Side to side squat

This is my first week on this element, testing mastery.  How does the squat and IM look?

Hey Iain:

Greetings from Winnipeg. I lived just outside Little Britain for a year in the late 90's--beautiful part of the world!

While no expert, I know the coaches will tell you for mastery you need to keep the heel of the bent leg flat on the ground. You're getting good depth, so sitting back on your heels shouldn't be too hard for you. Once you get your feet flat on the ground, work on getting your butt right down to your heel. That will benefit you as you progress to the SLS.

Stay warm!

Bill

@Bill Marr how neat, I haven’t been to little Britain yet.  I’m in my first year of school at Fleming College and am new to the area (originally from Kingston).

I appreciate your tips.  If I widen my stance slightly, I am able to keep my heels on the ground.  I’ll work on that next week.

Thanks,

Iain

HI Iain...nice range of movement BUT strive to hold the heels on the floor as much as possible.

Is this acceptable now?

Nice Job, Iain! 

It looks like your right ankle is good to go, but the left still needs some more time like Alex said. I recommend sliding your feet a little bit further apart on both your PE and iM. You might find that it's more comfortable on the knees and ankles. Keep up the great work!

I’ve attempted to spread my feet further apart on both the PE and IM.  Regarding the PE, if I spread further apart than displayed in the video I’m posting now, I start to get pain on the inside of the left hip when the left leg is straight (and my weight is shifted completely to my right leg).  

Hey Iain:

I'm on SE5 of the SLS. I really benefited from working hard on these Cossack Squats to get my ass right down to my heel. I used my hands to support my body initially to make sure I got down that deep--in fact still do for a warm-up set before starting MS workouts. Sitting down that low has been hugely beneficial to SE5, doing 5x5s of the actual SLS. I can sit on my heel with my butt now for as long as I want and still get up out of the squat quite easily. I attribute much of that to really pushing hard on a deep Cossack Squat. It's a pain but totally worth it.

Bill

6 hours ago, Iain McLean said:

I’ve attempted to spread my feet further apart on both the PE and IM.  Regarding the PE, if I spread further apart than displayed in the video I’m posting now, I start to get pain on the inside of the left hip when the left leg is straight (and my weight is shifted completely to my right leg).  

 

hey Ian, notice that in the PE the straight leg should be externally rotated and the weigth is only on the heel.

So I feel I had a break through.  Externally rotating like @Alessandro Mainente suggested gave me a lot more depth:

Nice improvement, Iain!

very very nice!

Thanks @Alessandro Mainente, @Jeffrey Bittner, and @Bill Marr for the tips on this one.

One additional question @Alessandro Mainente and @Jeffrey Bittner.

I’ve developed pain on the inside of the left hip when performing Cossack squats or side to side squats when at the bottom on the extended leg.  I also have some issue in the MS series, especially during exercises such as frog, wall middle split, roll throughs and when in pancake.  I experience a slight sharp pain and often the joint will pop.  I will be visiting my osteopath next week and I will get him to look at the issue. 

My plan is to take a week or so off from completing MS and then slowly easing back into it.  The next progression of LB (skater squats) doesn’t stress the inside of my hip like the Cossacks, so I’m thinking of continuing with the lower body training, just cutting back on the Cossack squats in warmup and slowly building the reps back up over the next month or so while going full steam ahead with the skaters.  Does this seem like a reasonable approach?

Hey Iain, if you can perform the side to side like now probably you do not have any type of FAI, i had something similar in the past more connected to posterior/lateral hips tightness. simply you need to avoid this end range of motion and progress very slowly. it took to me many years to develop this range pain-free.

3 hours ago, Alessandro Mainente said:

Hey Iain, if you can perform the side to side like now probably you do not have any type of FAI, i had something similar in the past more connected to posterior/lateral hips tightness. simply you need to avoid this end range of motion and progress very slowly. it took to me many years to develop this range pain-free.

Thanks for the advice @Alessandro Mainente.  I’ll take it slow.