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Hi Kit, Olivia, and all other forum members. too long; didn't read: this log is documenting my bodyweight squat progression and rehabilitation of bilateral anterior ankle impingement and patellar tendinopathy using Stretch Therapy principles along with other techniques (joint distractions etc.) that i've found beneficial. "The What" I have never achieved a full bodyweight squat. I believe this will assist greatly in my rehabilitation of the following injuries: Left leg: - Patellar tendinopathy (24 months - in the disrepair stage on the tendinopathy continuum) - Anterior ankle impingement (24 months; occurs very quickly - and painfully - into dorsiflexion) Right leg: - Patellar tendinopathy (1 month - hopefully still in the reactive stage) - Plantar fasciitis (2 months - right foot loses structural integrity when loaded; this isn't my greatest concern as it's minor and manageable) - Anterior ankle impingement (cannot put a time on this. It is a gradual compression sensation in the front of my ankle which in contrast to the acute pain experienced in my left ankle). The injuries to my left occurred around the same time - I was playing indoor soccer and rolled my ankle. I remember hearing a distinct crack and this sidelined me for about 6-8 weeks - I haven't played sport since. I knew nothing of proper rehabilitation and I didn't get it checked out at the time; coming from a military background, ankle sprains are like hot dinners. I would estimate 4 decent sprains to each ankle in my lifetime. At the same time as the sprain, I began to develop fat pad impingement and patellar tendinopathy. I had a cortisone injection and this provided some relief. My left ankle impingement hadn't really been a noticeable concern until 6 months ago, where the restriction in movement and pain really started to kick in. Even bearing weight causes pain at the front/outside of the ankle. I've managed to progress well with my tendinopathy rehab through a progressive loading protocol - the injury is still there, but I can walk up stairs now without limping. The injuries to my right, other than plantar fasciitis, seem to have occurred recently as part of my attempt to rehab the left patellar tendinopathy. What rehabbed my left patellar tendon appeared to aggravate my right. "The Who" I am a stretching novice and I have never put any serious time into stretching other than 'holding for 30 seconds' after a run or lifting weights. I never thought there would be a reason to take my flexibility and mobility seriously because, up until 2 years ago, I have been able to play sports and perform all activities pain free (even without being able to bodyweight squat - I got by). I'm 26 years old and I've played footy, cricket and social sports all my life; I also served 5 years as a full-time infantry soldier. "The Why" My intention in creating this log is threefold: Personal accountability and a journal to document my progress and learning Assistance from other forum members Provide assistance to others in my current position, whether they be other forum members or someone searching keywords on Google. "The How" Ankles/Calves I will be using the Master the Squat series and modifying the exercises accordingly - not that I believe I know better - but, for example, I currently impinge too quickly for any posterior tension to occur in my left leg when performing Master the Squat E1A-E1D (calf exercises) - except the single leg down dog, where the tension is all in my hamstrings. Conversely, I can get a good contraction on my right gastroc from performing the calf exercises - so a bit of experimentation will go a long way. I am excited to get in and progress with the other stretches in the routine, however, my main focus lies in my ankles/calves. So far, in attempts to stretch my soleus, I have learnt (specifically for my left): a) 2 minutes of joint distraction is the minimum - 3 yields better results - and from different angles (foot facing in/out/straight); b). Once some posterior tension can be achieved in any bent knee stretch, generally through using a kettlebell on my knee as leverage, it's critical to spend time (10 minutes-ish) holding that tension. I also find it difficult to contract into the tension, so i'm still experimenting with ways to achieve this; I know ST principles don't suggest a sets/reps/time set up, but I currently have difficulty in performing a contract > relax > go deeper. c) Using my shins to pull myself into dorsiflexion seems to assist the stretch In my toolbox I have a voodoo floss band, resistance band, and a seat belt type band that I am using for really distracting the ankle joint (the resistance band doesn't provide traction to my left ankle). Photo of seat belt type band below. Patellar Tendinopathy I have yielded best results by training legs every day - preferably loaded - using box squats, lunges, bw squats, back squats, front squats, squats with lifting shoes, split squats. For anyone reading that is currently unable to perform leg movements without pain, I was also in that position at one stage. I started with isometric loads (45 second holds of wall sits, Spanish squats etc), moved onto squatting patterns (lunges, box squats) and then next will be plyos/energy storage movements. I used feedback on how I felt immediately post workout and also the next morning - if I felt good, then I would progress that previous workout. Discomfort while training is okay - pain is not. I found load to be the biggest driver so far. The amount of weight I put through my tendon is yielding better results than the number of reps i'm performing. I have slipped up and jumped the gun when I thought I was completely rehabilitated (eg. I went out to football training after I had been sprinting/jumping in my rehab without pain only to push the tendon further than it could handle as a result of the acceleration/deceleration/change of direction). I have done something similar on 3 separate occasions which has provided me with a good learning experience. By freeing up my ankles, my knees will improve. When I hit end range dorsiflexion (the impingement), I can feel my patellar tendon compensating for the lack of ROM. Plantar Fasciitis Heavy, slow loading of the windlass mechanism seems to be doing the trick. When progress stops here, there is plenty of good information on this website on pronating ankles/plantar fasciitis. Current Stats: Knee to wall tests: Left (cold, and taken to full impingement): 51mm Right (cold, and taken to full impingement): 70mm Squat (cold, from the front - left leg is on the right side of the photo): Squat (cold, from the side - right leg is closest to camera): I welcome both discussion and criticism. Thanks.