Cure for Buttwink?

I recently started front squatting. It’s been a very humbling experience since I can’t handle much weight as back squatting. When I back squat I usually have a wider than should stance and squat ATG. But I noticed when I front squat(since I move my feet in to about shoulder width), I’m butt winking really bad.

One time I felt a little cracking while I was preforming reps. No pain, just a cracking sound, like when you crack your knuckles. I stopped going so deep because I was afraid of injury. Was wondering if anyone can lead me in the right direction? What type of stretches and what muscles/etc are the cause? What should I be doing to get better mobility?

Chris C. … Caveman …anyone…got any advice?

first off, dont use the term “buttwink”. To cure this, simply focus on arching harder as you descend into the squat, sitting back a little.

[quote]Bmad wrote:
One time I felt a little cracking while I was preforming reps. No pain, just a cracking sound, like when you crack your knuckles.[/quote]
If it’s just noisy, and there’s no pain or swelling, it’s probably a case of crepitus - literally “noisy joints”, which is no big deal at all. If it happens and you do notice pain, that’s a different and more serious issue entirely.

I saw in your post history that you were having some shoulder issues, and last year you had something with your ankle. To put it in technical terms, you’re falling apart. If you were a racehorse, you’d be glue by now.

Really though, the squat issue definitely sounds mobility-based, and since everything’s connected, it makes sense that a lingering ankle problem could’ve crept its way up to cause problems in the glutes and/or hip flexors (affecting the squat) which worked its way up to be problematic for the t-spine (affecting the shoulders).

Run through the head-to-toe mobility assessments in this article, and drill whatever stands out as needing priority work:

[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:
To put it in technical terms, you’re falling apart. If you were a racehorse, you’d be glue by now.[/quote]

Thanks for the diagnosis and Link. Your like the TNation version of web MD!

[quote]vali wrote:
first off, dont use the term “buttwink”. To cure this, simply focus on arching harder as you descend into the squat, sitting back a little. [/quote]

Agreed. Lets return “buttwink” to it’s original meaning, say after a night of viewing the talented ladies at you local strip joint.

As for your advice, Believe me I try. That was my first thought, to maintain arch by all means. But with front squats I’m totally focused on keeping the bar and my arms up(I use crossed arms style) that I have trouble keeping arch.

Haha that’s better. It can be difficult to fall into the right groove to stay tight throughout the whole movement. Do you work on mobility too? Your knees will come forward more during a front squat, and if you cant do this then the torso may have to shift forward to compensate.

Do Defranco’s Agile 8 and wall squats before each squat session and see if this helps.

[quote]vali wrote:
Do you work on mobility too? Do Defranco’s Agile 8 and wall squats before each squat session and see if this helps.[/quote]

Thanks, I will look into that. I do some stretches and foam roll my quads, hams, hips and glutes before my leg days.

You’re off to a good start. Try doing a mobility routine like that every day, combined with foam rolling, and you will improve quickly.

Try some stuff from mobilitywod too:

like this

mobilitywod.com/2010/09/episode-36-spinal-mobility-box-squat.html

and this:

mobilitywod.com/2011/01/episode-141-professional-ballet.html