Heel hook injury exercises. This accomplishes a few things.
Heel hook injury exercises. You will actually have to engage your butt, hamstring .
Heel hook injury exercises They reduce the effort needed to maintain the last vestiges of friction on the sloper you're optimistically believing will stick. It’s a completely different stimulus. The most important part of treatment is rest. The hamstrings help stabilize our hips, and lock those heels in to help us send some of the hardest problems we have. Mar 25, 2025 · Components: Exercises on a high bar or climbing bars; Exercises: flexed-arm hang, heel hook, pull-up, leg tuck, alternating grip Pull-Up; Focus: Body weight manipulation under fighting load. To assess hip stability, Smith points to one-legged squats. Despite the pain being on and off, it was severe enough that I actively avoided boulders with right heel hooks. Strained your LCL practicing your berimbolo? Not only is your ability to invert basically non-existent until you rehab, but try getting in and out of your office chair. What Is A Heel Hook. Jan 21, 2019 · An eccentric mechanism of injury. Programs. Submission techniques that caused the most injuries to the individual they were applied to were the armbar (22. The following information is in part from a study looking at 71 climbers who sustained knee injuries investigated the mechanism of injury (MOI) along with the body structure damage= which can serve as a guide in the case of a knee injury. Best luck with recovery!! This heel hook video is an instructional video from my coaching video vault. But what about the technique of a correct heel hook? How can you practise aligning the knee in the direction of the toe? It is possible to generate the exact forces and core activation required in a heel hook? You know the answer to these Heel Hook – Grappling Technique This page provides details on how to do a Heel Hook. The t … Oct 15, 2021 · Beginner climbers should only attempt a heel hook from a stable position where all extremities are in contact with the wall. The following are the five Climbing Drill 1 exercises: Exercise 1: Straight-Arm Pull; Exercise 2: Heel Hook; Exercise 3: Pull-Up; Exercise 4: Leg Tuck; Exercise 5: Alternating Grip Pull-Up Heel hook injuries are common, as the muscles aren’t often trained while climbing. Identify your mark. The drill is repeated in the order listed if a second set is performed. However, as I considered technical heel Jul 22, 2023 · Injuries can commonly result from the infamous heel hook: a technique that has the climber position their heel on the hold with the knee either fully straight or slightly bent. Here is a heel hook exercise that functionally challenges the strength and stability of not only the hamstrings but the overall lower body, hip flexors, back. This applies to heel hooks too; if the hip is too tight or weak to support the heel hook, the extra strain is picked up by the knee. 9% to 12. Now if i know a climb will have a heel hook - I’ll do some hamstring pulls with low weight and full range of motion before going for the climb. It’s good to know where your shoe offers more friction. View in full-text Jun 1, 2016 · Even though lower leg and knee injuries only account for 5. However, for heel hooks to work properly, you can't just place your heel on a Mar 21, 2022 · The first heels you throw will likely be low and at normal foot height, but eventually you’ll master heel hooks above your head. This combination of movements and torsion puts excess strain on the meniscus, causing injury. Heel hooks help keep your centre of mass within your base of support. Nov 29, 2023 · Even though lower leg and knee injuries only account for 5. As symptoms decrease and you are able to bear weight, you might do other exercises, such as hip abduction exercises, glute sets, bridging, shallow standing knee bends, heel raises, and hamstring curls. Apr 27, 2022 · Alternatively, when heel-hooking broader features which are close to your body, place your leg over your arm and heel-hook inside your hand, then to slide your hand out to make the reach. 6%), and the heel hook (11%) (Figure 1). It is known that highly flexible fighters (Imanari, current world champ Musemeci) can resist this pressure and are very difficult to secure this submission on. The heel hook is banned in most clubs and illegal in almost all gi tournaments. This means that you can really screw up someone’s leg if you apply it in anger. Position 2: Side heel - Toe-to-the-side This is the classic 'compression' position, which is used when the target feature is level to your hips and out to the side (or at the mid point during a Sometimes people have poor heel hooking technique which unnecessarily loads the hamstring. Feb 16, 2023 · The Heel Hook is a basic climbing technique in which the heel is latched onto a hold-in for stability, support, or in some cases to rock over a higher foothold. 