Awesome video and I agree with jumping to lack of dorsiflexion seems to be a trend right now. I also think it sometimes becomes a motor control issue as most athletes are coached to "sit back" into their squat forcing weight onto the heels when ideally weight should be in the mid foot making it possible to use the ankle as a powerful stable joint.
I'm going to disagree with your assessment here. By wearing Oly shoes or putting a plate under the heel, the athlete, like in this video at 1:05, is able to keep their hips and their center of gravity further forward, as they don't hit that "wall" that you mentioned as soon, and is thus able to maintain a more upright torso as well as the stability necessary for an optimal squat. The vast majority of westerners don't have sufficient ankle mobility to do this, and so Oly shoes become a necessity. Imagine if you could fold your ankles all the way forward with no restriction, so that your thighs were parallel to the ground. You'd have 0 torso tilt, and basically perfect balance and stability.
I agree. Saying its only a matter of balance is not the case.And who cares really?? All we want is to squat heavy and in a way we don't get hurt (thus ankle mobility is needed as well as glute stretch and mobility). Anyone who puts Olympic shoes will totally notice the difference ! Video is fine but why not make our lives easier with some acessory ? Its not like we will just abandon stretch and mobility drills.
I completely agree with you, this assessment proves that ankle dorsiflexion is an issue for him. The weight as a counter-balance compensates for the lack of ankle mobility, reducing the displacement of his centre of mass posteriorly as he lowers into the squat. If he had adequate ankle dorsiflexion he wouldn't need the weight as a counterbalance as his centre of mass wouldn't be displaced so far backwards.
No not really because the way he performs it is essentially a passive test of ROM. The dude demonstrating it has his entire weight pushing forward over one ankle so he is able to force his ankle into a range he isn't able to reach when squatting. The way it is performed here doesn't replicate the loading or mechanics of the ankle during a squat.
well i have the same problem and you guys are right. unfortunately, not everybody has stability problems neither are in anterior pelvic tilt (due to sitting? haha) as eric uses to say.
This would be good to have explained more in detail! Like visual examples of what could be the problem when it comes to stability. I am familiar with the though that sometimes a lack of mobility somewhere is compensation for stability, but how do we correct this?
Thank you so much Eric. I work with a lot of crossfitters and they all go into that overextension pattern which over engages the erectors and tilts the pelvis forward towards the bottom of the squat. This will stop their range of motion because it'll impinge the hip joint, tightens up those hip flexors as they try to work through that restriction, and then cause a butt wink as their spine and pelvis have no other place to go. If you want to squat deep, turn on those abs by pulling the pelvis up towards your ribs and pull yourself forward with those adductor muscles as you get deep into the squat. it's a novel movement and will be really hard but do it slow and the deeper you go, turn on those abs and adductors even more.
I agree, limited dorsiflexion ROM gets a shalaking from the greater fitness community. We have all lead different lives therefore we all have differing compensatory patterns. Great informative video as always EC!
If my heels cannot touch the ground in yoga pushups I would assume my ankle flexibility (or mobility) is bad. Would you say that is a faulty assumption?
This is not a good assessment at all in my opinion. I have done this assessment and I have no problems with getting my knee to the wall without a hip shift. When I squat I am very restricted. If I do banded distraction on my ankle then I am able to get to a bottom position in my squat with ease. Wouldn't that indicate that that I have an ankle mobility issue? I think it would. So this assessment needs to be reevaluated for efficacy.
its not so much total ankle ROM, its ROM without collaping into ankle impingment position. You can clearly see that this athlete is doing that, making it look like he has full ROM.
Hey eric thanks for another great video!could you do a video on tight abductors and weak glutes but only on one side?i know its strange but i got that problem on my left side and also a scoliosis.you would help me a lot!!!
S Khan meanwhile yes. I do a lot of band abduction, glute bridges and the most effective thing to me is balancing on a bosu ball while kneeling on it. Also crunches on bosuball und rolling out the hip flexors and quadratus lumborum with a squash ball helped a lot
![Your Psoas Isn't Just Tight, It's WEAK [Don't Stretch, Do These Instead]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/h_srhkcJxAY/mqdefault.jpg)
Awesome video and I agree with jumping to lack of dorsiflexion seems to be a trend right now. I also think it sometimes becomes a motor control issue as most athletes are coached to "sit back" into their squat forcing weight onto the heels when ideally weight should be in the mid foot making it possible to use the ankle as a powerful stable joint.
