The Missing Link to Improving Your Squat Depth
Do you feel like no matter what set up you try you just can’t get below parallel in your squat? Or maybe you can get there, but it is not a comfortable position for you. For many people, the first instinct is that their hips and knees are “tight”, but no matter how much mobility and stretching they do there is still no improvement in their squat depth. So, what’s the missing link?
The ankle.
In order for us to hit full depth squats, we need to have adequate ankle dorsiflexion to achieve the position. Ankle dorsiflexion is the movement that allows your shin to travel forward relative to your foot. It is necessary for squatting, going down stairs, lunging, landing from jumps, and many other activities we do on a daily basis. When there is limited ankle dorsiflexion mobility, your body will have a difficult time achieving depth in certain positions, which may lead to some irritation in the hip, knee, or foot over time.
How do you know if you have stiff ankles?
An easy self-assessment that you can do at home is the Dorsiflexion Lunge Test. You will set yourself up in a half kneeling position facing a wall, with the toes of the front foot touching the wall. Slowly slide your foot back from the wall as far as you can while still being able to touch your knee to the wall when lunging forward without your heel coming up. Once you find your end range, take a measurement of how far your toes are from the wall with either a ruler or your hand. Then compare to your other side. Ideally you will want to be about 3-4 inches, or about a hand placement, away from the wall on each side. Differences between sides are completely normal, but we do not want that difference to be greater than 1-inch side to side.
Dorsiflexion Lunge Test
Left - 3” from wall
Right - a little over 2” from wall
So, now what?
The good news is that we see clients with limited ankle mobility very often, and it is something that can be easily improved by adding a couple of mobility movements into your routine. Loaded movements that challenge the knees over toes position are great starting points as they are effective and replicate the positions needed for a deep squat. The following three exercises are some of our favorites as they are easy to implement into your routine.
Now, keep in mind that these exercises are a general recommendation based on what we commonly see in our clients. However, everyone is different, and it is normal to respond differently to the same movements. If you find that you do not see any major improvements with these exercises, or you are limited by pain, click here to set up a free phone consultation with one of our Doctors today!
Dr. Paulina Tselikis
PT, DPT, ATC
Co-Owner | The PATH Rehab & Performance
