Squat Flexibility

[NroK1118]

Hello everyone,

So lately I've really been trying to work on my squat depth/hip mobility. My ultimate goal is to be able to go down into the resting squat position and just hold it for a good amount of time (5+ minutes). At home I've been doing some exercises in order to increase flexibility. Basically, the first thing I do is a hip warm-up which is this:



After that, I just do bodyweight squats, except that I hold onto my desk in front of me for balance, otherwise I'll fall backwards. Once that's done I try to get into the bottom position while holding onto my desk and hold it for as long as I can about 5 times.

I've been doing this for a while, but I still can't seem to do a bodyweight squat below parallel without falling on my ass.

Anyone have advice on how I can improve?

[2hard2fixagain]

You need to foam roll and stretch to release the tight muscles too. Injury prevention section posture correction sticky.

[NroK1118]

You need to foam roll and stretch to release the tight muscles too. Injury prevention section posture correction sticky.

I do that too. But lately I haven't been doing weighted squats until I get more flexibility so I'm not very tight or sore.

[PerpetualMotion]

(1) How long have you been doing it?
(2) What is your posture like throughout the day?
(3) How often do you do your hip mobility work?
(4) Do you know if you're in APT?
(5) If yes to (5), do you do anything else other than mobility work to help correct the pelvis position?

[2hard2fixagain]

Try goblet squats with heels on plates and barbell squats with your heels on plates. It will pull things back into place faster than bodyweight squats

[PerpetualMotion]

Try goblet squats with heels on plates and barbell squats with your heels on plates. It will pull things back into place faster than bodyweight squats

Care to share the logic (and, if possible, the physiology) behind this? I wasn't aware that including plates underneath one's heels could "pull things back into place."

[NroK1118]

(1) How long have you been doing it?
(2) What is your posture like throughout the day?
(3) How often do you do your hip mobility work?
(4) Do you know if you're in APT?
(5) If yes to (5), do you do anything else other than mobility work to help correct the pelvis position?

1) I believe 2-3 weeks.
2) I'm standing a lot but I think it's fairly regular.
3) About 5 times a week.
4) I don't know for sure, but I highly doubt it.
5) I don't do anything else.

[2hard2fixagain]

Care to share the logic (and, if possible, the physiology) behind this? I wasn't aware that including plates underneath one's heels could "pull things back into place."

Don't know how to explain the physiology exactly, but it relieves most pressure from the quadriceps and throws it to the glutes in a squat from the positioning. You can go parallel or even past with a shoulders with stance with horrible hip flexibility if your heels are elevated. Think about it, your basicly manipulating the ground to be able to extend your hips more.

[PerpetualMotion]

1) I believe 2-3 weeks.
2) I'm standing a lot but I think it's fairly regular.
3) About 5 times a week.
4) I don't know for sure, but I highly doubt it.
5) I don't do anything else.

(1) 2-3 weeks, unfortunately, isn't very long. You probably have had some improvement overall but, as I stated to another member, the lower body is tough to fix in a shorter amount of time as it gets the most amount of "action."
(3) That really isn't all that much. If you want to see quicker improvements, being more aggressive for a short period of time will help. It's easy to maintain flexibility/mobility but it's harder to obtain it.
(4) Find out.

Also, OP, I stupidly missed that you fall over. Have you ever tried squatting without shoes? I'm unsure of what shoes you wear but all the guys at my gym where shoes with heels equal to a woman's shoe, so when they squat, they go on to their tippy toes. A flat surface may help you stay grounded. I always squat in my socks. Also google an ankle mobility test and see if you have sufficient ankle mobility. That could possibly be the issue.

Don't know how to explain the physiology exactly, but it relieves most pressure from the quadriceps and throws it to the glutes in a squat from the positioning. You can go parallel or even past with a shoulders with stance with horrible hip flexibility if your heels are elevated. Think about it, your basicly manipulating the ground to be able to extend your hips more.

But if he lacks dorsiflexion in the ankle then, to some degree, this would exasperate the issue, as a lack of dorsiflexion in the ankle is notorious for preventing proper depth in the squat.

I also personally don't understand the logic but I'll have to look deeper in to it. Thank you for the explanation.

[2hard2fixagain]

(1) 2-3 weeks, unfortunately, isn't very long. You probably have had some improvement overall but, as I stated to another member, the lower body is tough to fix in a shorter amount of time as it gets the most amount of "action."
(3) That really isn't all that much. If you want to see quicker improvements, being more aggressive for a short period of time will help. It's easy to maintain flexibility/mobility but it's harder to obtain it.
(4) Find out.

Also, OP, I stupidly missed that you fall over. Have you ever tried squatting without shoes? I'm unsure of what shoes you wear but all the guys at my gym where shoes with heels equal to a woman's shoe, so when they squat, they go on to their tippy toes. A flat surface may help you stay grounded. I always squat in my socks. Also google an ankle mobility test and see if you have sufficient ankle mobility. That could possibly be the issue.



But if he lacks dorsiflexion in the ankle then, to some degree, this would exasperate the issue, as a lack of dorsiflexion in the ankle is notorious for preventing proper depth in the squat.

I also personally don't understand the logic but I'll have to look deeper in to it. Thank you for the explanation.

I understand what your saying but look at someone with bad posture and imagine if their heels were under plates. Hell do the movement yourself. You can tell especially with someone that has bad hip mobility that its much easier to do a squat the right way and to use the proper form.

[ironwill2008]

Anyone have advice on how I can improve?

The information in these vids may help you:








Don't put anything under your heels in an attempt to sidestep the issue; to do so is only treating the symptom and not the problem. Additionally, Squatting without the the entire foot flat on the floor can cause it's own set of problems.

[2hard2fixagain]

Yeah, never take correct advise from someone who has actually fixed all their muscle imbalances (hip extensibilitt, lcs, ucs, and cervical spine impairment) and jointto dysfunction using the education he has. Good luck. I tried.

[NroK1118]

Also, OP, I stupidly missed that you fall over. Have you ever tried squatting without shoes? I'm unsure of what shoes you wear but all the guys at my gym where shoes with heels equal to a woman's shoe, so when they squat, they go on to their tippy toes. A flat surface may help you stay grounded. I always squat in my socks. Also google an ankle mobility test and see if you have sufficient ankle mobility. That could possibly be the issue.

I also squat barefoot, but I'm going to go buy some Converse here soon. I can squat down in my driveway which is sloped downward, so that would make sense that it could be my ankles since I don't feel it in my hips when I squat in the driveway. I'll google ankle flexibility test and see what I find out. Thanks for the help!

[NroK1118]

So I did this test:

I was only able to get about 18-20 inches which is a poor rating. So I know my ankle flexibility isn't up to par. What are some good ankle flexibility exercises? Could I hold the position they make you do in the above flexibility test?