Put Your Ass Into It! Identifying faulty movement patterns in the squat

By far, the most common mistake that I see athletes make is the improper loading of the glutes in the squat. Learning to squat properly is arguably the most important skill to develop as an athlete, regardless of sport, simply because the squat is literally the only exercise that directly trains the complex human movement known as "hip drive". Hip drive refers to the active recruitment of the muscles of the posterior chain, which includes the hamstrings, glutes, and adductors (inner thighs). These muscles contribute to every movement involving the lower body, so it is important to get them as strong as we possibly can. The most efficient way to do this is to squat, and in order to squat correctly, we must make sure that we are loading the posterior chain efficiently.

The gluteus maximus is the primary mover involved in the hip drive. Without getting too deep into the concepts of loaded human movement, there are some easy to identify patterns that can tell us whether or not the glutes are being actively recruited during the squat:

"Butt Wink"

The first--and probably most common--indication that the glutes are being neglected is known as the "butt wink". Although it sounds like a cute little nickname, make no mistake, this movement pattern can wreak havoc on the body. The "butt wink" occurs at the bottom of the squat, at the moment when the hips have gone so low that proper lumbar curve can no longer be maintained. It is at the point that the pelvis rotates posteriorly underneath the torso (think of a dog going to the bathroom), leading to low back pain, knee pain, and leaving the muscles of the quadriceps to move the load without the help of the posterior chain. This failure to activate the glutes sets off an unfortunate chain of events under the load.

Not only does this position make it impossible to reload the large muscles of the posterior chain to help you stand back up, quad-dominance means that the hamstrings are not doing their job in keeping the tibia from moving from where it should be in relation to the femur. Thus causing the medial collapse of the knees. Medial collapse (knees caving in) means that the ACL, MCL and medial meniscus are under stress, leading to patellofemoral pain.

The "butt wink" often takes place when squats are performed too fast. Rather than engaging the muscles of the posterior chain in a slow and controlled motion all the way down, the individual will instead appear to simply fall to the bottom of the squat and quickly rebound back up. This can be observed most frequently when attempting high volume reps for a set amount of time, such as in  AMRAPs (As Many Reps As Possible), or Tabata style workouts, where the faulty movement pattern is reinforced repeatedly under minimal load. Because the muscle memory has now been thoroughly ingrained, the motor units fire in the same manner when attempting a max effort squat under heavy weight, and the glutes are again neglected.

At the same time, the stretch reflex at the bottom of the squat can be observed as a bounce out of the hole. This is proper technique when the posterior chain is engaged. But when the hamstrings are relaxed at the bottom of the squat, this results in a failure to properly control the weight as it hits. The knees inevitably travel forward, absorbing the stress of the load along with the quadriceps, leading to knee pain and early degeneration.

The "butt wink" also results in a movement cycle in the low back that is a contributing factor for disc injuries. The fact that the lumbar spine is placed under a heavy load while undergoing an extension-flexion-extension pattern can lead to SI joint issues (the ligaments that connect the pelvis to the spine), and under a heavy enough load, can even cause fracture.

The term "butt wink" doesn't sound so cute anymore does it?

Forward Torso

Stripper style squats may look good in a dimly lit room, but leaning excessively forward under a barbell is a sure way to turn off any lifter. As you squat down, if your glutes are weak or not firing, they will push your torso forwards. As you near the bottom of your squat, this lack of glute stabilization along with a forward trunk angle will force your hips into an anterior pelvic tilt. This is bad for many reasons, but also very common in amateur lifters.

As you rise, if your trunk is not vertical enough coming out of the squat, it means that your hips are rising first, placing the load on the lower back instead of driving hip extension through your glutes. You have now turned a leg movement into a lower back movement, resembling more of a good morning than a squat. While the good morning is a great exercise for strengthening the posterior chain, performing this movement mid-squat (and especially under heavy load) is guaranteed to take the "good" out of your morning! Reinforcing this movement pattern is an easy way to suffer a disc injury while leading to a number of other nasty and nagging problems in the knees and hips.

Caving Knees

Knees caving in is a direct result of over engaged hip flexors combined with weak glutes. This is not to say that some advanced powerlifters can't write this off as a "valgus twitch", but they are in the minority. Women in particular are more prone to buckling knees, due to their wider hips and increased q-angle of the pelvis in comparison to men. You’ll often see this knee collapse take place during squatting, lunging, jumping, landing, climbing and descending stairs, and even during running. Failure to strengthen and engage the glutes during these movements can lead to IT Band syndrome, ACL tears, as well as generalized pesky knee pain.

So What Can We Do About It?
There are several exercises specifically designed to correct these posterior chain imbalances. Wall squats are one of my absolute favorites.

To perform a wall squat, begin with your normal squat stance and face the wall. With your arms extended above your head, slowly lower yourself into the squat. The goal is to get your toes as close to the wall as possible without any of your body touching.

There is no cheating in a wall squat. You have to immediately lead with the hips and butt going outward, the knees have to stay behind the toes, and you have to keep your spine straight. Otherwise you either press your face into the wall, or you fall backwards. If you cannot perform five wall squats in a row, you probably shouldn't be squatting with weight.

Another exercise I find useful for identifying potential glute imbalances is the split squat. The split squat is a squat using a staggered stance, where the rear foot is placed on a bench to isolate the muscles of the posterior chain in the forward leg. Squat down by flexing the knee and hip of the front leg until it reaches a ninety degree angle, and the knee of the rear leg is pointed directly at the floor.

Often people will find that they have more difficulty performing this movement with one leg over the other. This is because the split squat utilizes the muscles of the hamstrings, external obliques and gluteus medius muscle, but less of the quadriceps muscle than the back squat. With less quads firing to take over the load, we are better able to identify posterior chain weakness.

These are just two of my favorite correctional exercises, but there are several others out there. Of course, the best way to make sure that the glutes are being used efficiently is to simply be aware of what your muscles are doing while squatting. Pay attention to movement patterns. Use a mirror, or a spotter, or videotape your lifts if you must. Keep your motions slow and controlled until you have the squat adequately mastered. It is only after cementing proper muscle memory that you should progress to introducing speed or weight to the squat. Once you are adept at this, be prepared to see your PRs take off!