Before we get into today’s workout, two quick housekeeping notes: First, I am interviewing the wonderful Kelly Banks of The Dopamine Dispatch next month for my How to Move With series (ICYMI, How to Move with Hypermobility; How to Move with Rheumatoid Arthritis). We’re going to get very deep into the many ways ADHD can intersect with exercise (and, especially, building an exercise routine). We would LOVE to know your questions about this topic — you can leave them here as a comment, share them in the HTM chat, send me a DM on Substack, or just reply to this email.
Second, I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’d be kicking off a special six-week strength training 101 course for beginners, but I need a little more time to get everything prepped! So it won’t happen this summer, but I am hoping to schedule it for the fall. I’ll let you know as soon as I have more information for you — thanks for your patience!
On to the workout. xoxo
I feel like I’ve been on a journey to improve my squats for half my life. And it’s basically true! Since my early 20s when I really became a person who exercised, I’ve been trying to make little tweaks to help me feel more stable in squats, keep my torso semi-upright, and reach what feels like a reasonable depth. Through this process — and working with countless trainers and PTs — I’ve learned a couple of really important things:
First, just as all bodies are different, all squats are different! My gangly frame is not doing my squat any favors, but accepting that my squat is simply not going to be quite as torso-upright, ass-to-grass as my shorter-limbed friends’ squats has gone a long way. I can stop trying to put myself into a box I don’t actually fit into, and devote that energy to squatting as well and as heavy as I can in the frame I actually have. (A lesson that applies to so many things!)
Second, parts of your body that don’t seem to have anything to do with squatting play a really important role. For instance, a PT I was working with last year helped me realize that my very tight shoulders were leading to certain restrictions in my back squat: Because my shoulders couldn’t get my arms into a good position for holding the bar, my upper back was having to slightly extend, which makes it really hard to get those hips low. Like…what?!?! Amazing. But also, and perhaps more commonly: ANKLES AND MIDFEET.
Limited ankle mobility makes it a hell of a lot harder to squat deeply without your torso leaning super-far forward. And while it’s natural for our midfeet to pronate (aka the arch dropping down toward the floor a bit) under pressure, we also want our midfoot to be strong so that we can stabilize from the floor up: Even pressure under our toes, the balls of our feet, the heels, and the pinky-side edges — and an activation in the arch of the foot — helps keep our center of mass balanced. And! When our arches are active, we may be less likely to have our knees cave inwards during squats. (You may remember my favorite “doming” trick from a few months back!)
Anyway! All of this inspired a story for The New York Times a few months ago about the importance of strong, sturdy, but also mobile ankles and midfeet, along with a great mobility routine. It’s so helpful not just for strength training, but also for running, dancing, and anything that requires lower body strength, power, and stability.
