This class is all about the ankles and feet. Especially important for all my runners.

Equipment Needed: Something to sit on like a chair or plyo boxes

Time Markers:
1:00 CARs (warm up)
17:00 Ankle Inversion PAILs/RAILs (Elevated Seated Base)
33:02 Ankle Dorsiflexion PAILs/RAILs (Combat Stance Base)
45:58 Big Toe Dorsiflexion PIALs/RAILs + Lift Offs (Seated Base)
1:00:45 Intrinsic Foot Strength (Elevated Seated Base)
1:05:29 Finishing CARs

We'll address Ankle Inversion and Dorsiflexion, Big Toe Dorsiflexion, and we'll do intrinsic foot strengthening drills as well.

These joints are incredibly underutilized in most training programs, but they will net big gains in terms of athletic performance once prioritized.

Addressing ankle inversion (rotation) will be important to expand global mobility of the ankle joint. That's a very important joint position, especially as a runner/jumper, and anything relating to plyometrics. The nature of those movements places the ankle in rotational planes, and does so dynamically with high levels of force. We want our ankles to be strong in these ranges of motion, and to be able to absorb the demands of the movement. The most common ankle sprain is the inversion sprain. Though the more we train our ankle to be strong in Inversion, the less likely we are for injury.

I often see people hammer away at hip mobility drills to improve their squat, and they don't address their significant limitation in ankle dorsiflexion. Which is incredibly important as a squatter, and many other movements as well. Like running, jumping, lunging, kneeling, sissy squat, etc. Good ankle dorsiflexion allows you to express movements at the Knee and Hip far more efficiently. If we have limitations in the ankles, areas above and below (foot, knee and hip) will have to absorb more force to compensate.

Big Toe Dorsiflexion is another important one when it comes to running, jumping, plyometrics, etc. Also incredibly important in the Sissy Squat, especially the deficit Sissy Squat. That's one of the main reasons my depth on sissy squats keeps improving. Overall, If your Big Toe doesn't Dorsiflex, and then you partake in movements that require that range, it's typically not a favorable outcome in the long run.

We'll incorporate intrinsic foot strengthening drills as well. The goal being to create strong feet that are able to absorb force, and produce power up the kinetic chain. In our society we wear a lot of overly supportive shoes that end up atrophying the tissues in our feet, and we lose sensory feedback from the toes. Which can lead to problems with arches, and other dysfunctions like plantar fasciitis. It's important to strengthen all those lines of tissues, and to improve sensory feedback as well.

Those feet could be a little tender after this one. I don't recommend doing this class on the same day as your running session. That may be too much stress in one day. Maybe even taking the following day off as well if you're pretty sore, or at least going lighter. After the 2nd you should be good to go.

Hope you enjoy!