I'm going to disagree with your assessment here. By wearing Oly shoes or putting a plate under the heel, the athlete, like in this video at 1:05, is able to keep their hips and their center of gravity further forward, as they don't hit that "wall" that you mentioned as soon, and is thus able to maintain a more upright torso as well as the stability necessary for an optimal squat. The vast majority of westerners don't have sufficient ankle mobility to do this, and so Oly shoes become a necessity. Imagine if you could fold your ankles all the way forward with no restriction, so that your thighs were parallel to the ground. You'd have 0 torso tilt, and basically perfect balance and stability.
I agree. Saying its only a matter of balance is not the case.And who cares really?? All we want is to squat heavy and in a way we don't get hurt (thus ankle mobility is needed as well as glute stretch and mobility). Anyone who puts Olympic shoes will totally notice the difference ! Video is fine but why not make our lives easier with some acessory ? Its not like we will just abandon stretch and mobility drills.
I completely agree with you, this assessment proves that ankle dorsiflexion is an issue for him. The weight as a counter-balance compensates for the lack of ankle mobility, reducing the displacement of his centre of mass posteriorly as he lowers into the squat. If he had adequate ankle dorsiflexion he wouldn't need the weight as a counterbalance as his centre of mass wouldn't be displaced so far backwards.
No not really because the way he performs it is essentially a passive test of ROM. The dude demonstrating it has his entire weight pushing forward over one ankle so he is able to force his ankle into a range he isn't able to reach when squatting. The way it is performed here doesn't replicate the loading or mechanics of the ankle during a squat.
Hugh Campbell I'd say, let's see ankle ROM in a pistol.
well i have the same problem and you guys are right. unfortunately, not everybody has stability problems neither are in anterior pelvic tilt (due to sitting? haha) as eric uses to say.
This would be good to have explained more in detail! Like visual examples of what could be the problem when it comes to stability. I am familiar with the though that sometimes a lack of mobility somewhere is compensation for stability, but how do we correct this?
Thank you so much Eric. I work with a lot of crossfitters and they all go into that overextension pattern which over engages the erectors and tilts the pelvis forward towards the bottom of the squat. This will stop their range of motion because it'll impinge the hip joint, tightens up those hip flexors as they try to work through that restriction, and then cause a butt wink as their spine and pelvis have no other place to go. If you want to squat deep, turn on those abs by pulling the pelvis up towards your ribs and pull yourself forward with those adductor muscles as you get deep into the squat. it's a novel movement and will be really hard but do it slow and the deeper you go, turn on those abs and adductors even more.
I agree, limited dorsiflexion ROM gets a shalaking from the greater fitness community. We have all lead different lives therefore we all have differing compensatory patterns. Great informative video as always EC!
Such a good video... a perspective I haven't yet saw about this
If my heels cannot touch the ground in yoga pushups I would assume my ankle flexibility (or mobility) is bad. Would you say that is a faulty assumption?
Good video. I see too many people that go right to ankle mobility for everyone that can't do a deep squat without looking big picture
That's all well and good but how do you combat that and correct it?
Nice stuff Eric - You help me a lot to my practice !!!
The closer to perpendicular (with the floor) your shins are, the farther your torso has to lean forward.
There's a lot of questions and doubts in this comments section. It would be nice if anyone at cressey performance answers.
you should put your blog post in the description so people can read the post to get a better idea of what you're saying here
What is the solution? More core work, or something else?
Thanks a lot! How about letting the knees move a little bit forward ?
Great video!
Great video!!
This is not a good assessment at all in my opinion. I have done this assessment and I have no problems with getting my knee to the wall without a hip shift. When I squat I am very restricted. If I do banded distraction on my ankle then I am able to get to a bottom position in my squat with ease. Wouldn't that indicate that that I have an ankle mobility issue? I think it would. So this assessment needs to be reevaluated for efficacy.
its not so much total ankle ROM, its ROM without collaping into ankle impingment position. You can clearly see that this athlete is doing that, making it look like he has full ROM.
Is the ankle mobility test for the soleus different from the gastrocnemius?
Hey eric thanks for another great video!could you do a video on tight abductors and weak glutes but only on one side?i know its strange but i got that problem on my left side and also a scoliosis.you would help me a lot!!!
did you ever find a solution for this?
S Khan meanwhile yes. I do a lot of band abduction, glute bridges and the most effective thing to me is balancing on a bosu ball while kneeling on it. Also crunches on bosuball und rolling out the hip flexors and quadratus lumborum with a squash ball helped a lot
POETRETT doesn't the Band abduction make your abductors even more tighter?
S Khan i have loose adductors so thats what im about
If he has adequate ankle ROM to deep squat then what was Robert's specific issue?
He doesn't have adequate ankle ROM, the counterbalance reduces the posterior shift of his centre of mass meaning he requires less ankle dorsiflexion.
too fast really too fast to understand what he was talking about.poor communicator.