What? More squats?

Today the workout inspired my to post yet again on squats.  But there is more than just me on my soapbox box jump.  I am also gonna try a little something that will have you seeing many more posts here, but a lot less content per post.  Many people have asked me about strength classes and a strength schedule or program.  I will post 2x per week a strength workout that you can do during open gym or any other time you might have bumper plates available to you.


Spoiler Alert:  Every workout will include the snatch, clean and jerk (or some variation) and squats (or some variation) plus some accessory work.

Okay onto the squat.  Or more specifically, the "butt wink".  Butt wink? I thought this was supposed to be SFW (safe for work, c'mon keep up).  Butt wink simply put is allowing to let the pelvis tuck underneath you during the squat.  Picture a dog tucking his tail in between his legs.  It is a weak position and definitely one you don't want when you have gravity trying to pull a heavy weight to the ground while resting on your back. If it was a strong position then a dog wouldn't do it when he as in trouble and submitting to you.  I was trying to find some good pictures of butt wink, but Google and I have different opinions on what butt wink is.

This is what your buttwink looks like to me.

What causes it?

There are a few culprits when a butt wink squat is present.  It could be one or all of them combined.

Culprit 1: Tight upper hamstrings.
Where the butt meets the posterior upper thigh is the upper hamstring.  For most people this is the sole muscle preventing you from having a beautiful neutral spine squat.  Roll the bejeezus out of these, followed by some targeted stretching.  Oh you don't know any upper hamstring stretches? Well that is why they are tighter than sin.  Use google and some common sense and you should be fine.  Even with just google and no common sense you will survive.

Culprit 2: Knees are caving in, foot arches collapsing, weak external hip rotators, whatever, they are all the same thing.  When you squat, the torso/pelvis doesn't move once you set them.  You simply move them down in between the knees/thighs.  To do this, your weight needs to be on the outside of the foot, with the knees tracking outside the foot.  If you allow the knees to move to the inside of the foot, the weight will shift to the arch and the femur will track out front instead of outside.  This will force you to butt wink if you try to go anywhere below parallel.  The fix? keep your knees outside your feet.  How many times have I said it? at least 1 million.  But here is 1,000,001.  Keep your knees outside of your feet.

Knees are inside, weight is on the foot arch.  Bad squat. If I ever say "collapsed arch"or "collapsed knees", this is what I am talking about)

Knees outside the foot, weight on the outside of the foot.  Notice the easily seen arch in the foot. Upright torso, excellent squat.

So those are the two main culprits of the butt wink.  Tight upper hammies and bad knee/foot positioning.  Never ever ever let yourself squat with "collapsed knees/arches" again.  It is something that you must be consciously aware of  every time you squat until it is 2nd nature.  I will leave this topic alone with a 7 minute video on a cool trick to diagnose if you are butt winking.  

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Now on to your 1st strength WOD: 10/07/13

Snatch: find your 1 rep max.

Clean and Jerk : find your 1 rep max

Squats: find your 1 rep max

Note: anytime I post a % from here on out, it will be based on this 1rm today.