7% of climbing injuries we see, these heel hook injuries can present many different clinical features and thus should be further analyzed. e. Rolled the wrong way from a heel hook? tl;dr: I compensated hip flexibility with lower leg rotation for years. One spotter stands on each side of the exerciser, assuming a straddle stance. heel hook, drop knee, etc. Solid heel hooks can make even the worst hand holds usable as they can take the majority of your weight. May 4, 2023 · Why is some heel spurs painful? Pain from heel spurs can be due to decreased elasticity of the heel fat pad and sometimes it can also be due to compression of a small nerve in the foot which can lead to muscle atrophy. When used properly, a heel hook is a great technique for using your legs to take some weight off your hands. There are now a variety of positions where a heel hook submission can be found such as the saddle, 50/50, single leg X in to a knee reap and some various counters to straight ankle locks. Mar 25, 2025 · Spotting the heel hook and leg tuck Spotters’ Position and Role:. The pain goes away after a few minutes of walking; Greater pain after (not during) exercise or activity. Mar 30, 2022 · The heel hook is a common and very necessary move in climbing, especially on overhanging rock. Climbing Drill 2. 2. Mar 24, 2025 · The heel hook is a sophisticated submission technique in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) revered for its effectiveness. You can heel hook both with the back area of the heel and with the side of the heel. Pain on the bottom of the foot near the heel. Place with care Frog pose. 4. the heel hook, along with the associated knee reaping positions got its bad reputation mostly due to the potential for leavening someone with knee Jul 24, 2023 · Aside from intentionally practicing heel hooks more frequently, there was one exercise that I found to be particularly useful, especially when I needed to maintain more external rotation during the heel hook, which is…almost all the time. Use these tips and exercises to avoid the dreaded hamstring strain. I used to cramp up on the first heel hook of the session and would pick out a juggy problem to heel hook and warmup on. When you're on the mats, your arsenal of submissions directly influences your success, and the heel hook is a particularly potent tool due to its focus on the knee ligaments. 14-16 In these sports, the factor of velocity adds to the injury impact, which makes it more likely to tear an anterior cruciate Exercises that I was thinking about adding in my weekly routine: Side steps with band resistance Hoopers Beta (9:00) Side lunges Some one leg work on bosu ball Hoopers Beta (3:40) Final thoughts. However, in order to properly unload your arms and upper body and pull with your leg, you need to find a good position, apply the right tension and rely on your shoes. Heel hooking is more than just hammy strength; ankle flexibility and angle, posterior chain strength and hip flexibility all play into it. The heel hook can also prevent injury by strengthening often neglected muscle groups like the hip flexors. Never just slap your heel on something and expect it to hold or help. Taking into consideration my age (getting closer to 36) and probably genetics, I wonder how much control I really have over heel hook injuries. This handout contains detailed instructions and illustrations for each exercise, ensuring patients can follow along accurately and effectively. Jul 15, 2024 · How our LCL Injury Exercises Handout works. It's a non-technical, generalised look at how to train to improve heel hooking ability and reduce injury risk from them. Now reteaching myself the "correct" movement. Mar 25, 2025 · Injury Prevention. Enjoy!00:00 Demo on an overhanging wall00:19 External rotation00:31 Pulling the Nov 8, 2022 · Heel hook Uncontrolled fall or unprotected fall Among these four different mechanisms of injury, ACL tears are the third most common injury, behind medial meniscus tear and IT band sprain, respectively. Do these three simple exercises every week to prep for heel hooking and prevent injury to your legs. All grappling techniques are potentially dangerous and should only be practiced under the supervision of After 8 weeks, I didn’t have pain, but continued with glute bridges, Nordic curls, and started adding single leg deadlifts with kettlebell. This concludes our heel hook training; now, you should know more about heel hooks and be able to improve your heel hook technique. Include both knee flexion and hip extension. This heel pain exercise gently stretches the plantar fascia ligaments, the Achilles’ tendon and the calf muscles, promoting better elasticity and healing. Nо other submission hold has been demonized as much as the heel hook. Martial arts students should also study Heel Hook Escapes in order to counter Heel Hook techniques. Pain with the first few steps after getting out of bed in the morning, or after a long period of rest, such as after a long car ride. And injury-free. Heel Spur Treatment Rest. Instead of planting your heel, you'll need to pull with the top of your foot. ). Oct 29, 2024 · The researchers also found that high step and drop knee injuries were more common when rope climbing, while heel hook and fall injuries were more often caused by bouldering. I would recommend something as low as an aerobic step like in the Oct 29, 2023 · The first heels you throw will likely be low and at normal foot height, but