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The Performance U Approach to Barefoot Training

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Having been a long time martial artist, I’ve always preferred to exercise without shoes. As a coach, I’ve also always encouraged my athletes to perform much of their strength & conditioning training without shoes as well.

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Some athletes are not comfortable training without shoes. Others (when not training with me) train at gyms who have a “no barefoot” policy. In cases like these, I encourage them to at least perform their Dynamic Warm Up without shoes. Especially the CNS Activation portion of the Warm Up! This can usually be done in the yoga room or group-X room at your local gym.

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If you’re not familiar with the Performance U approach to Dynamic Warm Up – Check the Warm Up Progressions Vol.1-3 video series.

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Why Use Barefoot Training?

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The truth is, there is no research to justify the claims that shoes create postural problems, movement dysfunctions or a lack of body awareness and/or proprioception. But, we do have our common sense!

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Humans are born without shoes. So, it only makes sense that we don’t “need” shoes and may be better off without them. Also, when convincing certain athletes of the importance of Barefoot training, I like to tell them to imagine how dull their sense  of touch would be if they wore gloves all day long.

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Plus, the feet, along with the hands and face, have the highest amount of proprioceptive receptors than other place in the body.

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So, my advice to all healthy athletes is to avoid wearing shoes as much as possible when training, just walking around and chilling at your the house.

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Born to Run, But not…

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There are a few instances which I don’t recommend barefoot training.

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First, if you have any specific foot dysfunctions requiring shoe orthotics such as pronation syndrome -Walking, running and training with out corrective footwear will only worsen existing foot dysfunctions.

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My second point of contention on the Barefoot training movement is about Barefoot running. Or, more specifically, running while wearing Vibram Five Fingers.

Since the Book “Born to Run” was published, it sparked a huge movement toward running in these Vibram Five Fingers.

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Here’s the problem – Yes… we are born to run. But, we are NOT born to run on concrete pavement!

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We are born to run on dirt, grass, sand, mud and other natural earth surfaces. All of which have a certain amount of “give”. Concrete however, has no “give” and will tear up joints if you don’t have some extra padding from a modern day running shoe. Plus, if you add in the fact that most folks who begin a running program  are usually weak, slightly overweight, full of movement dysfunctions and are generally out of shape – running on concrete with no padding is a recipe for disaster!

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Remember – “Don’t run to get fit, get fit to run”.

In this case, a better saying would be – “don’t barefoot run to get fit, get fit to barefoot run”

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So, don’t throw out your fancy modern day running shoes! Nike Free’s running shoes are a great choice for a padded but “free moving” running shoe.

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A Word From the Style Police!

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On a less technical note. Why are folks wearing these silly looking Vibram Five Finger shoes to do daily tasks like going to the mall or to walk the dog? Training in Vibrams is one thing. But, wearing them as a part of your normal, everyday wordrobe is another.

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Have we forgotten that sandals offer more freedom of foot movement than any other shoes and still allow you to look cool?

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What are your thoughts on today’s post and Barefoot training/running?

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Music from the Performance U Playlist

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The Band – Strung Out

Music Genre – Punk / Metal

Best Songs/Albums – Every Strung Out album is great!

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I’ve been listening to Strung Out while I workout since my high school days. This band never gets old to me!.

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This Frog Needs Some More Speed Training!
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This video makes me laugh every time I watch it!
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How Juggling Rewires Your Brain

Neuroscientists have discovered that learning to juggle causes changes in white matter, the nerve strands which help different parts of the brain communicate with each other. Read more here…

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In today’s post, I’ve got more of the same. Yes, that’s right, it’s finally starting come into national news what Strength Coaches have known for years – athletes never achieve the mythical 4.2 40 yard dash times at the NFL combine.

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THe question is, where do these myths come from? Well, now you will find out!

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Check out this article  from Rivals.com titled Fine, we get it: Florida is fast. There’s no need to exaggerate. By Matt Hinton

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Here’s a few quotes from Matt Hinton’s article:

“We’ve already seen one interesting sign in Florida’s locker room today. Here is another, filled withobviously fake 40-yard dash times:”

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“Forget for a second the general abuse of the 40 as a relevant measure of “football speed,” which is more about short bursts and quickness in tight spaces. Despite the glaring absence of the fastest player in the country, Jeffrey Demps, you’ll notice four players are listed here as sub-4.3, or faster than any player ran in the entire NFL combine. That includes the only warp-speed Gator to run in Indianapolis, Percy Harvin, whose official, electronically-timed 4.41 tied for the sixth-best effort at the combine but wouldn’t have even gotten him on the above board in Gainesville. According to this, Chris Rainey is only barely human, having apparently evolved certain characteristics of a rabbit (in, uh, more ways than one, perhaps).”

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Rivals.com writer, Matt Hinton then wrote a follow up article on the NFL Combine 40 Yard Dash titled - Haden, Mays remind us again to beware the cult of the fake 40 time.

