Working out barefoot

It was a very busy week work wise last week and I was totally shattered by the weekend. Admittedly, I didn't do much running last week, but I still stuck with all of my weight workouts, despite my freezing cold garage, and did quite a bit of cardio work on the punch bag too.

One thing that I've been doing for a few months now and I'd highly recommend is working out barefoot. The theory behind this one is that when working with weights, you need to have a solid, supportive core structure, from your chest and abs, down to your legs and feet. Working out barefoot actually helps to develops muscles in your feet while you workout the other muscles in your body, so in a way it doubles your workout just by taking your trainers off. It makes for stronger feet to support the rest of your body.

I guess this is the way caveman would've trained back in the day, walking and running barefoot. Ideally, if you like to run, running on a soft surface barefoot would be the ultimate way to strengthen your feet, but unfortunately that environment isn't available to everyone.

Try working out barefoot for a week and see how you get on. I found it tough at first, but months later, my feet honestly feel stronger for it. I can feel the difference, especially in squats, lunges and calf raises. Trainers squash and mould your feet in an unnatural position, going barefoot allows them to breathe and be free they way they should be.

Leg Exercises

When you're working out with weights or doing resistance training, I'd recommend making sure you do some leg workouts rather than focussing on certain muscles.

Leg exercises can be difficult to do, so many people neglect them, but working them out can be hugely effective.

The legs are the biggest muscles in our bodies and working them out requires extra energy and results in more calories used, which is never a bad thing.

Try to incorporate leg exercises into your workout, including squats, lunges and calf raises. You don't have to use weights, just try it with your body weight. They're tough, but rewarding, and also contributes to working your full body out, rather than certain muscles.