MONDAY MUSINGS - WHY YOU CAN'T SQUAT #3/5
By Island Rehab Hub
Bite-sized tips to get you thinking on a Monday. Following on from last week, we dive into part three of ‘5 Reasons You Can’t Squat’ and briefly examine another very common problem
‘The effects of a collapsed foot/ankle can be injurious’
Dr Spencer Brown
Squats are, in my opinion, an awesome exercise for just about anything! However, as with all exercises this is only the case when the squat is performed correctly. With this in mind here’s my take on why most people have difficulty squatting.
#3 – The ankle/s collapse inwards
The Problem:
One thing I can say with certainty is squatting with collapsed arches is really going to cause you harm! Wearing weightlifting shoes, supportive shoes and/or insoles (orthotics) is not the answer either because it’s all about muscle recruitment. What I mean is, your arches will collapse onto whatever you’re wearing on your feet if you let them. When the arches collapse inwards unfortunately so do the knees – this is bad news – and it will also affect what’s going on at the hip too.
‘squatting with collapsed arches is really going to cause you harm!’
The Solution:
Focus on staying off the arch of the foot i.e. roll the foot out slightly when you’re executing the squat, particularly during the upward (drive) phase of the movement. We call this the ‘Tripod Foot’ position, with the aim to spread the load across three areas of the foot (see below). Also, focus on pushing the knees outwards.
Look for blog posts to follow ranging in topics from general fitness, strength training and CrossFit to knee problems,
reasons why people are in pain and why I don't recommend over-stretching the hip flexors.
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