Deck squat and skiers form check

Hi guys,

I'm having some trouble with this element which I've been stuck on since I started foundation back in May last year.

I can perform the deck squat (using a lot of momentum), but my skiers need a lot of work in order to achieve the required depth. I have chronically tight ankles which I believe are preventing proper depth on the skiers and are making the deck squat much more difficult to perform - if you pause at the point where I push up out of the bottom of the squat you can see that my shins are vertical, as opposed to knees past the feet. The attached vid is after a lot of soft tissue work and stretching of the ankles and calves which is required in order for me to even attempt the element.

I continue to work on ankle and calf flexibility (recently bought Kit's book), but I believe this will take a lot of work as a bodyweight squat is currently even beyond me without a heel lift to alleviate lack of ROM in the ankles.

Currently working 4 x 6r.

Everything looking OK given the above? Is there anything I can do to make this iM more effective or should I keep working it to my current flexibility levels?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSYIXHHT-ho

Thanks

Ok, from what I've found works for me (this is not official tips as I haven't been to a seminar nor am I a qualified GB coach):

Your feet wind up way ahead of your glutes as you are rolling forwards in the deck squat. Doing them that way (for me anyhow) means that I need a ton of momentum to come up onto my feet.

What I have found has allowed me to require much less momentum (similar to what the athlete uses in the video) is to try to bring my heels as close to my butt as possible when I roll forwards onto them and to maintain a posterior pelvic tilt/hollow body position.

This combination allows me to stay round and compact and to more efficiently roll up onto my feet. Admittedly though my ankle flexibility is decent at this point. When I started with this movement though getting back to my feet from the roll was hit or miss and required a lot more momentum than I currently need.

What I found worked well for me was:

1) paleo chair/feet together maximal depth squatting position held statically to get used to the balance and strength needed to assume that position

2) Kit's stretching materials for the muscle groups that I found were limiting my performance of deck squats (mostly Soleus, hip flexors and lumbar erectors)

3) strengthening the Anterior Tibialis (muscle on the front of your shins which help to "flex" (Dorsiflex) the ankle

4) pretty much doing the rest of the foundation and Handstand programs (which strengthened my core, got me to really understand PPT and proper core and Glute activation)

Hope this helps you in some way.

In addition to what Keegan Y said, if you compress into a more tucked ball position (abdominal work) you will need much less momentum to get back up onto your heels. You are throwing your legs to build momentum and you are losing that ball shape on the way back up.

Thanks guys, however I have a follow up question. Do the "heels to butt" or "tucked ball" approaches not assume the ability to keep the heels on the floor with the knees past the feet when rolling forward to stand? I cannot achieve this position even with a rounded back.

I will give it a try tomorrow to see if it is possible for me.

SoyeBoy said:

...A bodyweight squat is currently beyond me....

Have you tried a 'sumo' squat, with your feet turned outward and placed pretty far apart?  I find depth in squatting tends to get easier the further apart the feet go.

You can start with feet wider apart. Also, squat with correct form to the depth you can and then come up. Work on increasing the depth. Ido's squat clinic is great as it will address a lot of the mobility limitations you currently face.

Just work at it slowly and consistently.

Bipocni said:

Have you tried a 'sumo' squat, with your feet turned outward and placed pretty far apart?  I find depth in squatting tends to get easier the further apart the feet go.

Yes I can achieve this, but I don't think this will help me in this movement as it just circumvents the tightness in my ankles. For me, I don't believe the iM (or the way I am performing the iM maybe) is helping me achieve the desired ankle flexibility. I may try to do the skiers while holding a dumbbell out front as a warm up to increase ROM, and of course continue to stretch the ankles and calves.

Interestingly, with a moderate heel lift I can comfortably get a full ATG squat.

SoyeBoy said:

Interestingly, with a moderate heel lift I can comfortably get a full ATG squat.

Try just hanging out in the bottom of a squat position.  Hold onto something in front of you if you can't balance due to tight ankles.  If you can sumo squat ATG then work on narrowing your feet over time.