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Foot and toe primer

4 toe drills, 8-10 reps of 5 s each: spread, floor grab, side to side, big toe against a strap.

Slot
Mobility
Focus
Mobility
Time
4 min
Intensity
Low
Injury risk
Low
Intervals
4 rounds
Equipment
Floor space, Resistance band

How to do it

Tight climbing shoes leave your toes weak and stiff; this wakes them up before you put the shoes on. Sit with bare feet flat on the floor. Spread your toes as wide as you can, hold 5 s, relax, 8-10 times. Press your toes down and try to shorten your foot, as if grabbing the floor, without curling them under, 5 s holds, 8-10 times. Lift your toes and move them to the left, then to the right, without moving the foot, 5 s each, 8-10 times. Loop a strap or band around your big toe, pull it toward you and resist with the toe, 5 s, 8-10 times. Do both feet. A ball rolled under the sole afterwards is a nice extra.

Who it’s for

Anyone who spends hours in tight climbing shoes, which squeeze the toes into one position and leave them stiff. It takes a few minutes before the shoes go on and needs nothing but the floor and a strap.

Common mistakes

  • Curling the toes on the floor grab. Press down and shorten the foot. If the toes curl under, you’re doing a different movement.
  • Moving the whole foot. For the side-to-side drill only the toes move. It’s hard at first, and that’s normal.
  • Letting the hold go soft. Hold each 5 seconds properly. Quick flicks don’t do much.
  • Doing one foot only. Both feet, every time.

How to progress

There isn’t much to add. Do it before most sessions and it gets easier to move each toe on its own. If the side-to-side drill gets easy, slow it down.

When it fits

The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.

  • Base Lots of easy climbing, good movement and aerobic fitness.
  • Strength Stronger fingers and pulling, with weight you control.
  • Power Explosive moves, momentum and coordination.
  • Power Endurance Keep your power through one hard move after another.
  • Endurance Climb longer before you pump out, by moving efficiently.
  • Performance Peak for a trip or a comp: focus, reading problems, trying hard.
  • Deload Train less, let your fingers recover, keep moving.

Start with a ready-made block

A six-week strength plan with a deload, as a file for the app, and seven short emails on how to run it.