Ankle CAR
Why it matters
The Ankle CAR helps you move more freely through the positions your training demands.
How to do it
- Set the joint in a neutral position and keep the rest of your body still.
- Ease into the starting position without forcing the range.
- Set a comfortable position you can control before moving.
- Move to the first point of tension, not into pain.
- Ease slightly deeper on each exhale.
- Hold the end position briefly, then return smoothly to the start.
- Move the joint slowly through the largest circle you can control.
Coaching cues
- Control is the goal — no momentum, and no other joint should move to help.
- Move to the first point of tension rather than into pain.
- Breathe out as you ease a little deeper into the range.
- Move smoothly and slowly rather than bouncing.
- Own the full range of every rep before you add reps or make it harder.
Watch out for
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Letting the trunk or shoulder swing to make the circle bigger.
This takes work off the target muscle and reduces what you get from the set.
Instead Shrink the circle until only the target joint is moving.
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Forcing or bouncing into an end range.
Forcing past your range fights the stretch instead of easing it and does little for mobility.
Instead Move slowly to gentle tension and let it ease with your breath.
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Holding your breath while you hold the position.
Holding your breath tenses you up and stops you easing deeper into the range.
Instead Keep breathing slowly and let each exhale ease you a little deeper.
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Snapping quickly from one rep to the next.
Snapping through reps skips the controlled range that mobility work depends on.
Instead Move slowly into and out of each repetition.
The detail
- Tempo
- Move slowly and hold positions rather than bouncing.
- Breathing
- Breathe slowly and use each exhale to relax a little deeper.
- Range of motion
- Work to a comfortable end range that eases over the set.
- If you are new to it
- Reduce the range and build gradually session to session.
- Once it is easy
- Add a gentle contraction at end range before relaxing deeper.