How The ATG Split Squat Ended My Injury Struggles
Updated: Jul 3
Running well, running really well, damn I'm in good shape... injured. Bollocks ain't it.
I signed up to the ATG Program due to my never-ending struggle with running injuries. After spending £100s on physios which got me no-where, then I came across Ben Patrick’s videos on the ATG program on YouTube.
I realised from these videos that I had poor mobility in my right ankle which was leading to a lot of my injuries because when my foot landed it could not cushion my landing properly, this was leading to lower back problems, glute problems and Achilles problems.
The main solution suggested by Ben Patrick in the ATG program, was for me was to start doing the ATG split squat to improve my ankle mobility.
What is so special about the ATG split squat?
This exercise works really well because it puts you in a position where you are under tension and your knees are over you toes . Having your knees over your toes is famously know as the position which puts you the largest risk of injury, for this reason the ‘knees over toes’ position is very much avoided. However, what happens when you train in this position is that you start to train all the muscles around your knee to deal with stress.
The ATG split squat uses one of the principles from the ATG program called ‘strength through length’. What this means is that you strengthen a muscle through the full range of motion possible at the joint. This means that through the whole movement that the knee can do- you strengthen through that whole movement, this is what we call BULLETPROOFING YOUR KNEES.
The overall benefits of the ATG split squat:
Increasing your hip flexor flexibility/mobility
Increasing your glute strength
Promotes strength through length
Improved your ankles mobility
Strengthens your tibialis anterior
Strengthens the ligaments around your knee
What happened when I started doing the ATG split squat
When I first started with the ATG split squat, I had my foot elevated high, no weights in hands and my knee could barely make it over my toes. I repeated this exercise 8 times for 4 sets (as per the recommendation by Ben Patrick) and repeated this exercise twice per week alongside many others he had me perform to increase my performance and reduce injuries.
I noticed over the first month that I was able to get my knee further and further over my toes (showing that my ankle mobility was increasing). It took a little longer till I was able to use a less high box to put my foot on but slowly the box size decreased (showing that my hip flexors were getting more flexible which allows for better glute activation and more power)
Now, I can do an ATG split squat with my foot on the floor, my heel slightly elevated, and my hamstring covering all of my calf. Being able to strengthen my body in this position has made me so much more resilient to injury and I run faster with more power.
Injuries I used to struggle with (I could not go more than 8 weeks uninjured):
Achilles tendonitis
Stress fractures
Glute problems
Lower back problems
Muscle strains
Pain behind my knee
If you too would like to permanently put your injury problems in the past and also take your performance to the next level then click the link for 50% off your first month:
How to do the ATG split squat + Regressions
The ATG split squat can be performed by have one foot ahead of the other in a short lunge position, then squatting down. The goal is to have the hamstring covering the back of the calf with you knees properly over your toes.
Regressions:
Elevate your heel- this allows you to get your knees properly over your toes. Once you get better ankle mobility you take away the heel lift.
Have something to hold on to to balance yourself down and reduce the weight of your body going down. Once you get stronger you can add some dumbbells to hold on to.
Increase the height of the step your foot is on, this will make the exercise easier on your hip flexors. Once your hip flexors have more flexibility you can reduce the height of the step.
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