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Here are a few quotes by Matt Hinton from that article:

“I got a little mileage last spring out of Florida’s fake 40 board,(pictured above) which ludicrously claimed that four Gators ran faster 40 times during winter workouts than any single player at last year’s NFL combine. In the wake of cornerback Joe Haden’s disappointing sprint Tuesday at this year’s edition of the meat market, I’ve been encouraged via email to dig it up for old time’s sake:”

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“At Florida, Haden was listed at 4.33, significantly faster than any cornerback in last year’s combine; coming into Tuesday’s proceedings as a virtual lock to go in the top 10 of next month’s draft, he was expected to run in the low 4.4 range, which still would have been faster than any cornerback actually posted Tuesday (the fastest official time by any corner in Indy this morning was 4.45, posted by Wake Forest’s Brandon Ghee). Haden’s times: 4.57 on the first run, 4.60 on the second, immediately putting his high-first-round status in jeopardy. (Those are unofficial times off hand-held watches, which typically get slower when “official” electronic times comes in.) Suddenly, Haden’s not just the All-American and top prospect scouts saw on film — there’s a number that says he’s kind of slow. Said one scout on the NFL Network, “People are going to have a hard time getting that 4.57 out of their head with a top-10 corner.”

“On the opposite end of the spectrum, 230-pound USC safety Taylor Mays lit up the stopwatches with an unreal 4.24:

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“If that time had stood, it would have tied East Carolina’s Chris Johnson as the fastest recorded time in combine history and solidified Mays as the freakiest of all freaks who walked through the door this year or almost any other. Of course, it didn’t stand: When the electronic numbers came in, his official time was 4.43 — still the fastest time among all DBs on hand, but nowhere near the eye-popping reports off the stopwatches. Trindon Holliday’s initially record-breaking run on Sunday met the same fate, when the diminutive LSU return man/NCAA track champion’s best time was downgraded from an absurd 4.22 on the stopwatches to a slightly less absurd 4.34 on the books.”

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You can read both of Matt Hinton’s articles (quoted above), in full, on Rivals.com. Just click on the title of the articles below.

Haden, Mays remind us again to beware the cult of the fake 40 time

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Fine, we get it: Florida is fast. There’s no need to exaggerate.

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I hope you now se the TRUTH about these mythical NFL Combine 40 Yard Dash Times.

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Today’s video is about old time, high school style rope climbing… without using your legs!

Many athletes think they’re strong. But, in my book, if you can’t climb a rope – Your not truly as strong as you should be.

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Rope climbing is one of my all time favorite ways of turning athletes into a strength monsters! If you’re a Strength Coach or Trainer and want your athletes to gain insane strength and out perform the competition – you need to get a climbing rope! Plus, it’s fun!

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So, who’s up for the strength challenge? – Are you strong enough to climb a rope without using your feet? Are your athletes?

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I think climbing ropes should be in every gym! – How about you?

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We are currently doing some website updates which required me to make Blog posts for each of my most recent articles. I’ve written over ten articles in the last few months. So, following this post, you will see multiple posts below, each cataloging a different Performance U training article.

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If you are looking for the latest Blog Post, simply scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Older Posts”. This will take you to the next page to find the latest Blog post titled – The BEST Lower Body Strength Exercises.

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Freestyle Friday vol.3

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Once again I’m bringing you some cool training music recommendations we like to rock out to while “getting after it” at the gym. Plus, I’ve got a must-read article about how Twitter and Facebook could be killing you brain!

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Music from the Performance U Playlist

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The Band/Artist – Eric B & Rakim

Genre – Old School Hip/Hop

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Eric B and Rakim produced some of the best Hip/Hop ever made! Although they’re from the late 80s- early 90s, Eric B and Rakim’s music never gets old! These guys were truly ahead of their time!

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Favorite Songs – Paid in Full, Don’t Sweat the Technique, Microphone Fiend, Juice, In the Ghetto, I Ain’t No Joke, Follow the Leader, Casualties of War.

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Is Facebook and Twitter Destroying Your Brain?

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Last year, Susan Greenfield, the recently retrenched director of Britain’s Royal Institution, warned us that social media, such as Facebook or Twitter, is infantilising our brains, causing us to have short attention spans, sensationalism and an inability to empathise.

She was heavily critisised by some for her comments and continues to come under fire about her science. - (Taken from the Cosmos Online Newsletter)

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Continue Reading…

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Continue Reading…

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Continue Reading…

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So, after reading the interview with me, be sure to scroll down and read the other interviews.

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Go here to see Robbie’s entire interview with me, Nick Tumminello.

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In this interview, I discuss:

- My favorite Books

- The problems with Strength Coaching industry

- The problems with Personal Training industry

- My recommendations to new, upcoming Fitness Professionals

- My favorite program design strategies

and PLENTY MORE…

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Go here to see my entire interview FREE!!!

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