Let's chat about your foot locks. How do they feel? Possibly painful and pinchy? If so, this tip is for you!
Foot locks are bound to get uncomfortable if you're in them for a while ... however, if you feel pain the moment you step in, it's time to check your technique. The two main causes of pain are: 1) Your wrap is too tight. 2) The silk is twisted under your arch. The two remedies are: 1) You have the right amount of slack. 2) The silk isn't twisted under your arch. Twisted fabric hurts, the flatter the fabric is around your arch the better it will feel! Something else to keep in mind, as we age, the internal padding under our feet can atrophy – some people's get thinner more rapidly than others. This can also affect how your foot locks feel.
See below for a foot lock video breakdown.
Now for the wrapping technique!
1️) Begin from a Classic Climb, place your hands at forehead height. Straighten your arms & lower your hips back into an ‘L’ position.
2️) Lift your top leg up, bend your top knee and internally rotate your leg (while keeping your bottom leg in the same place). Press the outside edge of your foot into the silk about 1.5- 2 feet above your bottom foot.
3️) Turn your bottom foot inward aiming the pole of the fabric across the top of it.
4️) Bend your bottom knee and step into the slack.
5️) Keep your supporting leg
straight and ankle aligned as you bend your elbows pulling the silk toward you to stand.
P.S. You can also wrap the foot lock with an externally rotated top leg (in step 2). For most, internal rotation is easier but know that it is an option!
MAIN MISTAKES #1 - Starting with the hands too low - results in the hips being too low which leads to a tight lock
#2 - Not lifting your top leg up high enough - results in too little slack which also equals a tight foot lock
*If you need to bend your supporting leg in order to stand up into your lock, it’s likely you’re making either one or both of the mistakes above.
If you’re brand new to foot locks I’d suggest flexing your bottom foot when standing up into your lock to avoid twisting your ankle. Once you have the hang of it and are confident with your ankle stability then feel free to point.
My hope is this tip saves your feet from unnecessary pain. Give the tips above a try and let me know how it goes - tag @aerialphysique on the 'gram.
With encouragement, 🙌 Jill
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