Addressing Calf/Achilles ROM and Poor Ankle Dorsiflexion.

I have chronically tight calves/achilles, which manifests in very limited ankle dorsiflexion, which really limits my ability to do things like squat without falling over backwards. 

I've been attempting to address this in various ways for several years with no advances worth mentioning. 

1) Does gymnastic bodies have any program or technique for addressing this?

2) I am currently going through the front split mobility series and just got to SE7, which coach Summers calls "Two Squat, Two Pike,"

I can pike forward with my legs straight, but I can't do the squat portion. Either my heels pop up a large amount to allow me to come down, or I just can't really squat very deep. Which option should I choose?

Any other suggestions?

You are already doing what you need to be doing.  

Yes, your achilles will respond.  However the scale of time involved for improvement with be months rather than days or weeks.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

 

Andrew:

when you wrote "2) I am currently going through the front split mobility series and just got to SE7, which coach Summers calls "Two Squat, Two Pike,"

you seem to be implying that you are not doing the entire series in each session. That is, you are not doing SE8 because you have not mastered SE7?  Am I reading that right?  

Craig's question is very pertinent. The intention is to go through the whole series in each session, even if this requires you to scale down several elements.

To your second question, squat as much as possible keeping the heels on the ground. Work to increase this over time

Calves and ankles are stubborn things; just think how much milage you've put on them over your life the front split series is my personal favourite and it does good good things.