eventually you’ll master heel hooks above your head. 17 Depending on the severity and nature of the injury, both conservative and surgical methods exist for the Nov 16, 2023 · Learn how the heel hook went from a forbidden technique barely anyone knew to the “king of submissions,” the core principles of applying it, and the key elements that will help you defend and keep your knees healthy. After an ACL injury, you might start with a few exercises, such as quad sets, hip flexion exercises, and heel slides. Meaning you have to make impact with the ground before putting on the brakes. May 26, 2016 · The heel hook is one of the most devastating leglocks you can apply! Instead of attacking the big muscles of the leg (like the quads, hamstrings, or glutes) the heel hook targets the small ligaments of the knee and the ankle. Its just weird because It seems like alot of climbers never train their legs even a little and can crank on heel hooks fine, but even though I've otherwise been pretty uninjured and powerlift as well as climb I can't really feel safe on climbs that require a seriously hard heel hook. This exercise is a simple single-leg bridge while in hip external rotation. Combination of Climbing Techniques. 3. Toe hooks are similar to heel hooks in what they are used for. These moves are the drop knee, heel hook, and high step. Injuries can commonly result from the infamous heel hook: a technique that has the climber position their heel on the hold with the knee either fully straight or slight bent. The rear hand supports the small of the exerciser’s back to prevent swaying. Heel hook defense is a relatively easy skill to learn, and defending in the correct manner is highly efficacious even against a skilled leg locker. This technique is used by grappling martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts. 2 There are three climbing moves in particular that are associated with meniscus injuries. Heel hooking relies heavily on mobility, hamstrings, glutes, calf strength, as well as a Nov 30, 2020 · Twisting of the knee usually happens due to Heel Hook submission, or sudden rotating movement while your lower leg is blocked by your training partner. Heel hook injuries are common, as the For example, let’s say you did a heel hook with your knee fully bent (hamstrings are short here) and a heel hook with your knee straight (hamstrings are long here), you’d likely feel weak in both these scenarios and would be more prone to a potential strain (this is the story of my perpetual hamstring strains). But it's also the source of much woe, from hamstring tears to knee injuries. Heel placement is just as important as being able to recognize a heel-hook opportunity. Leg bridges build strength and stability in the hamstring and hip-to-knee chain, and they’re easily modifiable, making them useful for warm-ups, leg strength work-outs, and injury rehab. 4%), the kimura (12. There was no significant difference in how the injury was caused between non-competitive and competitive athletes, although medial meniscal tears were more frequent in May 3, 2017 · He adds that a drop knee injury could result from a lack of hip mobility or stability, causing the climber to compensate by twisting the knee too much. 02. My warmup has me doing 2 sets of 10 1 legged bridges (each leg). But, the hamstrings and the injuries that may accompany them are not as straightforward as you might think …. A heel hook requires the climber to engage the posterior chain musculature of the leg, notably the hamstrings, in driving the trunk upwards. Mar 25, 2025 · The goal is to perform 5 to 10 repetitions of all five exercises unassisted. It’s the type of move that can bump beginner climbers to intermediate, magically unlock the beta of a tricky crux, provide an incredible rest, and increase endurance on steep climbs—to name but a few. The good news is once you train for it, it will feel easy. Other factors like flexibility also contribute to your heel hook ability. Bending of the knee where MCL or LCL may get hurt is when someone falls on your extended or less-extended leg. Heel hook can also be used along with the flagging technique, especially in extreme cases where the placement of the heel is quite high up. By Body Region Jul 15, 2020 · The boogeyman submission of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the heel hook. Double Leg Glute Bridge Mar 29, 2019 · Utilize a toe hook if a heel hook isn't possible. You should also include som mobility drills Oct 12, 2018 · When the heel-hook is relatively high above you, place it as for a 'conventional' heel-hook using the ball of your heel, with the toe pointing upwards. Nov 13, 2018 · Rotational torque in the knee at high force leaves little time to make proper decisions to combat the position and decrease your chance of injury, thus reducing your risk. It is now time to lift Aug 5, 2020 · Both the inside heel hook (inside sankaku) and outside heel hook (outside sankaku) are both very solid submissions when entered properly. Our LCL Injury Exercises Handout is designed to provide a comprehensive and structured approach to rehabilitating lateral collateral ligament injuries. Pressure is applied outwards