Butt wink, ankle mobility and losing your brace
"Butt wink" is when your pelvis tucks under at the bottom of a squat and your lower back rounds. It gets a lot of attention online. Here's how we look at it.
When does butt wink actually matter, and when can people ignore it?
A small tuck at the very bottom of a bodyweight or light squat is common and usually nothing to worry about. Everyone's hips and ankles are built a bit differently.
It matters more when:
the load on your back is heavy
the rounding is big, not just a slight tuck
it happens early in the squat, not only at the very bottom
you feel pain or tightness in your lower back afterwards
If that sounds like you, we usually squat to a depth where your back stays in control, then work on the things that limit you, which are often ankles and bracing.
Which ankle drills do you use most?
Stiff ankles stop your knees travelling forward, so your hips and back make up the difference. These are the ones our coaches use most:
Knee-to-wall: foot a short distance from a wall, drive the knee forward to touch it without the heel lifting. Simple, and you can track progress.
Weighted ankle rocks: in a half-kneeling position, rest a kettlebell on your front knee and rock forward slowly.
Calf stretch on a step: let the heel drop below the step and hold, straight knee and bent knee.
Elevated-heel goblet squats: heels on a small plate or wedge. Not a fix on its own, but it lets you train good depth while your ankles improve.
A few minutes before training, most days, makes more difference than one long session a week.
What's your go-to drill for someone who loses their brace?
The dead bug. Lie on your back, arms up, knees bent over your hips. Breathe out, keep your lower back gently pressed into the floor, then slowly lower the opposite arm and leg and return.
It teaches you to keep your trunk still while your limbs move, which is exactly what bracing in a squat or deadlift needs. Once that's easy, we move to goblet squats with a pause at the bottom, focusing on holding the brace the whole way.
Squat better with a coach
It's much easier to fix your squat when someone can see it. If you're in Thornton or Maitland, our 1 Month Trial is $95 with no lock-in, and every class is coached.