Limbering Question

To cut to the chase, I'm wondering if there are any passive movements (or later mobilities which I don't yet know of) which people recommend doing to improve the deep squat. Specifically, ankle/achilles mobility and for the knees. I do the stretch series. I do all the -ims. I also know which stretches help improve my shoulder ROM, hip ROM, and thoracic ROM. For my shoulders, I've found that im's from Foundation 2 for HBP do the trick; for thoracic I find the 'ear pressure pose' or knees behind head from TBs, always works wonders; for hips, the swivel hip, firelog and hero poses, and sitting in the swivel hip position, are sufficient. The other two areas of trouble have thus eluded me.

I recently have settled on the kneeling achilles stretch from the FSs, but I don't feel like it engages my achilles enough to where, as Coach puts it, I'm telling myself 'this sucks, but you can handle it'. Further, I do skier squats, and the twisting squats during my workouts, for the knees, but I feel excess pressure (re: not pain, but pressure as there is no limitation of ROM) around my right vastus medialis everytime I get up. I know that I had a microscopic bone spur there when in undergrad, but since it never limited my ROM and it only provides some discomfort occasionally I never had it removed. I know that the SLS progressions are a 'knee series', so to speak. But I'm looking for things to do when it's a rest day and I'm watching a movie or if I'm bored on vacation, to just keep the joints and tendons limber and to help expedite the improvement of ROM.

Thanks.

Hm. I guess this is a stretch series question, though it doesn't directly correlate to issues within the stretch series but more so a complementary issue that could help speed up my progress in ankle and knee mobility.

Hmmm... the SLS series should be ample for the knees. You might consider doing the ankle stretches from the front series near daily, if they feel comfortable for you....

Hmm, much appreciated. Just wanted a second opinion about the issue. I already do that to a degree, but I'll up the ante on the ankle and SLS-im's (1-3)

It took about a month of front split stretch series (1x a week) working quite hard before my left ankle loosened up enough to do SLS without a counterweight, without doing some dedicated ankle stretching beforehand. It does come

I have made a point of trying to flex my shin/ankle to pull my knee as far forward as possible doing my SLS, which seems to have reinforced it. Sometimes you get in the mindset of trying to move straight up and down, but I think of it more like one of those scissor lifts-- thigh slants one way, shin slans back the other way, they close, upper body job is just to facilitate that whilst remaining as straight as possible

Yeah I'm still stuck on PE2, but I've noticed that pulling myself forward with the heel down increases the weighted stretch on the achilles. I supposed I could just stay the course and do what I'm doing. But I tend to be impatient. I currently try to do some IM's every day, training or not.  

Work on building your "third world" squat up to ten minutes.  Honestly it shouldn't even be hard.  It's really basic mobility.  Work on it by sitting in the bottom squat position for however long you can when you get the chance.  It's a heck of a lot healthier than sitting on a couch/chair anyway.

Daniel Taylor-Shaut said:

I currently try to do some IM's every day, training or not.  

That's usually a good habit anyway, a lot of them just feel good, and those will tend to be the ones you repeat.Patience, stubbornness, and hard stretching

Yeah, I know about the Grok squat/ATG squat/3rd world squat, however, you call it. My issue is that my ankles can't stay grounded when I bring my hips below my knees. Only if my legs are excessively straddled and my points toes are pointing outwards can I keep the heels down. So any suggestions?

Today is MSs, so I'm going to focus on that and then limbering for my shoulders (static/reps of cat, static/reps of capsule, underneath, ear pressure pose, door hangs). I'll keep your comments in mind though.