This half kneeling achilles stretch is one of my favorite drills for ankle mobility. Your feet are the first contact you make to the floor so it’s important to have strong foundations through the foot, ankle, and calf. Tight, immobile ligaments can lead to decreased range of motion and even injury while you train big lifts like squat, deadlift and vertical jumps.
WHY DO THE HALF KNEELING ACHILLES STRETCH?
The half kneeling achilles stretch helps to lengthen the muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the foot, ankle, and calf. This includes the achilles tendon which stretches from the back of the ankle and attaches to the calcaneus or the heel. The tibialis posterior tendon and gastrocnemius muscle also become really tight with a lot of jumping and sprinting, so I have my athletes work through this drill leading up to the workout. Increasing mobility leading up to a workout will allow you to train through a greater range of motion while you lift.
The more ROM you can strengthen – the more effective of an athlete you become.
How to do half kneeling achilles stretch?
To perform a half kneeling achilles stretch, begin on the floor in a half kneeling position. With the foot that’s flat on the floor, begin rocking the knee forward and backward so that you’re pushing the knee slightly over the toe. When you find a point at which you can’t push any further forward, extend the arms in front of you to counterbalance your weight and hold for about 10 seconds.
You can hit a few more ankle rockers on this side before switching to the other foot. Watch how to perform the half kneeling achilles stretch HERE.
Common Mistakes
Move slowly and gently through this movement. You don’t want to push anything too far or overextend the muscles of your ankle.
Programming
I have my guys go through this mobility drill before going into a speed or lower body workout. Go through about 2-3 rounds of this stretch on each leg, holding for 10-20 seconds.
I recommend incorporating this drill into your training a few times a week prior to a speed workout OR even a full mobility session like this one.
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