Highlights of Dr. Emily Splichal Barefoot Science Presentation

These are a few highlights that I took note of from Dr. Emily Splichals presentation at the Okanagan Strength Seminar.   The OSS was a six part series that is available for download.  Highly recommend it.  I've learned some cool stuff from each presenter and I've only had time to go through half of the six presenters.

Dr Splichal is a Podiatrist and Fitness professional that specializes in what is called barefoot science. Training the foot for greater athletic and health performance.  

Most people think barefoot training is running barefoot.  Not correct.

Barefoot, means barefoot.  Training in a minimalist shoe, vibrams, even socks, are not the same thing.  The plantar surface can't have anything else in contact between you and the floor for that afferent feedback.  

A high arch is usually a stiffer foot, more problems with Achilles, stress fractures.  A "flat foot" is more likely to experience shin splints, knee pain. 

Strengthening the glute med over 6-8 weeks can pull the sub talar joint up 2-3 degrees.  This is the same amount that most orthotics try to correct.  

Steps to Barefoot Science

1.  Mobilize the Everters.  Everters are muscles that attach to the lateral side of the calcaneus.  Peroneal group and gastrocnemeus.  Gastrocs lateral head tends to be more tense.  Mobilization through myofascial release is more effective then stretching.  Trigger points have been shown to cause hypomobility of the joint.   Shoot for at least 5 minutes.

2.  Activate the Inverters.  Inverters are muscles that attach to the inside of foot.  Abductor hallucis, tibialis posterior and tibialias anterior.   A great activating exercise is the short foot drill.  (the short foot drill will be a foundational exercise so get good at it.)

3.  Isolate and Strengthen the Inverters.  Now this group can be strengthened.  A great exercise is placing a ball between your heels, feet pointing straight ahead, and do a calf raise.  The pressure to keep the ball in place helps to strengthen the inverters.  

4.  Strengthen toe flexors.  These are perpetually weak on most people.  These are the small intrinsic muscles, not the extrinsic or muscles that cross up into the calf.   Press the toes into the floor, whole toe, not just the distal tips.  Forward lean after the toes are pressed in.  When this gets good, do a calf raise.   Toe flexor strength correlates to vertical jump.  The old standby of toe crunches actually strengthen the already strong extrinsic toe muscles which will actually create a further strength imbalance and it creates hammer toes.

5.  Strengthen the hip rotators.  Hip rotators have an intricate relationship with the foot muscles. 

6.  Integrate everything.  Short foot, small knee bend, small amount of hip flexion.  This is the loaded position.  Several single leg exercise are now done in this position.

Following these steps should create a stronger and healthier foot, which in turn creates a stronger and healthier athlete.