Adventure Prep Series: Ankle & Knee Stability for Uneven Terrain
You can be strong in the gym and still get wrecked on a trail.
Most ankle instability isn't a strength problem — it's a timing problem. The ankle can't react fast enough when you step on an edge or root. These four drills fix that.
Step 1: Forefoot Walk + Heel Walk
10 yds on the ball of the foot — spring tall, no collapse. 10 yds on the heel — toes up, anterior shin loaded, controlled pace. 2 passes. 90 seconds. Do this before every trail session.
Step 2: Active Foot Hold Stand on one foot.
Tripod contact: big toe mound, pinky mound, heel. Arch active — not gripped, not collapsed. Hold 30 sec. Progress to eyes closed and perturbation holds.
When the foot communicates clearly, everything upstream responds better.
Step 3: Multi-Direction Lunge Matrix
Forward → Reverse → Lateral → Rotational → Crossover One round each direction, both legs, bodyweight only. Terrain doesn't move in one direction — your prep shouldn't either.
Step 4: Step Downs Stand on a step.
Lower the free foot slowly (3 sec). Stop before contact. Return. Watch for knee cave, ankle collapse, or torso pitch — each one tells you exactly where your deficit lives.
15-Minute Pre-Trail Circuit:
Forefoot Walk + Heel Walk — 2 x 10 yds each
Active Foot Holds — 3 x 30 sec/side
Lunge Matrix — 1 round, all directions, both legs
Step Downs — 3 x 8/leg
The mountains don't care how much you bench. Train for the terrain.
"Coach for Life"
"Coach for Life"
And other things we believe.
“Coach for life”, “Every class, every member”, “Train for life”.
A few phrases you’ll hear from coaches and members at Maxmead Fitness. We would like to explain what these phrases mean to us.
Each of our coaches at Maxmead Fitness has a contagious excitement and enthusiasm for fitness and health. That is set by owner, Ryan McDowell. Ryan has been coaching for 18+yrs. He passes on an “open mind and empty cup” mentality onto Coach Brad and Coach Elizabeth. As a team we have set a strong philosophy that we coach and live by. We want to help others move well, improve quality of life, and strive for a healthy style of living. We want them to have an awesome experience at our gym. To have a community that they can depend on. To feel support from their coaches and other members.
How do we setup this atmosphere at Maxmead Fitness?
We meet with members one-on-one. We are a CrossFit gym with group classes. However, we want to get to know our members better. Having a ‘coach for life’ means staying in contact with you. We want to know what activities you are interested in. What your hobbies are; how you spend your time outside of the gym; that way we can help you get the most out of the time you spend in the gym. The more we learn about you as an individual athlete, the more we can help you in a group fitness class.
When coaching group classes we believe in ‘every class, every member’. In every class, it is our goal to coach and impact every member in one way or another. Each athlete deserves the opportunity to improve each day. Additionally, having met one-on-one with your coach means there is a better understanding of what you are working towards. What movements are difficult, what extra work is needed, and any additional warm ups necessary for each individual.
Coaching with this philosophy we hope to prepare our members for whatever tasks they are taking on outside of the gym. Whether it’s being Mom, Dad, softball player, recreational skier, hockey player, or track star we want to help you move better and achieve your goals.
With 2018 right around the corner there is no better time to join with several great options:
Our New Year 2018 Fundamental class will start Jan 2nd.
Holiday Training Special is 4 personal training sessions for the price of 3.
Two great opportunities for you to start your fitness journey. It’s also the perfect gift idea for someone you think would benefit greatly from our philosophy! We are excited to help you or a loved one get started. Call, email, or even better stop in and ask all about
-Your Coaches at Maxmead Fitness
Ryan, Elizabeth, & Brad
All the Pieces to the Puzzle
All The Pieces To The Puzzle
For those of you that have never experienced the Open, now having completed 17.1 & 17.2, you have an idea of the atmosphere and the workout intensity during an Open metcon. The Crossfit Open is a great time for the crossfit community to get together, and for you to experience the camaraderie of your gym. It is also a great time to take a step back and make sure that you are paying attention to all the pieces of the puzzle.
Often times we walk into the gym, crush a workout, leave the gym and continue with our busy lives. We forget to pay attention to the other aspects of our lives that affect our workouts. Diet and Nutrition, Sleep, Stress, Mobility, and Recovery are all things we need to pay attention to in order to crush the open workouts.
Additionally, taking a few minutes to reflect on where your stress level is at, how much water you’ve had, or are you hungry or tired can help you determine what you need to do to recover. If you don't minimize your stressors, get enough rest, drink enough water, etc. it will show up in your metcon the next day. Taking the time to address all of the pieces of the puzzle will ensure that when you walk into the gym, you are ready for the workout.
You are in the gym an hour out of your day. If you are not paying attention to Diet, Nutrition, Sleep, Stress, and Recovery during the other 23 hours; it will be very hard for you to make the progress you hope to see. At Maxmead Fitness we want to help you reach your individual and personalized goals. As a member at Maxmead, you will have a one-on-one intro session with a coach to discuss your goals. We will encourage you to take time throughout your day to think about what you are doing outside the gym to support your goals.
Make sure you are covering all aspects of health. If you have any questions about how you can apply this to your life, ask your coach! We want every member of the clan to achieve their goals and live happy, healthy lives!