They just need to make a few 3D moving skeleton models on YouTube for why some people just can't deep-squat because of their BONE STRUCTURE!
"[T]he inability of the heels to stay on the ground often has nothing to do with tightness in your muscles or tendons, and instead might be a problem of physics and leverage, due to the laws of gravity and the architecture of the bones of your ankles and hips. [...] if you've done yoga for more than a year or two without improvement, you are most likely dealing with a different problem - one of compression, rather than tension. [...] In other words: it's the bones that are stopping you, and that's okay. [...] In squat, the ankles can only bend until the bottom of the shin bone (the tibia) collides with the topmost foot bone (the talus). This happens at a different angle in different people. Once this bony collision happens, the ankle stops bending. At this point, we're unable to bend our knees any farther because of the inability to balance upright – unless the heels are allowed to lift from the ground. [...] Most teachers will incorrectly diagnose this problem as tight hips or knees. [...] Based on observing students in my classes for over 20 years, I'd estimate that about half of us have ankle limitations that compromise our squats and other postures. The student will not feel a strong stretch in the Achilles tendon but will feel certain that their ankles have gone as far as they’re willing to go. The term for this bone-on-bone limitation is called compression. [...] As someone with many such bodily quirks, about five years into my yoga practice, I began to learn that my yoga teachers often didn’t know nearly as much as I did about my own body."
--Anatomy of the Squat: Let Thy Heels Hover!
See that pic above? My ankles don't do that. My ankles only go to a 90-degree angle before my shin bone runs into my talus. Dorsiflexion (flexibility of the ankle) can also be due to just the way a person's body is balanced--all bodies are unique, and no two humans are going to have the same center of gravity or carry weight in their front & back the exact same way--some of us have longer limbs, thicker thighs, narrow bone structure, wider tummies--all of which (and more) affect our balance. You can train in flexibility & strength for years and still run into the 90-degree limit because of your bone structure, a think that can't merely be trained away.
"Let’s take a look at this first picture. Here we have two femurs from two different people. One points more upward, the other points more downward. Do you think these people will squat the same when they have that much difference in bone structure? It’s the perfect example of why there is no single best way to squat. If you aren’t convinced yet, take picture 2. Clearly, one of the balls in the ball-and-socket joint is extended more off the femur than the other. This will absolutely change the mechanics of squatting between these two people. No amount of soft tissue treatment will change that. The fact is, these two people will each have their own 'best way to squat.' Now look at picture number 3 below. Look at how differently the angle of where the ball is pointing between these two femurs. Guess what? One of these people will have a bony block when they try to squat in a narrow stance, while the other can squat with a narrow stance like a champ. Things get even more interesting when you start looking at the socket. Take a look at picture number 4. On the left, you can see into the socket. This person will likely be able to squat with a narrow stance versus the person on the right, who will literally run into themselves when squatting with a narrow stance. Now look at picture 5. Again, we see the difference in how much of the hip socket we can see. There is no way these two people will squat the same. The bony anatomy literally won’t let them. If these two people physically can’t squat the same, then how could we ever say there is one best way to squat? Picture 6 is a view looking at the hip socket from the side. One is pointing straight out, while the other is pointing down and toward the front. My guess is one of these people will be better at pistols; one will be worse."
--Best Way to Squat Is Determined by Your Anatomy
I grew up a very fast sprinter but have been a heel-raiser from childhood (so, it's been a genetics-and-bone-structure-issue from the start, not poor training.) It doesn't hurt to bend my foot upward at all--I just… can't breach 90 degrees.
If you tell me, "Do a squat," I'd be like, "Yes." "With your knees together." *heels still hovering* "With your heels on the ground." "Oh Kay (:" *lands on ass* There is no tension or pain in my ankles preventing me from squatting any deeper--the problem is literally just physics: [A] the talus (top bone of my feet) running directly into my tibia (shin bone) & not being able to go any further than a 90-degree angle, [B] my MEATY Gaelic thighs running into my CAPACIOUS vikingesque calves (the size of which, if we're doing fitness training, might not be the best idea to reduce), [C] my center of gravity & how far my knees will bend at certain angles, and [D] the shape & angle of my pelvis relating to my femurs (specifically: my acetabulum & femoral heads) determining that I need to spread my legs as wide as possible to get my heels any closer to the floor at all. The only intervention for someone with my bone structure would involve surgery a la Gattaca (which ain't happenin' 'cause I'm PO & don't actually need to change.)
"[A]nkle mobility is strongly tied to genetics, [...] many of the drills we see in instructional videos are clickbait or misinformation. Most mobility exercises are underpowered or simply only appropriate for injuries, not for healthy athletes who have maxed out their anatomy. [...] We are all born with different ranges of motion and need to accept that we are unable to modify that range. I have seen a pattern where the best athletes have poor ranges of motion and those who are deep squatters are great in the weight room but have poor speed due to anatomical tradeoffs. The ugly truth is that most of the drills are fluff movements or butchered sports medicine exercises bundled together in the hope that a healthy athlete will suddenly start opening up their ankle joint further, released by some near magical motion. The reality is that many of the mobility exercises we see don’t make a dent in mobility improvements. They just help normal adults or athletes learn how to get full range in their existing ankle joint, not make further gains in range. I have seen a few athletes improve their range of motion a few degrees, but again, they restored it to what they were born with, they didn’t change the limiting factors. The ankle and foot system is a very complicated joint, but let’s not overthink things and forget that gross dorsiflexion is dictated by anatomy and genetics. If you want to improve ankle mobility beyond what you normally have, good luck, as the limiting restrictions are bone, not tight calves. All of the ankle mobility work in the world will not change someone who is born with a severe range of motion deficit to suddenly be able to squat deep and hit the ranges of motion we see with Olympic weightlifters."
--Ankle Mobility Drills Are Mainly a Waste of Time
This fatass American isn't "just not trying hard enough;" she's literally just built different ;)
