Name: Playbook - TrickStrong RX - Ankle: Phase 1 RXHAB (3x/wk)
Uploaded: 2024-04-03T17:05:08.454Z
Duration: 40 min
Description: Ankle: Phase 1 RXHAB (3x/wk)

Welcome to Ankle RXHAB 💪

We did a survey of over 300 trickers and found that foot/ankle injuries were the MOST commonly reported! Ankle injuries suck, and are really common in our sport. As such, we poured a lot of time and energy into getting you the most actionable info and progressions regarding your ankle RXHAB. 

The goal of this phase 1 intro is to let you know how best to use this program as well as how to avoid common pitfalls.

In this video, we go in-depth to help you determine what may have been injured in your foot or ankle. This is important because depending on the structure, you may need to take a different approach regarding recovery. 

Next we cover helpful tips in optimizing recovery. See a summary below for reference:

•	First Phase strategy: While foot/ankle is healing, we strengthen surrounding muscles. By strengthening our feet in this phase, it will give us a strong base moving forward
•	Controlling swelling: Compression + Elevation (no ice, avoid heat for first 48-72 if ankle is swollen)
•	Pain levels: 3/10 or under
•	24 hour rule: nothing should hurt more than your baseline 24 hrs ago
•	Avoid stretching into pain, especially in early phases as this is detrimental to muscle strain or sprain healing. 
•	If all of these exercises are too much, start with walking and light activations of that muscle (such as pain-free CARs)
•	If it doesn't improve within 7-14 days, I would advise seeking 1-1 care
•	If it does improve, slowly introduce these exercises until you can do the full routine
•	Progress from this phase when all exercises can be done pain-free
•	The recommended dosage will depend on your capacity and goals, but I recommend an average of 3 sessions a week, 2 if you're finding it hard to recover and 4 if you feel like it's a bit easy for you and want to accelerate your recovery. On off days, try to do things as normally as possible while following the above recommendations. 

Let's get it 🦶

We are using foam rolling to encourage circulation and lymphatic drainage from the extremities back towards the center. This helps to speed up the recovery process.

If you have access to compression boots and arm attachments, this can do the same thing. 

It depends on how long you have and the resources available to you. The aim is to gloss over the large muscle groups and improve drainage, not murder each knot you find.

Try to relax into this by using deep breathing. Spend as much time as you have, but aim for a minimum of 3-5 minutes.

Below are foam rolling techniques you can use during this time. Aim for the big muscle groups for the biggest effect.

Foam Rolling: Calves

Foam Rolling: Anterior Tibialis

Foam Rolling: Hamstrings

Foam Rolling: Quads

Foam Rolling: Glutes

This is an amazing self-massage technique to improve foot and ankle mobility and soft-tissue quality.

We are often tight, restricted and have poor blood flow in our feet due to constricting foot wear. Most shoes don't allow for natural foot movement. This fits perfectly before and after getting out of shoes. 

You'll likely feel improved ankle mobility after this technique as the tight muscles and fascia on the bottom of our feet become unrestricted. Be sure to get all the edges of your foot and to allow your foot to "melt" around the ball.

Foot Rolling

Optional: Lower Body Foam Rolling (3-5 minutes)

Moving each joint of the lower body through it's full range of motion can do wonders for maintaining and improving your mobility during recovery. 
Watch our CARs Tutorials in the Mobility RX section for a full list of benefits.

CARS stands for Controlled Articular Rotations. This refers to actively creating mobility within our joints. 

The hip is a ball and socket joint. We really want to move it in a 3 dimensional way, rather than stretching only in linear planes. 

The easiest way for you visual learners is to probably follow along and feel free to replay this video to understand the motions involved here. 

Steps: 

1.	Hip Flexion – Knee towards chest

2.	Hip abduction – hip out to the side

3.	Hip Internal Rotation – Turn hip inwards (ankle faces outwards)

4.	Hip Extension – Bring hip behind you, while maintaining hip internal rotation from Step 3 until you tap your knee on the ground

5.	Hip Extension – Bring hip back up behind you

6.	Hip External Rotation/Abduction – Turn hip outwards (ankle facing inwards) while keeping it as high as you can

7.	Return to starting position

Hip CARs - Quadruped

Be sure to watch our follow-along CARs tutorials in ‘Mobility RX’ for an in-depth explanation on how to perform Knee CARs. 

This is a clip from the tutorial that explains how to perform the seated knee CAR.

These are best done daily to maintain and improve joint health.

Seated Knee CARs

Be sure to watch our follow-along CARs tutorials in ‘Mobility RX’ for a in-depth explanation on how to perform ankle CARs. These are best done daily to maintain and improve joint health. 

Here's how to do it.

[Step 1: Starting Position]
Start by standing up straight with your feet hip-width apart. Place your hands on something stable like a chair or wall for balance. Stand tall and engage your core as if you are about to lift something heavy.

[Step 2: Ankle Dorsiflexion (DF)]
First, maximally pull the toes of your foot up towards your shin, this is called dorsiflexion. 

[Step 3: Ankle DF + Eversion (EV)]
From a dorsiflexed position, initiate the rotation by turning your foot outward, making sure the rotation is coming from your ankle and not from your hip or knee.

