SLS/PE1 Deck Squats

Hi, 

I'm struggling with deck squats. When I stand up I need to take a small step back with one foot.

Is this problem flexibility or strength. I do have very stiff ankles (working on that).

Any help would be great thanks.

It's a balance issue more than anything.  You need to come further forward when you come up off the floor.

I used to do this every rep, but now I only do it towards the end of my last set.  FL/PE2 helped a lot.

I've just started and find all the other exercises pretty easy, but on this one I have to use a hand and/or lean to the side to both get down to the floor to roll and to come up.  Or I need to cross my feet to come up.  I imagine this is flexibility / mobility more than anything.  

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Sean

Once you sort out the ankle mobility the balance should get easier. The big issue that leads to falling backwards as you try to stand up is the inability to really get your weight over your feet as you roll up onto them (which is often caused by tight calves/ankles not allowing the knees to track forwards far enough in front of the toes).

Also make sure to stay round/hollow as you roll, and pull your feet in as close to your butt as possible rather than trying to throw your feet forwards to get up.

Are you talking about just the mobility work listed on the single leg squat (SLS) page?

I come from a background of ultra running so I'm sure I've got a lot of tight muscles/joints!

+1 for keeping tucked. Took me ages to figure out that I was letting my knees come away from my chest as I tried to roll back onto my feet.

Sean Butler said:

Are you talking about just the mobility work listed on the single leg squat (SLS) page?

I come from a background of ultra running so I'm sure I've got a lot of tight muscles/joints!

Well the skiers are actually a very good ankle and knee mobilization/strengthening exercise if done correctly, but if this is an issue for you then I would probably do some additional Soleus stretching and some Anterior Tibialis strengthening exercises to accelerate progress.

Thanks Keegan! Much appreciated. On the Skiers what are some points to look out for? Are we trying to keep our back as upright as possible? 

Have you taken a look at Kit's work?   

I'll just put a little plug for his book, which has been helping me a lot with a hamstring issue I've been having.

Thanks Jennifer. I have been doing most of these stretches. Not with a partner. Good resource. 

I have found that I really need to focus on ppt and leaning forward with arms out at the front of the roll. Until I got the ppt down I couldn't get a smooth roll and would get slowed down which caused me to have to take a step back.  I think that improvement in the ppt and the roll has made a dramatic improvement.  I still don't have very good ankle flexibility but my deck squats have greatly improved due to the other changes. 

Nicholas Cooper said:

Thanks Keegan! Much appreciated. On the Skiers what are some points to look out for? Are we trying to keep our back as upright as possible?

Back upright, yes but it doesn't have to be extreme. Keeping the feet and knees together is more important.

Most people who lack ankle mobility will "cave the knees inwards" while squatting. This sometimes is also a sign of weak/inactive Gluteus Medius, or tight Adductors, but often it is also a compensation to make up for the fact that they lack Dorsiflexion ROM in the ankles.

By keeping the feet and the knees together while squatting/doing skiers the ankles must Dorsiflex correctly in order to achieve proper depth.

If you wanted to add more more ankle mobility stuff I would add some bent leg PNF calf stretching post workout and some wall ankle mobilizations and Anterior Tibialis activations during your warm-ups. Some people have also had success doing some Paleo Chair/Squat static work to help them get comfortable in the bottom of the Deck Squatting motion.

Thanks Keegan. I'm already doing that mobility work.

Pghhymnastics sorry for my ignorance but what is ppt ?

Nicholas Cooper said:

Thanks Keegan. I'm already doing that mobility work.

 

Pghhymnastics sorry for my ignorance but what is ppt ?

PPT = posterior pelvic tilt and is covered in great detail in H1.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Thanks Coach! 

Only at the begging of H1. Havent looked ahead in the course. Mastering one exercise at a time