towards the toe and inwards towards the heel to threaten a knee (ACL) injury, the same injury a climber would sustain from a climbing heel hook. Especially not on the isolation exercises Some good exercises are: deadlift, deadlift variations, glute ham raise, leg curls etc. Acute hamstring injuries are often caused by the heel hook technique. The Wall Stretch also has the added bonus of helping you build new, strong muscle tissue in your calves. Specific muscle strengthening for successful heel hooks. Lift your heel and hook it onto your mark. Aug 26, 2020 · With these leg and other core exercises, it is possible to improve the strength to execute a heel hook. Heel hook climbing mobilizes all the muscles in the legs while taking the weight off the hands, arms, and shoulders. Conclusion. The heel hook is a leg lock that damages the knee ligaments by twisting the foot laterally or medially Nov 21, 2022 · There are few moves in the canon of climbing techniques that are as advantageous and useful as the heel hook. Heel hooking injuries tend to be a little different. This technique is unique to climbing and causes injury to muscular and inert tissues of the posterior thigh. 9 During the last 5 years (2010−2014) we saw 17 climbers with injuries due to this specific technique. Choose the crimp, sloper, or overhang that you will be targeting with your heel hook. To begin, start by finding your mechanism of injury (i. Form Mar 25, 2025 · Injury Prevention. Maybe add some hip opening exercises (frog stretch, etc) so that you can get into heel hooks with your hips close to the wall and use your whole body (hammy, glute, core, etc). Jan 14, 2025 · Heel hooking seems deceptively effortless, doesn’t it? The truth is the harder a route is, the harder the heel hook. But even and present certain stretching exercises in lectures and books (Figures 4A and 4B). Disclaimer: The informatio Nov 16, 2022 · How to Use the Heel Hook. Mar 9, 2024 · An excellent introductory exercise for preventing these types of heel hook injuries is the leg bridge (also known as the glute bridge). For the past few years, I've been experiencing sharp pain at the lower right side of my right knee during heel hooking. The heel hook is used by climbers during strenuous ascent on overhanging walls and when crossing difficult terrain. Nov 16, 2022 · How to Use the Heel Hook. Heel hooking is a very effective and efficient climbing technique, but it is also extremely hamstring intensive. Heel Hook Rehab These are some different exercises you can do to help rehab injury caused by a heel hook. To perform this exercise, you’ll need to drop off a small height. While it does carry the potential for a catastrophic injury, so do all the other submissions we perform in BJJ. Because it’s so hamstring intensive, it’s usually the mechanism of injury for hamstring strains in climbing. If you can't use a heel hook, a toe hook can be used instead to achieve the same goal. This is a popular move that you’ll frequently see climbers use to maintain tension on the wall. You will actually have to engage your butt, hamstring Aug 16, 2021 · The reason I love this exercise so much is it is the only knee pain exercise that has impact. Eye it closely and visualize your move. 1 With an ACL tear, patients often report similar sensations such as a shifting sensation (61% of people) and a popping sensation (30% of people). Exercise 1: Flexed-Arm Hang; Exercise 2: Heel Hook; Exercise 3: Pull-Up; Exercise 4: Leg Tuck; Exercise 5: Alternating Grip Pull-Up Definitely could be calf weakness, I don't train them much specifically. Oct 25, 2023 · In this video, we break down the basics of a heel hook in rock climbing, what it is, the anatomy, potential injuries and exercises. This accomplishes a few things. Dont go to heavy on the isolation exercises if you are prone to injury. Dec 1, 2020 · The heel hook technique has been associated with injuries to the lower extremity ranging from hamstring avulsion injuries, posterior cruciate ligament injuries, and posterior meniscal injuries to hamstring muscle partial thickness tears. Heel-toe cams A handy variation is to place the heel then to rotate the toe sideways so that it cams under a projecting feature and locks the foot into place Apr 22, 2021 · T his article is inspired by a noticeable increase in patients with heel hook-related tales of woe and a personal desire to improve my heel hooking skills if I'm ever going to tick that bloody project. Apr 22, 2021 · It's a non-technical, generalised look at how to train to improve heel hooking ability and reduce injury risk from them. The thing about jiu-jitsu knee injuries, whether big or small, is that the effects bleed into your everyday life. Jul 12, 2020 · As Emile likes to point out, basically every good climb has a heel hook in it. As your defensive skills improve, the opponents heel hook attempt becomes an opportunity to either counter leg lock, look to establish a good passing position, or enter the berimbolo for a back take. 6,13 THE KNEE HEEL HOOK INJURY Surprisingly, injuries to the knee while performing a heel hook are also described in martial arts. vkcklnesbptwaocwwsyszyxxpadornqdxiecrhbihyxnaylitpohxa