[Step 4: Ankle Plantarflexion (PF) + EV]
Point your toes maximally while maintaining a turned out, or everted ankle. 

[Step 5: Ankle PF + Inversion (INV)]
While continuing to point your toes, move from a turned out, or everted foot position to an inverted, or turned in foot position. Maintain control throughout all motion. 

[Step 6: Ankle DF + INV]
Complete the circle by bringing your toes up towards your shin again, this time with the foot inward. Again, ensure the movement is happening at the ankle joint. Imagine drawing a big circle with your toes, encompassing all the directions of ankle movement.

[Step 7: Repeat & Switch]
Do 2-3 slow and deliberate rotations in each direction. Focus on moving through your full range of motion without any pain. Once you’ve done both sides, switch directions. 

The goal is to move through your full range but without any pain. If you feel any discomfort, reduce the ROM. Quality over quantity. With time & practice, your ankle mobility will improve.

Ankle CARs

Be sure to watch our follow-along CARs tutorials in ‘Mobility RX’ for a in-depth explanation on how to perform ankle CARs. These are best done daily to maintain and improve joint health. 

These are not technically CARs, but rather foot control exercises that will provide similar benefits to traditional CARs. There are 5 levels shown here. Attempt all levels to the best of your ability, provided that they are pain-free. 

Level 1: Raising all toes

Level 2: Raising last 4 toes only

Level 3: Raising big toe only

Level 4: From raised position, lowering big toe

Level 5: From raised position, lowering last 4 toes

The goal is to move through your full range but without any pain. If you feel any discomfort, reduce the ROM. Quality over quantity. With time & practice, your foot mobility will improve.

Foot "CARs"

Lower Body CARs Warmup - 5 reps each

Progression 1 - Isometrics: 5 sets of 10 sec holds, per direction
Perform with a maximum pain-free contraction

Progression 2 - Banded: 3 sets to fatigue (pain-free)

This is a common exercise to perform early on in the rehab process to improve strength, endurance and control of the muscles that stabilize the foot and ankle.

If it's painful to move through a range of motion, we still want to activate the muscles through isometrics. Isometrics refer to contraction without movement. Once you can perform movement pain-free, try adding light resistance via a band as shown.

4-Way Ankle Progression (See Description for Reps)

This video shows you how to progress your calf raises after injury. 

The calf raise is an essential exercise for lower leg, foot and ankle strength and mobility. This exercise has excellent for functional carryover to athletics and life as we are often pushing off on one leg from various angles (ex. walking, stairs, jumping, running, etc.) 

This is great for injury prevention and recovery because it begins to mimic controlling landings and decelerating from cuts and pivots. 

Research shows eccentric exercises are extremely beneficial for tendon issues. This can be a great exercise for those with Achilles tendon pain provided it is progressed appropriately.

Calf Raise Progression

The anterior tibialis muscle is important for foot and ankle stability. 

When contacting heel first, the anterior tibialis must slow the foot down so it can hit the floor with control. If its weak, we have "no brakes" and tend to get excess stress on the knees and hips to control that momentum. 

In athletics, it has a massive role in decelerating us so we can convert our momentum from a horizontal run to a jump. We do this a lot in tricking during pivots. 

For this exercise, try to raise your toes as high as possible and actively squeeze your shin muscles at the top of each rep. Lower with control.

Perform all sets to fatigue (without pain). Progress as soon as you can perform them in a standing position without pain.

Anterior Tibialis Progression

HOW TO PERFORM
1. Sit with knees at a 90 degree angle. Standing is a progression.
2. Roll the bottom of your left foot inward (invert)
3. Simultaneously roll the bottom of your right foot outward (evert)
4. Repeat in the opposite direction in order to complete one rep
5. Perform 10 repetitions total

BENEFTIS:

Ankle inversion and eversion mobility are essential for normal foot and ankle function, including improved balance, smooth gait mechanics, proprioception, adaptability to surfaces, and lower leg muscle coordination. This may help prevent injuries such as lateral ankle inversion sprains, which are the most common types of ankle sprains to occur.

Foot Rocks Progression (Pain-free range!)

HOW TO PERFORM

1, Use an object such as a towel, small ball, or anything simple to grab.

2. While seated, place the object underneath the toes, specifically under your big toe.

3. Grab & hold your object with your toes, emphasizing the flexion of the big toe.

4. Raise it from the floor and hold for 5 sec. 

5. Lower & release the object back to it’s original position before performing the next repetition.

6. Perform 5 reps on each foot

BENEFITS

This primarily targets the intrinsic muscles of the foot. These muscles are responsible for controlling the movement & stability of the foot. By actively engaging these muscles, we can improve toe strength, enhance arch stability, improve balance, increase proprioception, and improve gait mechanics. 

The ability to push through the big toe during a jump is crucial for proper biomechanics and efficient force transfer. The big toe acts as a key stabilizer and lever during activities such as jumping, providing a stable base for propulsion.

Toe Grab (Big Toe Bias)

HOW TO PERFORM

1, Use an object such as a towel, small ball, or anything simple to grab.

