Gym rats, some advice please :)

melmac

melmac

melmac

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I am looking for advice on squat technique and/or some exercise that could replace squats completely.

Due to a past injury I have very little flexibility in my left ankle. My hips aren't so flexible either. This means that I can't do squats properly. The hip flexibility wouldn't be a problem if my ankle wasn't so bad, but, when I do squats my left heel has to come off the ground. To maintain contact with the ground I lose proper form which then hurts my knees when I try to add any weight.

Now, I saw on a yoga video that they have a solution for people who can't do squats properly. You stand on something that raises your heels off the ground a little. So I use a piece of wood that raises my heels about 2 inches. With this I can squat down without any issues.

My questions is, will this way of doing squats be ok to use with weights? Will it target the same muscles without putting strain on the wrong places?
 
This is essentially what weightlifting shoes (as in Olympic weightlifting, the sport) do, although the heels are generally no more than 1".

To answer your question, we all love squats but unless they're a mandatory component of your sport there's no reason why you MUST do them so in terms of a primary movement for the anterior part of your legs.... it depends what's available to you and what feels good to use, but there are decent leg presses/squat machines out there, feet forward Smith machine squats and so on which will suffice for higher intensity 'heavy' work. Because you can't get really 'knees forward' due to your ankle's lack of flexibility, you're going to miss out on *some* quad stimulus compared to a proper high bar squat with these, but you can still see to them via secondary and isolation movements. As you've discovered, you can perform 'cyclist squats' which is what you're essentially doing using a huge heel lift (these are generally better suited as a secondary movement for higher reps for various reasons like setting them up). Leg extensions are a perfectly okay means of training the quads directly as well later in the workout.
 
Sissy squats are also worth considering, once you get past the name.

Also, deficit Bulgarian split squats are Satan's own leg day all by themselves...

Regarding poor ankle and hip mobility, it is also important to remember that these are not just going to cramp your squatting, but they will have an impact on other things in your life... As such, you should work at fixing these things because they need fixing, rather than working around them for lifting...
 
I can sympathise with what you are going through. I also have very limited ankle mobility due to me completely buggering it up playing football. I suffered an unstable fracture of the fibula, not so bad, and my ankle displaced itself from the socket it sits in. As a result I have had 3 operations and still have a metal plate to keep my ankle where it needs to be. I went through nearly 2 years of rehabilitation to get me to a point where I do have some movement in the ankle, but not a lot.

Anyway, I also can't squat properly. However the gym I go to is excellent and they have really helped me through things. Lunges are great. The best thing I have found though is a hack squat machine. It is one you stand upright on rather than one you lay down on so the actually squatting motion is very similar to using a bar bell. The advantage with the hack squat machine is that I can angle the platform I stand on so my ankle doesn't have to go through as much range of movement. We also have a belt squat machine that you can angle the platform on and again this is brilliant.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Extremely helpful.

@Somnambulist That's great to hear :) At least I know I can get back to doing squats without causing further injury. I play basketball and although at 46 I am approaching the end of my career, I still play and want to give it all I got for next season. I haven't done squats since I done my ankle.

@mrthingyx haha, this is kinda funny. I have been working on my hip flexibility and my physio recommended the Bulgarian split squats. They are something that I have just started doing recently. And you are right, they are tough!! Regarding my ankle, it will never recover full mobility :(

@davejh666 Ouch, that sounds like a terrible injury. Mine wasn't so bad, I just ripped every tendon and ligament in my ankle, apart from the Achilles. I got 80% of my mobility back. I am not a member of a Gym, just some free weights at home. The hack squat machine does sound perfect though. And from reading your post and @GSVBagpuss advice, I think I should throw a few more lunges into my workout :)
 
melmac said:
Thanks for the replies guys. Extremely helpful.

@Somnambulist That's great to hear :) At least I know I can get back to doing squats without causing further injury. I play basketball and although at 46 I am approaching the end of my career, I still play and want to give it all I got for next season. I haven't done squats since I done my ankle.

@mrthingyx haha, this is kinda funny. I have been working on my hip flexibility and my physio recommended the Bulgarian split squats. They are something that I have just started doing recently. And you are right, they are tough!! Regarding my ankle, it will never recover full mobility :(

@davejh666 Ouch, that sounds like a terrible injury. Mine wasn't so bad, I just ripped every tendon and ligament in my ankle, apart from the Achilles. I got 80% of my mobility back. I am not a member of a Gym, just some free weights at home. The hack squat machine does sound perfect though. And from reading your post and @GSVBagpuss advice, I think I should throw a few more lunges into my workout :)
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Hi, sounds like you might need a physio, maybe ask your gp to send you to one?
 
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