Good people! I just finished writing an email to a friend who asked about this and thought that it could be helpful to post here. The protocols are actually all in the VRL in those relevant resources (maybe just some slight discrepancies, but all toward the same ends), but I understand that sometimes it can be nice to have everything placed together in a neat & tidy (I hope!) protocol. So, here it is!
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With range-development, I always feel it's best, wherever possible, to develop it in relation to a FORM - in this way generally something more than just the specific range is developed (i.e. something more "global", as opposed to just dorsiflexion). A 'form' is also generally easier to track/measure in its development (e.g. a bridge-form, rather than just isolated work on regions of spinal-extension).
So, for dorsiflexion, I like to plug people into the classic 'Head-to-toe' project (https://www.movemorevrl.com/videos/standing-head-to-toe-h2t-development) Why? Because it's objective-oriented (i.e. you have a form), it's measurable & easily scalable (i.e. progressive distance to the toes), and it attends to much more than just dorsiflexion. Let's not forget that dorsiflexion is not isolated - it is subject to the range of your ENTIRE posterior-chain/back-line, and this stretches from the tips of your toes, under the feet & all the way up to your skull, over the top of your cranium, and to above the eyebrows (this is perhaps why dogs & cats like being petted over the head/back of neck - because they have constant tension in that line from holding their heads horizontally!)
As part of this project, however, we also address the specific ranges involved, as well as "plugging them in" to the whole. Here are the ranges/tools:
1. 'Toe-rocking' (https://www.movemorevrl.com/videos/basic-ankle-toe-mobility-routine) (or some variation of this, bodyweight-loading & developing toe-extension - even a 'Dragon squat' can do working with a dropset 30", 20", 15" holds ea. side, no rest - https://www.movemorevrl.com/videos/dragon-squat)
2. Unilateral 'good-morning' CR and/or pulsing execution. Attends to range of hinging/hamstrings
(https://www.movemorevrl.com/videos/unilateral-good-morning-pulses)
3. Floor calf-pulse CR and/or pulsing execution. Incorporates hinging, but also full length of calf (gastroc & soleus/achilles), specifically with VERTICAL loading (i.e. load from above)
https://www.movemorevrl.com/videos/ankle-dorsiflexion-development
4. 'Wedge-pulse' CR and/or pulsing execution. Pure stimulus for ankle dorsiflexion affecting more lower-calf/soleus & Achilles.
5. The 'Head-to-toe' form: CR and/or pulsing execution - bringing all the pieces together.
Ultimate benchmarks for practice:
- 6-7 days a week, exercises 2-5 for 30"+ (seconds) CR + 100x pulses each side, each exercise, no rest. Just 1 round.
To begin:
1. Exercises 1 and 3 ONLY, 4-6 days a weeks (for 'Toe-rock' work for ca. 90"). For 'Floor calf-pulse', Only CR ca. 60" ea./each side to deepest range for the first 2-4 weeks. Then, add 50x 'pulses' ea. to this and progressively develop to 100x over a period of ca. 6 weeks (e.g. weeks 1-3 50xea., weeks 3-6 75x ea., weeks 6+ 100x). It's important you allow this time to mitigate any tendonitis symptoms.
2. Upon reaching CR 60" + 100x pulses ea., ADD the 'Wedge pulse' immediately AFTER (i.e. do BOTH). Progressively develop with 'Wedge' with the same ramping protocol. Maybe reduce frequency to 3-5x days a week due to the added volume, then ramp up again to 4-6.
3. Add exercise 2 AFTER 'Wedge' - if you feel good, you can even add this in on step 2. Same volume-ramping process as calf-work. By now, you can probably drop the 'Toe-rocking'/extension focus. Again, maybe reduce frequency, then increase again if all is good.
4. Plug in the 'Head-to-toe' - you should already be a little ahead here now. Same ramping protocol & reducing/increasing frequency.
5. Reach the 'benchmark' for practice. This should then become daily-bread for at least a 1 year period. If you spend 2 years on the full protocol, this should never be an issue again.
This time-span might seem extreme, but it might even take longer. It's because we're remodelling the body, and we have to appreciate that this takes much time. The Achilles is the thickest tendon in the body, and this whole area of the calf is incredibly dense. It does not change lightly!
Some other things you can add to push along, can be up to 3-4x per week in addition to the protocol:
1. 3-position unilateral calf-stretch: 30-60" each position/side, alternating sides, ideally at the end of any lower-body oriented session (https://www.movemorevrl.com/videos/calf-raises)
2. Unilateral calf-pulse with iso. (https://www.movemorevrl.com/videos/unilateral-ecc-calf-raise) - progressive ramp up to 100x pulses + 30" stretch PULLING into deepest range. This is nice before a lower-body oriented session, & before squat-mobility work (i.e. performed in the squat form), but afterward I would just follow with calf-raises ca.100x/accumulated bilateral so they also retain their tensile quality.
If adding these latter exercises, do just be careful not to overdo the Achilles... and that goes for all the exercises!
Enjoy the process my friend - it's a long one, but once it's done, it's done for good!