Genius, pure genius.

Get Up, Stand Up, Stand Up For Your Health

Building strength is not just about lifting weights.

This is only part of a greater whole, what I refer to as the "strength triangle", the sides of which are "mobility", "stability" and "resistance". Weights fit into the last category and should only be added once the first two have been addressed.

Mobility is quite simply the ability to move every joint through its full normal range of motion, freely and without pain.

Stability is the capacity to maintain a stiff centre against which joints can exert force efficiently and safely. It is often referred to as "core" but this is only part of the picture.

• Firstly because "core" sometimes gets associated with "six pack" and it is a whole lot more, the entirety of the torso, front back and sides.
• Secondly because stability is an active process that needs to be performed in conjunction with exerting force. Controlled, purposeful breathing is the simple and effective way to learn how to do this to greatest effect.

Resistance, the final side of the strength triangle, can come in many forms or which weights are just one, albeit the most common.

Each of these sides matters, even if you have no intention of ever entering a gym. They are essential to a healthy life allowing daily chores can be done easily and without pain..

Each of these sides matters if you are a cyclist. Thousands spent on an aero or time trial bike is wasted if you do not have the mobility to ride it in the correct position. Power that should be transmitted to the pedals is squandered if you cannot maintain a stable upper body. Many aches and pains are not due to the bike, they occur because hips, knees, ankles and other joints do not move correctly. Often the resultant pain will not even be felt at the problem site but be expressed as a symptom elsewhere e.g. the back or the butt.

Depending on your starting point improving your strength triangle will take more or less time one. One golden rule though is that, especially for mobility and stability, little and often is much the best approach.

Just 10 minutes a day is enough. Even less is better than nothing so long as it is done every day.

As an example, I would highly recommend one simple exercise that simultaneously develops both mobility and stability and onto which resistance can easily be added in a progressive safe manner.

It is called the "Turkish Get Up". It requires no equipment, just a small amount of floor space. It's nothing more than a variation on one of the most fundamental human actions, picking ourselves up off the floor to stand on two feet.

The great thing about this movement is that it uses every single major joint and bone in your body. Because it is asymmetric each is works individually. So this will help pinpoint any weakness that may be hidden if one side is compensating for the other. This asymmetry also means that just doing it without any weight still puts some extra load onto these joints and bones. It is this load that will help build them up and keep them healthy as the principle of "use or lose it" applies equally to every aspect of our bodies not just our muscles. And all the while it develops full all round core stability. (Once mastered weights can always be added later. Typically these are kettlebells  but anything will do, even just a bag or can of something from the larder.)

There are numerous examples of how to do this on Youtube. Here are three examples

This is a good introduction that highlights the key aspects of the move
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM2oTXgnDRU&t=26s


This is a longer detailed view which also shows how to use a kettlebell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpRbsl6A7ys&t=11s

This is another overview explaining the benefits to runners (which apply equally to us cyclists) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F2LoBm6II0

 Here are some extra comments from my experience.

• Break the move into small steps and feel confident with each before moving onto the next
• Start with just a tennis ball. This is better than nothing as it gives a focus which makes the move easier and allows an easy upgrade to add weight, even if it is just a small rock.
• Film yourself. You may not like what you see but it will help develop the correct form which will help make the move easier and reap the rewards it brings.
• It may feel very hard at first, especially if you have not done anything like it since childhood. However do not be discouraged, it will eventually make the accomplishment of being able to complete the move from start to finish all the greater.
• One of the great things about this exercise is that it engages both halves of the body separately. So you may find one side easier than the other.  This is useful information, long term asymmetry is one of the root causes for many conditions put down to "aging" and should be corrected. One way to do this is prioritise the weaker side. 
• Think about breathing. The exercise consists of a series of steps, prior to each breathe in a relaxed but purposeful way as if your lungs are trying to fill your full torso in every direction, brace and hold this as each step is executed.
• Just start doing two getups, one each side, per day. While this can become a full blown strength workout at the start its main purpose is to build foundations and for this it is fine to start small and build up later.
• If any one aspect of the move causes especial problems then it will be helped by mobility drills that target that area. Post in the comments if you need advice on these.

Good luck.

My Morning Routine

Updated: XX


Here's something I wish I had started doing 40 years ago. It's a simple routine that I do each morning after breakfast. It helps set me up for the day but could equally well be done in the evening or just before bed.

All in it takes about 15 minutes and consists of the following

7 Minutes Freestyle Mobility.

This is just hitting a few areas with basic mobilisations. Seven minutes is about the right time as it is enough to hit three areas lightly or spend a bit more time on a couple. Or maybe spend the full whack on a particularly gnarly area (step forward adductors.) I don't get concerned about timing or specifics, I just do what feels right until the alarm sounds.

1 minute Camel Pose https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/camel-pose

A great opener for the whole front part of my body from the knees upward and a great way to counter the tightness that comes into this area as a result of spending long hours on a bike

XX 1 minute Downward Dog

The counterpoint to Camel opens up the posterior chain.  I don't hold this static but move back and forth to floss the hamstrings and open up my overhead.

1-2 minutes Squat

Just dropping down into the bottom of a squat and spending time there using breathing and contract/release to explore all the corners of the position. I have been astonished how just doing this every day has made my creaky old knees feel so much better. It's also a great progress test. When I started I could barely get my hips below my knees and a minute felt forever. Now my hips sink much lower and spending a couple of minutes feels almost comfortable

XX Side Planks

Each side, currently 30s, increasing by 1 second each day. This is the only "core" exercise I find difficult

Couple of Turkish Getups

The Turkish Getup is the best single exercise that I know of to fully mobilise and put a little load into my entire body and every joint. I do a couple each side with a light weight as I am more interested in this from the mobility rather than the strength viewpoint at this time of day.

Bench Press/Single Arm Row

Just one quick of each, weight a 3-5 max limit. I'll do 1-2 reps less than max just concentrating on form.

That's it. If I have a bike workout I'll move straight on to that, all set up and ready to go.

How To Test Your Stability (And Improve It)

Central to my philosophy is that you cannot make improvement without knowing what you are trying to improve.

Alongside this is the importance of testing and retesting. Only this way can you check that whatever you are doing is actually having a beneficial effect.

It can also be one of the most powerful ways to motivate yourself.

With this in mind here is an excellent video from Squat University (one of my go to sources for reliable trustworthy strength and conditioning advice)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQCOeLD8_2Q

It provides a simple, low impact way to check your stability in the only way that matters, putting it to the test when moving. 

It is 1000% better than a meaningless static trial e.g. how many minutes you can hold a plank.

As a bonus here is another video showing 3 quick simple daily exercises,  which again are much much better than planks or simple sit ups.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_e4I-brfqs

Mobility, Stability, Resistance – The "Strength Triangle"

A triangle is the strongest shape. Look anywhere and if strength is a requirement you will find a triangle. 

Nothing exhibits this more clearly than they beautiful simplicity of one of the most efficient machines ever devised by a human, the bicycle.

So it is a shame then that when training articles, especially from cycling sources, talk about "strength" they mostly do so in such a poor way. They immediately jump into the details of exercises, sets and reps.

By doing this they are missing two sides of the "Strength Triangle" which is essential in order to properly conduct a strength training program.

These missing sides are "mobility" and "stability". The third side is "resistance" and together it is these three key things that make whole that is much greater than the some of its parts in helping make you truly "strong".

Each of these sides is a major area in its own right, each with dedicated resources including full training programs and specialist books.

Do each full justice then is beyond the scope of this blog. What I will do though is, in some later articles, briefly cover what each of the sides of the strength triangle entail and where more information on each can be found..