2. While seated, place the object underneath the toes, specifically under your big toe.

3. Grab & hold your object with your toes, emphasizing the flexion of the big toe.

4. Raise it from the floor and hold for 5 sec. 

5. Lower & release the object back to it’s original position before performing the next repetition.

6. Perform 5 reps on each foot

BENEFITS

This primarily targets the intrinsic muscles of the foot. These muscles are responsible for controlling the movement & stability of the foot. By actively engaging these muscles, we can improve toe strength, enhance arch stability, improve balance, increase proprioception, and improve gait mechanics. 

The little toes play a role in jumping by providing additional stability and grip during takeoff and landing. They assist in maintaining balance and proprioception, and contribute to the overall push-off phase of a jump.

Toe Grab (Little Toe Bias)

HOW TO PERFORM

1. Sit in a chair with feet flat on the ground. Progress to standing, and finally to single leg when ready. 

2. Try to lift the arch of your foot by pulling the ball of your foot and your heel towards each other.

3. Try not to scrunch your toes or lift your heel off the ground.

4. Hold this position for 5 seconds before relaxing between reps.

5. Perform 10 reps, each side

If you find it hard, you can use your fingers to help lift your arch. 
We mainly want muscle activation, so don't worry if there isn't a lot of movement at first. Be patient!

BENEFITS

This exercise can help with landing and jumping by improving foot stability and intrinsic foot muscle strength. Strong and stable feet are essential for effective weight transfer, shock absorption, and propulsion during landing and jumping activities (as well as simply standing and walking!)

Short Foot Progression

Single leg balance is a fundamental exercise that enhances lower body stability, coordination, and proprioception. It's a versatile progression suitable for all levels, helping to challenge and improve your balance.

1. SL Balance, Wall Support, Eyes Open: Start with the basic single leg balance. Stand on one leg, keeping your eyes open. Focus on maintaining a stable posture with a slight knee bend. Keep your lifted leg close to the standing leg. Engage the stance foot by grab the floor with your foot. If you're struggling, try positioning your head over the stance foot by leaning towards that side. Use the wall for additional balance.

2. Tandem Stance, Eyes Open: Try not to use assistance as you balance with one foot in front of the other as shown. Make sure there is a space between your feet. Weight should be evenly distributed between legs. Switch sides between sets. 

3. SL Balance, Eyes Open: Remove hand assistance and balance on one leg for time. 

4. SL Balance, Wall Support, Eyes Closed: Removing visual cues intensifies the challenge to your proprioception and balance, making your muscles work harder to keep you stable. Use hand against wall for assistance. 

5. Tandem Stance, Eyes Closed: Perform tandem stance with eyes closed. Removing visual cues intensifies the challenge to your proprioception and balance, making your muscles work harder to keep you stable.

6. SL Balance, Eyes Closed: Perform the same single leg stance, but this time with your eyes closed. Removing visual cues intensifies the challenge to your proprioception and balance, making your muscles work harder to keep you stable.

As you progress through these tiers, remember to listen to your body. Modify the duration of each balance as needed. Start with shorter intervals and gradually increase as your balance improves.

These single leg balance progressions will help you build a stronger, more stable foundation, enhancing your overall athletic performance and daily activities.

Single Leg Balance Progression

The 4-Way SLR Progression allows us to strengthen the muscles supporting the hip and knee without impact. This is a great way to maintain and improve strength, especially when weight-bearing exercises are difficult or painful.

The main challenge is keeping tension in your quad and/or core throughout the set. Only progress to the weighted version once you can perform 3 sets of 10+ clean reps without your knee bending or losing your position. If your knee is bending, it is a sign that your quad is fatiguing. If you lose your form, it can also indicate weakness or dominance in your lower back or hips. 

Perform all sets to fatigue.

4-Way Straight Leg Raise Progression

The pause squat is an awesome squat variation used to improve lower body strength, stability and endurance. Regardless of where you're at, you can use this progression to challenge your squat. 

1. In the mini pause squat, simply go down to your lowest pain-free range of motion and pause for 5 seconds at the bottom of the rep. Keep your feet rooted into the ground. Imagine you are aiming to sit in a chair and interrupting it.

2. The bodyweight pause squat simply involves going lower and doing the same as above. 

3. The goblet pause squat, which involves holding a weight as shown, creates a more vertical position which emphasizes the quads. It is also helpful in mobility training, as the weight helps push us into more ankle dorsiflexion and opens our hips. Only use resistance that is pain-free and controllable.

Depending on the weights available and your current ability, feel free to modify sets and reps as needed.

Modifications: DB, KB or barbell resistance, banded (around knees), banded (under feet, holding bands)

Pause Squat Progression

Walking is a great, low impact way to improve circulation, joint lubrication, lymphatic drainage and set our bodies up for recovery. Walking has been shown to be effective in treating and preventing low back pain as well, which is helpful after placing as much load as we do in our training. 

Do this after your training if you have the opportunity. 

If not, walking during the day (before or after training) will still be beneficial.

Modifications: If you are currently unable to walk, you can substitute with biking or a row machine.

Ankle: Phase 1 RXHAB (3x/wk)

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