Master The Perfect Squat Position and Eliminate the Fear of "Butt Wink!"
Do you ever find yourself dreading and avoiding the squat rack at the gym? Are you scared to death of your coaches or trainers correcting your form because of a dreaded “butt wink” issue? If so, then this article is for you. We'll take a look at what a "butt wink" is, why it might be happening, and how to eliminate it from your workouts.
The perfect squat position is an essential skill for anybody looking to build strength and power in their lower body. If you’re not performing the squat with the correct technique, then you won’t be able to benefit from its full potential. However, there’s one thing that tends to worry a lot of weightlifters when it comes to squats: “butt wink.”
What Is a Butt Wink?
A butt wink (sometimes referred to as an anterior pelvic tilt) is an excessive downward movement in the back angle when performing the deep portion of a squat. This causes the hips to shift forward more than they should out of the bottom position, resulting in an unnatural range of motion. As a result, the lumbar spine (lower back) is placed at risk for injury and tension.
The primary cause of a butt wink is usually attributed to hip mobility or tightness in the lower back. This can be further compounded by other factors such as weak core stability and improper bracing technique. Having adequate mobility throughout your hips and hamstrings will help ensure that you can maintain proper form during the squatting motion.
Additionally, keeping your core engaged with proper breathing and bracing strategies will create the necessary stability to keep your torso upright and reduce excessive forward movement during the descent. There are several ways to prevent butt winks from happening. One is to focus on good technique throughout the squat, as outlined above. Another is to strengthen your glutes and hamstrings in order to help support your pelvis at the bottom of the movement. Finally, you can try using a weightlifting belt or hip circle – both of these can help provide extra stability when you’re squatting.
How Can I Eliminate It?
1) Foam Rolling & Mobility Exercises
Start by foam rolling and stretching your hips, hamstrings, and lower back to ensure proper mobility before squatting. You can use a lacrosse ball or even a tennis ball for targeted areas of increased tightness.
2) Postural Corrections
Make sure you are standing tall with your shoulders back and chest up when going into the bottom position of your squat. This will help keep your spine in a neutral position and reduce any potential flexion (hunching over). Additionally, focus on keeping the knees outwards in line with the toes throughout the entire range of motion.
To perform a perfect squat, it’s important to focus on proper form and technique. This includes:
3) Core Training & Bracing Strategies
Strengthen your core muscles through exercises such as planks or dead bugs. These will help you create stability during the entire squatting motion. Additionally, improve your bracing techniques by using the “360-degree” approach. This means taking a deep breath and pushing out your stomach in all directions when going into the bottom position of the squat.
Conclusion
A butt wink can be caused by several different factors such as tightness or lack of mobility, weak core stability, and improper breathing/bracing strategies. However, with proper foam rolling & stretching exercises, postural corrections, core training drills, and improved bracing technique you can master the perfect squat position and eliminate any fear of a dreaded "butt wink" issue!
Good luck with your workouts! 🙂