Heels go up when bending knees just slightly

[rhyne23]

Been running Jason Blaha's Novice Program for 4 weeks now. I do progress well.

BUT: I can't squat without the help of the Smith Machine. I hate this. But as soon as I bend my knees (like 45°) my heels go up very high - I can barely keep my balance if I have no weight on my shoulders. And with the Smith Machine I can lean back and still go down deep. Otherwise I would just fall backwards. Any thoughts on this? Seems like my ankles are the problem. Or is it lack of core stability? Or very bad proportions as my legs are pretty long compared with my upper body?

I also work on mobility/flexibility (DeFranco and Kelly Starrett programs). However, this didn't help much yet. Overall I am pretty weak I must admit.

I really need help!! Thank you! This is actually bothering me when I see that everyone else can squat.

[Radicalnotions]

Sounds like your ankle mobility is terrible. You'll need to work on them every day. Consider getting weightlifting shoes with a raised heel. That will help too.