Stop Using Generic Foot Cues: How the Right Pressure Points Change Everything Up the Chain

If you’ve ever cued a client to “stay heel heavy” or “push through the big toe” and something still didn’t look right, this article is for you.

Foot cues are often treated like minor details but in reality, they’re one of the most powerful tools we have for influencing the entire body.

In this breakdown, we’ll explore:

• Why different foot cues create completely different movement outcomes

• When to cue the inside edge vs the outside heel + ball of the big toe

• How foot pressure drives rotation, hip mechanics, and compensation patterns

• Why generic cues like the “tripod foot” often fail

 Want to watch a full video explaining this? Watch the video below!

The Foot Is the First Point of Contact And Nothing Happens in Isolation

The foot is your body’s first interaction with the ground.

That means everything that happens at the foot influences what happens above it: knees, hips, pelvis, ribs, spine, shoulders.

Bottom-up mechanics matter.

If pressure consistently loads the:

• Inside of the foot → muscles on the inside bias load

• Outside of the foot → lateral structures bias load

Those pressure differences change:

• Arch behavior

• Joint rotation

• Center of mass

• How force is transferred through the system

This is why “just squat” or “just press” is never just anything.

Inside Edge vs Outside Edge: What You’re Actually Biasing

Let’s clarify what these cues actually do.

Pressure on the Inside of the Foot

• Biases pronation

• Encourages a flattening arch (not a collapsed one)

• Promotes hip extension on that side

• Useful when you need to drive force backward or re-center the pelvis

Pressure on the Outside of the Foot

• Biases supination

• Encourages a higher arch

• Creates different rotational demands up the chain

• Can help control excessive inward collapse when used correctly

But here’s where most people get it wrong…

Why the “Tripod Foot” Cue Often Doesn't Work

The classic tripod cue:

• Heel

• Base of the pinky toe

• Ball of the big toe

In theory, it sounds solid.

What we want instead is intentional pressure that creates a clear rotational outcome.

The Game-Changing Cue: Outside Heel + Ball of the Big Toe

This is one of the most effective and misunderstood cues.

Here’s what happens when you cue:
Outside heel + ball of the big toe

• The foot begins to spread, especially through the forefoot

• The pinky toe naturally finds the ground

• The arch flattens just enough

• You create pronation + internal rotation

• That internal rotation carries up into the hip

This is gold when you need to rotate into a side, not away from it.

And importantly  the muscles activate because of the joint position, not because you told someone to “feel their glutes.”

Real-World Application: Split Squat Foot Cues

Let’s apply this to a split squat.

Scenario:

Your pelvis is biased to the right, and you want to rotate back toward center or left.

Right Foot Forward

You want to promote right hip extension.

• Cue: Inside edge of the heel + ball of the big toe

• Keep the fifth toe down (but don’t overcue it)

• This helps drive the pelvis back toward neutral

Left Foot Forward

You still want to rotate left  without dumping into the ankle.

• Cue: Outside heel + ball of the big toe

• This encourages foot spreading and internal rotation

• Allows the hip to accept rotation instead of compensating

Same exercise.
Different foot cues.
Different outcomes.

This is not random, it’s exercise selection with intention.

“Heel Heavy” Isn’t Wrong, It’s Just Specific

The “heel heavy” cue exists for a reason.

It’s often used to:

• Shift center of gravity backward

• Prevent excessive forward tibial translation

• Create more usable ankle motion

If someone lives in their toes:

• Their shin is already forward

• Their back arches

• The foot dumps inward

Cueing heel heavy simply gives them room to move.

But it’s not universal.

• Want more hip flexion? Heel bias helps

• Want more hip extension? Forefoot bias may be better

Context is everything.

Stop Cueing Muscles, Cue Positions

One of the most important coaching takeaways: Muscles are a reaction to joint position.

Instead of telling someone:

• “Use your glutes”

• “Feel your hamstrings”

• “Activate your core”

Try this:

1. Cue the pressure point

2. Let the joint position change

3. Ask them what they feel after

The muscle activation will show up without forcing it.

Why This Belongs in a Roadmap of Exercise Selection

This is exactly why coaching shouldn’t be:

• Random cues

• Generic progressions

• Copy-paste exercises

Foot pressure → joint position → rotation → muscle response → movement quality

That’s a roadmap, not a guess.

And it applies to:

• Lower body lifts

• Upper body pressing

• Even something as simple as a biceps curl

If this is something that you find helpful and want an entire exercise database with explanations of what each exercise does, then check out my Roadmap to Exercise Selection