You’ve seen this squat mobility drill above, it’s common for a majority of the population to look like the above pic. The issue isn’t necessarily the drill itself but the execution of the movement.
If you look at the above picture you can clearly see a rounded back, and if you look closely at the ankle how the foot is inverted- meaning the weight is more toward the inner part of the foot:
Inverted Ankle
Clearly there is a LOT of compensation patterns. The mistake many people have is to keep pushing through a ROM that forces them to compensate through the lower back into a posterior tilt:
Clearly the person is in a posterior tilt, which will than force a greater ROM through the back and he’ll potentially expose himself to a lower back injury. This is why it’s important to understand:
- Basic anatomy
- Correct execution of the movement
- Common compensation patterns to avoid injury
While the drill itself is beneficial, I personally use it all the time, but if executed in-correctly you are asking for an injury.
Take home message is to not push too hard into the range of motion (ROM) and to not expose your back or pull on your back while in a posterior tilt.
With the correct balance of mobility, flexibility, and soft tissue work you can hope to get back into this:
