ankle dorsiflexion ROM... big problems

[swollen87]

so hit both a brick wall, and/or a breakthrough today

.... it seems my ROM on my right ankle is beyond shot... i havent measured in degrees, but i have a significant amount of scar tissue built up from a previous injury....

specifically i have limited dorsiflexion and its putting a hamper on my lifts...


today i squatted

135x5
225x5
315x5
365x4
405x0 came forward on my right toe, and favored my right leg, (probably due to my limited ROM and almost wrecked myself...)

this came as a suprise because i usually can perform a clean rep or two @ 405, today i couldnt..... the difference? i think it was the heel ( or lack thereof) in my new vibrams

i then did

GHR
bwx8x8x8

and one leg squats... THIS IS WHERE i found my problem...

while doing a one leg squat on my left leg, my heel stays planted and im able to drive with my hip/glute.

my right heel CANNOT stay on the ground.... therefore im forced to drive 100% with my quad and off my toe..


i have a feeling this has something to do with why i cant squat nearly anything close to what i can deadlift


any suggestions?

copy and pasted from my log.


now that im aware of this issue, im noticing my right quad is significantly more developed than my left specifically my lateralis and medialis


NOTE: the first time i injured this ankle, it was playing football... i tore nearly all the ligaments in my ankle, and had a stress fractured tibia

the second time, i crashed a motorcycle.... and again, tore ligaments and fractured both tibias


i did undergo physical therapy both times, for over a year each time, and i couldnt walk for 3-4+ months after the accident(s)

so i know what the problems are, just need to adress them, i would appreciate it if someone with some real knowledge on the subject could help me out

[Rodja]

Without some measurements, it's kinda heard to say. What style squats do you do? Is one leg longer than the other resulting in tightness in the kinetic chain?

[swollen87]

Without some measurements, it's kinda heard to say. What style squats do you do? Is one leg longer than the other resulting in tightness in the kinetic chain?

i just recently started olympic style squats.... my usual wide traditional powerlifting stance i dont run into these issues....

when i bring my stance in, i tend to favor my right quad... because i cant keep that heel planted when im @ a full squat

[Rodja]

i just recently started olympic style squats.... my usual wide traditional powerlifting stance i dont run into these issues....

when i bring my stance in, i tend to favor my right quad... because i cant keep that heel planted when im @ a full squat

If you're just starting out a new style, then you'll need time to adjust to the technique. Oly squat shoes usually have a slightly raised heel and might be something to look into for the future.

[JudoJosh]

Subbed bud

I will try and post something later on tonight but Rodja or Zir Red would be able to help with this way more than I could

[Movin_weight]

This has been an issue for me since I started squatting just due to a long fibula/tibia and tight plantar flexors. You just need to focus on stretching the calf muscles, the scar tissue shouldn't effect muscle flexibility. The immobilization from your injury prob just caused your plantar flexors to tighten up. it may take time but you should be able to return to normal function with some flex training.

[Torobestia]

Always good to find out about issues holding you back, so at least congrats on that. Hope some of these guys can help you through!

Subbed for info as well.

[swollen87]

This has been an issue for me since I started squatting just due to a long fibula/tibia and tight plantar flexors. You just need to focus on stretching the calf muscles, the scar tissue shouldn't effect muscle flexibility. The immobilization from your injury prob just caused your plantar flexors to tighten up. it may take time but you should be able to return to normal function with some flex training.

i dont think my calves are tight at all, i do a pretty decent job at warming them up/stretching and rolling them out as often as possible....

im pretty much constantly foam rolling and self massaging my entire body 3-4x a day as it is lol

its actually how i start my day, and end it....... nothing feels better than a lacrosse ball in a tight lat @ 530am !!

guess ill continue what im doing and maybe pay a little more attention to my calves...


but the problem i feel is in the joint, it feels like the bone healed in such a way that i just dont have full ROM anymore.... i just ordered some weightlifters shoes with a .75 heel so well see how they work

[bdcc]

I will bullet point some experience on this to try and help.

- You have a potential mechanical restriction at the ankle, it doesn't necessarily rule out tension in the plantar flexors which could be relieved.
- The achilles as a tendon is extremely strong and the plantar flexors can cause the ankle to lose a lot of dorsiflexion.
- Sometimes you do not feel a stretch in the calves because some calf stretches are simply inadequate. I used to stretch my calves all the time and constantly struggled with ankle ROM on squat depth. Loaded calf stretching helped instantly.
- You also may not feel tension in your calves when foam rolling them. They are distal to your body and therefore the weight put through them when you are performing self myofascial release on your own is very small unless you get someone to apply weight as well.
- If you notice tension in the calves which does not relieve, check hip flexor static length as this can affect postural alignment and cause tension in the plantar flexors. This will include rectus femoris as it is biaxial and acts as a hip flexor.

Try:
- Assess ROM unilaterally to check for discrepancies. Active and passive ROM are sometimes different as antagonist strength can influence passive as well.
- After a warm up try unilateral stretching on a calf raise machine or smith machine. Alternate sides and increase the weight. I like ascending the weight for a few sets and notice an instant and significant difference in squat performance. If muscle tissue tension is your problem you should notice a difference straight away.
- If not, go to a specialist who can genuinely assess whether it is a mechanical block or scar tissue which can be released.

Good luck.

Ben

[ZiR RED]

Think you can video tape yourself next time you squat, specifically one looking at the hips down.

Also, the nature of an olympic vs. power lifting is different in movement. You need more calf flexibility, specifically tibialis anterior action and soleus and peroneal relaxation (amongst other things in the kinetic chain) to maintain a neutral foot contact with the floor at the bottom of the ROM.

Br

[swollen87]

ill be sure to get a vid posted up asap....

[Rodja]

ill be sure to get a vid posted up asap....

Make sure the load is at least 70% to get a more accurate look at it. 85% would be even better so you can start to see breaks in the kinetic chain.

[swollen87]

my legs are still sore from squatting a different style, but i went ahead and took some videos to see whats up

275


315


365


my apologies about the camera... every time i post a video it comes up sideways or upside down...

the more i watch the videos, the more i see wrong.... maybe i should just go back to squatting how i used to....

[ZiR RED]

Looks to me like your left knee comes in, especially at the higher weight, and this translates down the chain into your left foot collapsing and the heel raising off the floor. Work you abductors and stretch your adductors, and concentrate on spreading the floor with your feet and knees when you squat.

Br

[swollen87]

Looks to me like your left knee comes in, especially at the higher weight, and this translates down the chain into your left foot collapsing and the heel raising off the floor. Work you abductors and stretch your adductors, and concentrate on spreading the floor with your feet and knees when you squat.

Br

thanks for the quick reply, and ill start doing what you said..

i do think at the bottom of the squat i favor my left leg because of my right ankle

any specific exercises to consider?

[ZiR RED]

Frog stretch, lateral steps with resistance bands around ankles and knees. Also some foot inversion exercises: http://www.caldwellphysicaltherapy.c...exercises.aspx

Br