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Jo Li Personal Training Personal Trainer
Strength & Biomechanics
Conditioning & Health

Your feet might be affecting your lifts more than you think!When we think about producing force in a squat or deadlift o...
07/10/2026

Your feet might be affecting your lifts more than you think!

When we think about producing force in a squat or deadlift or any lift for that matter, we usually only think about the obvious things like muscles, joints, technique...but there's something much closer to the ground that often gets overlooked. Our feet!

Your feet are your only connection with the ground and if you're unable to properly do that, you will lack stability and your body will find its own solution.

In this case, my client's right foot was using her toes to grip the floor which, over time, particularly as loads increases, this would create dysfunction, possibly even pain, up the chain.

After working on how she contacts the ground, you can now see a much more relaxed right foot in the second photo.

Next time you're lifting, have a look what your feet are doing....

One of my favourite recent wins....This lovely client started with me a few weeks ago with a turned pelvis, a right hip ...
08/02/2026

One of my favourite recent wins....

This lovely client started with me a few weeks ago with a turned pelvis, a right hip pinch, left patella tendon pain and limited squat depth.

Fast forward a few weeks.....

She's now squatting deep, strong and, most importantly, pain-free!

Her squat didn't improve by more squatting, but targeted single sided hip work that then allowed her to squat pain-free.

Here is the key takeaway:

With exercise, we often think that whatever we do on one hip or one leg, we have to do on the other, 

but when someone presents with an asymmetrical problem, they usually need an asymmetrical solution.

Same exercise, same load, same reps on each side isn't always the answer.

Assess the pattern and train what the body needs. 💪

03/12/2025

What actually is hypermobility?

Hypermobility isn’t simply “lots of flexibility” and it isn’t solved by throwing stability or strength work at a client in isolation. To create lasting change, we first need to understand what is actually happening in a hypermobile system.

People with hypermobility appear to have large ranges of motion but that range is often not ‘true’ motion coming from the joint itself. Instead, the body creates extra range through compensatory strategies.

A hypermobile joint struggles to create stability which, in biomechanics terms, means it struggles to compress, manage pressure and sense true end range. When a joint can’t compress and produce force, the nervous system doesn’t feel safe and looks for alternative ways to find stability - and this fake stability can lead to pain. 😖

The good news is that we can retrain the system. 🤩With the right drills, cues and progressions, a hypermobile client can learn to create real compression, produce force and sense a true end range of motion.

Want to know more or need help with a bespoke training plan that incorporates valuable drills to help support you while you work to support your joints? Drop me a DM for a free consultation. ☺️

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Macclesfield
SK11 7JL

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