Loaded Ankle Dorsiflexion Hold
Ankle range decides whether the knee or the ankle absorbs a landing — and it is the first thing to stiffen after an ankle sprain
How to do it well
These are the cues the app shows on the exercise card, written for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.
- Knee travels forward over the toe
- Heel stays welded down
- Hold at the deepest point you can keep the heel
- Tempo
- ease in
How Train Smart prescribes it
The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.
| Program | Session | Sets × reps | Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basketball | Lower Power + Plyo | 2 × 30s/side | KB on the knee |
| Netball | Strength + Landing | 2 × 30s/side | KB on the knee |
| Netball | Full Body Power | 2 × 30s/side | KB on the knee |
What it trains, and who trains it
- Muscles worked
- Calves
- Region
- Full body
- Classified as
- MOBILITY
- Prescribed in
- basketball · netball
If you cannot do this one
Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.
| Alternative | Why it works as a swap |
|---|---|
| Isometric Hamstring Bridge | Pain-free hamstring isometric |
| Glute Bridge | Gentle glute + hip activation |
| Single-Leg Glute Bridge | Unilateral hip control |
| Spanish Squat | Knee-friendly isometric quad load |
| Tempo Step-Down | Eccentric knee control through range |
| Copenhagen Plank | Graded groin / adductor loading |
This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there
Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.
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