05/12/2018
Want to improve your technique, get stronger and lift heavier?
Notice a bit of 'buttwink' going on when you squat?
Ever wondered if you should lift or tuck your chin?
If the answer is yes, then let me share about Flynn. Flynn has been lifting for 10 years. He’s in the gym 9+ hours a week; squats up to 215 kgs; has great awareness of his own body; and good control and stability when he lifts.
When working with someone as experienced as Flynn it’s all about those ‘one-percenters’ - those subtle technique tweaks that add up to make a big difference.
I never insist an experienced lifter make certain changes in their squat; I share with them weaknesses I see and discuss possible solutions we could implement.
In this instance, when I saw Flynn's squat at the beginning of his session two things jumped out at me.
The first is what’s known rather un-glamourously as ‘buttwink’ in powerlifting circles. This is where the lumbar spine/lower back unlocks at the bottom of the squat, causing the lower back to round as the pelvis tilts backwards. Depending on who you talk to this is either horrific and to be avoided at all costs, or is fine as long as you're doing it intelligently.
Because it’s easy to correct in many cases (by entraining control of the pelvis to prevent it from rolling backwards), and because maintaining a neutral spine is integral to powerful squat mechanics, my general perspective is that ‘buttwink’ should be avoided if at all possible.
The second thing I noticed about Flynn's squat was a lifting in the chin which was creating quite a dramatic arch in his neck.
Ideally a squat will be performed with the chin tucked so the spine can remain neutral from the pelvis through the neck. However, it isn't always as simple as cue-ing a client to tuck their chin.
Why?
Lifting the chin like that is a telling sign that the deep core muscles are not bracing effectively. Over-engaging the upper back & neck muscles is a veerry common compensation for under-engaged lower back & core muscles.
Two pronounced dysfunctions, two indications of core instability.
The solution was to focus on core control. Note that this may be different to core strength. In previous posts I’ve referred to our core muscles as an orchestra, where each instrument (muscle) plays a nuanced role to create the symphony.
Flynn's orchestra was a bit out of sync, with some instruments playing too loudly and others not playing at all. Core control, like an orchestra, is optimised not by making everything work harder, but by training everything to work together.
Exercises I use to improve core control can vary depending on the individual, but my most commonly used is quadruped rocking - it’s a great tool to start building coordination of core/spine/pelvis/rib-cage. A few minutes of this, plus a few extra cues to improve abdominal engagement saw Flynn maintaining far better core control and global stability.
We recently got a follow up comment on the 30 minutes Flynn spent with Stu:
‘Stu was very knowledgeable and gave me a few small cues that helped with my core stability and general structure in my compound lifts. In that it gave me the mental edge and confidence to lift far beyond what I had previously.’
Curious about what I'd see in your squat, deadlift, bench press or any other movement perfomed in a gym?
Send me a video! I’ve recently been invited to analyse and coach technique via a great new app ProCoach.
If you upload a video of any movement that feels weak or uncomfortable, I’ll share what I see so you can begin to correct and optimise your technique.
https://procoachtech.com/
