If your heels come up in a deep squat, your mobility sucks. I hear it all the time. People tell me, "Grant, I just can't deep squat with my heels down." Like that's the only version of the squat that counts. Quick [music] test, stand up and drop into your deepest squat right now. Don't worry about perfect form, just [music] notice what your body does. Three things usually happen. Your heels come up or your heels stay down, but everything else starts compensating, or you actually own the position and you're just hanging out down there. But most people will fall into the first two, [music] and that's where the lie about deep squats starts messing people up. Now, don't get me wrong. The deep squat with the heels on the ground is a great position. Our ancestors used it daily, and many cultures still [music] use it to rest, work, and move. It's an amazing position for hip, knee, ankle, [music] and spinal mobility. And I truly believe that access in the deep squat will massively improve your quality of life in a multitude of [music] ways. But here's the problem, it's just one option, not the only one. And when [music] we treat it like the only way to squat, we start forcing into position instead of truly connecting with the pattern. Let me show you what chasing that standard actually looks like for most people. Someone's trying to keep their heels down, but their spine rounds. Their feet crank way out. Their knees and ankles collapse in. [music] Technically, the heels are down, but is that really the goal? And are we actually connected in this position? Or are we just forcing the shape? Because if the goal is to truly own your squat, then we need more than one option. And this is where heel elevated squats come into the picture. Some people call this cheating, I simply call it squatting. Elevating the heels with a small wedge, books, slant board, or even a rolled up towel does something really powerful. It removes restriction at the ankle, which allows the hips, knees, [music] and spine to organize themselves more naturally. Your spine stacks, your feet stay grounded, your knees track better, and your hips can actually load. Now, you're not [music] forcing the depth, you're connecting with it. And with that simple modification, you can even start loading the pattern and build strength in those deeper ranges. And here's the ironic part, when people train this way, they often develop deeper mobility over time. They're able to breathe, explore, and begin to trust the position. This isn't cheating, it's a smart variation that gets you out of compensations so the deep squat can actually build you up. Now, let's talk about another position, the monkey squat. This is [music] a heels elevated or floating squat that's more active and athletic. And honestly, I find that this position shows up way more in my life because I can shift, pivot [music] step, transition. I can explore that deep range and make it my own. I like to think of it this way, heels down equals the resting squat. [music] Heels up, active squat. Both are valuable and support a deeper connection to the squat pattern. The real goal isn't where your heels are, it's whether you're actually connected to the position [music] and pattern. Are the hips loading? Are the knees bending deeply? Are the ankles accessing true [music] active range? Is the torso supported? Can you move freely in the squat and are able to engage with the world around you? That's [music] real life mobility, not just chasing one shape that the internet decided [music] was the gold standard. And like I said, when people stop forcing the deep squat and start exploring their [music] squat pattern instead, that's usually when the heels finally drop naturally. One day you're just hanging out there, >> [music] >> heels down, chilling, and it actually feels easy. So now that you know the truth, here's what to do with it. First, stop treating the heels down deep squat as the only version that counts. Instead, start building the squat pattern from positions you can actually connect with. Use [music] books, a slant board, or a rolled up towel. This will give you deeper squat access while keeping your spine [music] stacked, hips loading, and knees tracking. Log reps. Spend time down there. Add a little load and let your body get strong in that deeper range. Then, mix in monkey squats. Stay light on the feet, shift your weight, [music] pivot, step in and out of the squat. Make this active and explorative. This is where the squat starts to feel like a real human movement again. Do these [music] squat variations a couple times a week consistently and you'll notice real mobility gains while also learning how to move like a human again. If you want to start reconnecting with your movement right now, grab the 7-Day Move Now series in [music] the description below. It's completely free and designed to help you rebuild momentum while establishing your movement baseline. And if you want to explore the squat pattern with me right now, check out this next video where we break it down step by step. Thank you for watching. I will see you in the next one. Stay smooth.