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Daily Mobility Exercises by Dr. Kelly Starrett › Forums › General › Lumbar curve in bottom position
- This topic has 6 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 7 months ago by
Nathan Wright.
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02/09/2014 at 10:29 am #70785
Gio FitzgeraldMemberI’ve been trying to get rid of this lumbar curve in the bottom of my squat for several months now by working on improving my hip flexion to no avail. I seem to lose proper form just past 90. Is it possible that I have a weakness somewhere preventing me from keeping in a good position? Or what else can I try/test for?
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02/10/2014 at 11:52 am #74100Nathan RicherParticipant
It could be a few things, some you describe, some other stuff up and down your chain.
make sure your abdomen and glutes are tight as you descend, stay upright as much as possible and don’t bend forward to compensate for depth.most likely if you are working the hips and still have problems, it’s about the parts of the leg lower than the hips. so ankles, lower leg, hams, quads.check these out:ankles/lower leg:lower leg:hamstrings: -
02/10/2014 at 2:45 pm #74101Gio FitzgeraldMember
Cheers David,
I feel like my ROM isn’t bad in my ankles and lower body.Although my calves do tend to be a bit tight, I can squat feet together whilst keeping my knees outside the ankles and also achieve a pistol shape without falling backwards etc.
Is there another way to test whether my ankles/lower leg are the problem?I do find it harder to keep my glutes contracted the lower I get into the squat, but I did think this was normal?Cheers -
02/10/2014 at 3:40 pm #74102Nathan RicherParticipant
to test if any body part is the problem, just simply go into the deep squat as far down as you can without losing torso shape. then mob/smash a body part. test the deep squat after that. did you go down further without losing torso shape or still the same? if you went down lower without losing torso shape, then that’s a target body part to smash/mob. repeat.
if your calves are tight, that is enough to stop you from going down in proper torso shape. try smashing those.achieving pistol squat all the way to the bottom is great, but most people lose their torso shape at the bottom in order to stop from tipping back.you should start glutes/torso tight, and as you descend you’ll likely have to stop contracting your glutes to let yourself down. but don’t lose your torso tightness! -
02/13/2014 at 12:46 pm #74131Gio FitzgeraldMember
Cheers David
Also, if I can achieve a good, upright flat back when I go into the bottom pos. and go forward onto my toes, would that suggest my ankles are to blame? -
02/13/2014 at 1:54 pm #74132Nathan RicherParticipant
not necessarily.
to test your ankle range, you should do that individually and not as part of a greater movement pattern. the test for ankle range is best done either kneeling in lunge position or with your foot up on a stool or similar. we usually like to use a pole placed straight up at the inside of the foot. then lean forward with the knee, keeping it to the outside of the pole. this makes sure the knee drives in an optimal path that does not impinge at the ankle, nor letting the arch collapse.if you can get the knee many inches forward of the toes without the heel coming up, then you probably have enough ankle range. if you can’t get the knee much past the toes, then something is restricting your ankle.ankle dorsiflexion exercises uses the same motion as the test. move it back and forth in the same path of the test, making sure your arch does not collapse. Kstarr likes to use a band to distract the ankle, either forward, backward or out to the side. Find which one has the best effect for you.the ankles may be the source of lack of ROM, but there are many structures up and down stream that could be to blame beyond the ankle itself. you should examine the anterior tibialis, posterior tibialis, calf, heel cord, bottom of the foot, peroneals all for tightness next. so while the ROM limitation may seem like the ankle, it could be other structures that are at fault not at the ankle.we cannot see how you’re squatting, so it’s possible that there are hip and upper leg restrictions as well as your ability to maintain bracing of the core. you should consider all those in your search for what’s restricting you from getting to the bottom in good position. -
02/23/2014 at 10:43 pm #74203Nathan WrightParticipant
Hey George, just to clarify: do you mean you’re losing the lumbar curve in your deep squat? In my athletes, the more naturally gifted athletically, and stronger, the harder it is to get them to keep everything engaged down low in the squat, because its easier to relax down there. Are you screwing your feet into the ground before you squat, and continuing to do that as you squat? Most people’s range of motion in the hips will stop their squat before they lose the lumbar curve, if they’re keeping everything engaged. When you run out of range of motion without getting “loose”, then that’s the bottom of your squat. Let me know if this makes sense, or if you pinpoint a weakness.
Hal
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