Lifting a Weight without Any Compensation

A simple way to explain the Anklebone Alignment Test is to see whether a person can lift a weight without compensating while standing on the tarsal joint (or on the arch). The AA test should be done with lifting the weight from the front, side, and back; to make sure the balance is present in every direction.

Ankle Alignment Test

When lifting a weight, the weight goes down to the anklebones. On aligned anklebones, the weight can stay on it without sliding, so the lift is easy. But on tilted anklebones, the weight slides down so the body falls unless the body compensates.

In order to do the AA test correctly, follow the next 3 things:

1. Stand on your tarsal joint (on your arch).
Anatomically, our body stands on the tarsal joint (anklebone is a part of this tarsal joint). However our body can stand on the heel, or the ball of the foot, or even on the toes only. Standing on the tarsal joint means that the weight should be on the heel and ball of the foot; so the heel and the ball of the foot cannot move. If the heel can be moved sideways, the body stands on the ball of the foot, if the ball of the foot can be moved sideways, the body now stands on the heel. Then, the test cannot be done properly.

2. Proper hand position to lift a weight.
When lifting the weight, the weight cannot be too close or too far from the body. The distance should be made by placing the elbow slightly away from the rib cage or around the perimeter of your hip bone with the hands lower than the elbows.

3. Must not compensate.
There are 3 very subtle and deceiving compensatory behaviors that have been programmed while the body moving on the tilted anklebones. On these tilted ankle bones, the body compensates in order to keep the body from falling.

There are 2 compensatory; Primary compensation and Secondary compensation.

Primary compensation behavior is the zigzag standing of the major joints, which we don’t have control over. This zigzag standing can only be eliminated by aligning anklebones.

Secondary Compensation involves 3 subtle and very deceiving behaviors:

  • Body tilting
  • Toe grabbing
  • Energy pumping

These 3 behaviors are the ones that should be able to control and not compensate at all when performing the AA test.

  1. AA test can be done any posture as long as the weight is on your feet.
  2. If the ankle bones are tilted, you cannot lift a weight unless you compensate.
  3. If the ankle bones are aligned, you can lift a weight without any compensation.

Another way to explain the ankle bone alignment test is to see if your tarsal joint can hold weight without falling.