Coaching Deep Squats: Fixing Lumbar Flexion at the Bottom

When an athlete can squat deep but loses lumbar position at the bottom, you have two choices: cut the range or coach them to maintain it. Here's how to do the second one. The Problem This athlete demonstrates exceptional depth but experiences lumbar flexion (butt wink) when she hits full range. Her hips scoop under and her lower spine rounds at the bottom. The Coaching Decision Instead of limiting depth, the coach works to help her maintain spinal position throughout the full range. This is about maximizing what the athlete can do rather than defaulting to restrictions. The Progression - Pause at the bottom so the athlete can feel where the position breaks down - Use verbal cues: squeeze glutes, brace core, hold breath in the stomach - Layer cues progressively—when one works, add another to improve further - Keep the athlete at full depth while cueing, not backing off prematurely The Result Through deliberate pauses and specific cues, the athlete maintains better lumbar position at the same depth. The improvement is immediate and visible. This is diagnostic coaching: identify the fault, decide whether to restrict or improve, then systematically work the pattern until it changes. #crossfit #crossfitcoach #airsquat — CrossFit is the world’s leading platform for improving health and performance. In the 20 years since its founding, CrossFit has grown from a garage gym in Santa Cruz, California, into the world’s most effective program for improving health and performance through nutrition and exercise. CrossFit is the world’s leading provider of accredited performance-based training courses and certifications and has more than 125,000 credentialed coaches across the world. The program can be modified to welcome people of all ages and abilities and millions of people have already experienced CrossFit’s transformational benefits in more than 13,000 affiliated gyms across 158 countries. CrossFit also directs the CrossFit Games season, beginning with the annual CrossFit Open, through which athletes at every level compete worldwide, and culminating in the CrossFit Games, where top athletes compete for the title of Fittest on Earth®. Learn more about CrossFit → https://www.crossfit.com/what-is-crossfit/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit Find a CrossFit gym near you → https://www.crossfit.com/map?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit Find CrossFit Courses near you → https://www.crossfit.com/courses-near-you?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit View CrossFit workouts → https://www.crossfit.com/workout?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit Subscribe to CrossFit email newsletters → https://www.crossfit.com/newsletters/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit Learn more about the CrossFit Games → https://cf.games/games-learn-more