Your Butt Winked At Me

and how to fix it

Author

Joseph Gray
September 18, 2025

What To Expect In This Newsletter

  • GML - Landmine, Feedback, Behind The Scenes

  • Community - Interviews, Vintage Reviews, and New Codes

  • GGC - Merch, NordStick, Fixing Butt Wink

  • r/HomeGym - Ironmaster Hack and Final 2025 AMAs

Links throughout may include Affiliate Links. These help fund the Newsletter, Website, Garage Gym Competition, Videos and more at no expense to you.

Gray Matter Lifting

My head has been down, working hard on the Adjustable Bench w/ Attachments Showdown. I’ve completed reviews for the Wide Body Bench, Prime Shorty, and wrapped up the REP Nighthawk last week.

If anyone wants to see previews of these reviews, hit me with a reply and I’ll get you links.

REP X Kleva Built Adroit Landmine

I’ve owned a number of landmines in the past. This was for good reason as every time we re-did the gym, it seemed to need a new landmine solution. And with our more recent changes, we needed another landmine overhaul.

I was trying to grab a Kleva Built Adroit Landmine, but they weren’t in stock. Figured out why a few months back, as REP was working with them to release it as a partnership. Mine just arrived and I’m pretty excited. This thing has a tool-less assembly, full UHMW protection, a magnet storage pin, with all the Kleva fanciness.

I’ve added it to the Review Pipeline, and plan to publish the review alongside the REP Pegasus and REP Belt Squat in October.

Pipeline Results

Since I don’t have a ton of content to share, I figured this was a great opportunity to share some of the results from the Pipeline Voting a few months back. Some of you provided a few items that I have already jumped on. Company contacts, discount codes, website feedback, and products to review… Thank you for those ideas!

And some of you dropped some comments that let me know I was doing things correctly, and that you “got it”. Thanking me for loading up equipment heavy and filming real working sets. Thank you for that feedback!

I had an awesome comment about video editing… To the dude concerned for my sanity there, yes… I have outsourced my video editing as of recently. Thanks for caring about that. And for the dude who complained that I managed to get them to buy a bunch of carabiners… Welp, I warned everyone!

What Do You Think?

This one has come up a few times. I’ve been asked before about having a process where people can pitch in for the next project. A good example is the Wide Body Bench where I spent nearly $2000 to review it. I can only do that so many times a year. If there was a crowdfunding process, that might look a little different. $5 a month kicked in from 200 people, starts to acquire some gym equipment.

The most logical thing in my head would be to set up a paid subscription model for this newsletter where you get something extra.

If you are reading this, like that idea (or hate it), reply back and let me know. If you like it, let me know what you’d like to see in that subscription area, and what a valid price might be per month.

What Do You Think Part 2?

I’ve been working on making my content process more sustainable in 2025, which included a video editor and other moves. But I hadn’t really thought about the idea of adding a second person/reviewer to the team.

Well, that isn’t 100% true. Audrey loves working out, enjoys helping me with the camera stuff, and helps with the GGC. But she is only 8. If she remains interested in another 8 years, I’ve thought about how cool it could be to have her hired on as a full time employee to review equipment and bring a young female viewpoint to the home gym equipment space. Again, only if she wants to.

So I’ve thought about it, we just aren’t exactly there with Audrey yet. I’ve tried to send equipment to several people in the past in the home gym community for review, and it has a pretty low success rate. Long turn around times, low effort feedback and write ups, and just not something I could do anything with on my end.

So I like the idea, but I don’t have any clue on how this could work. If you do, fire away.

Behind The Scenes

I like to share some of this stuff, because I think it is pretty interesting and gives some context to the world of a Home Gym Content Creator.

First, an email from a company working with New Balance. They wanted to send me a pair of any shoes I wanted, and they would pay me for promotions. They wanted a post within 1 week of receiving the product. You have to get prior approval from the campaign manager on the content you post. And I am not allowed to partner with any competing brands for 6 months after posting the content. No thanks!

The second one I got this week, was a request to add a link to my website. These actually come pretty often, even offering to pay to do so. It is a tactic called “back linking”, and is an attempt to boost your search rankings on Google. 99% of the time this comes from some garbage website, but this one caught my eye. The Strong Theory Systems website sells a barbell called the Barbell 2.0, which is a direct competitor to the Radian Sliding Barbell. They wanted to exchange a link from their website, to my article that ranks #1 / #2 on Google search results. Yeah, sounds like a good trade (for them)!

And another one for the week, came in from nutriEffect. I had never heard of them before, so I checked them out real quick. Their website loads with their flagship pH Balance product. Your gut is full of acid, it is what allows it to break down food into usable nutrients and waste products. The last thing you would want to do is alter the pH of your stomach. And the beauty here, is that your body tends to trend towards homeostasis, meaning that it likes things to be “normal”. So if you managed to alter your pH, it would just adjust to bring it back in line. So these supplements are nonsense. Oh, and it comes with pH test strips that you can pee on. WOW!

I respect the hustle, but I frown upon what this kind of stuff does to the industry as a whole. It is why I am picky about who I work with. As Scarface said, “All I have in this world is my balls and my word, and I don't break 'em for no one".”

Whats New In The Community?

My dude Chris from Mutant Metals sat down with Jake at GGE to talk shop around a lot of insightful stuff. This was a cool episode if you like to nerd out about the home gym community and gym equipment industry. Link.

Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension V2

Long time listeners will remember that I broke TWO different models of the NBE V2 before the team fixed a fatal flaw. Since posting that video, I’ve had a handful of dudes doing reviews ask me for clarification. Rob over at VintageWeightsPGH just wrapped up a review on the NBE V2 which includes some cool history on the unit. And a big sneak peak I didn’t even know, the team is working on a V3 which is queued up for Q4 of 2025.

I got confirmation from TBG that one will be sent my way. So expect to see details soon.

Dr Tatty Waffles

Speaking of Rob, he recently interviewed my dude Dan aka Dr Tatty Waffles. This was a cool chat on home gym equipment, the community, chats on the VOLTRA, and even some history around where the name Dr Tatty Waffles came from. Dan is one of the fellow r/HomeGym Mods, and we chat regularly about all things home gyms.

VOLTRA Hacks

My guy Kyle at KaizenDIY put up a video this last week on VOLTRA hacks from the community, and I ended up in there. I’ve got a few more tricks up my sleeve here soon, but this was an interesting video.

Merch

Newsletter subscribers get Merch at a 10% discount, the biggest discount I can give ya. Thanks for being here and doing what you do, so I can do what I do.

You just need this code: FAM9731a60

Discount Codes

I just added a new discount code and link for Porter Phys Ed. Happy to hop on board this one. If you are looking to snag some cool stuff, make sure to use that one.

Garage Gym Competition

Official Sticker and Merch for the #25FallGGC is available!

In the spring we kicked off the Prettiest Powerlifter with @big_c_smallz during our Live Stream events. She happens to use a picture of @workingclassbeast as her 11 out of 10 RPE scale.

So for the Fall, we took that picture, GGCd it, and turned it into the official sticker and merch for the season.

Everyone who competes will get one of the above stickers sent their way (if they want it) when they fill out the submission form.


And if you wanna snag a shirt or tank in various colors, designs, and sizes... We've got those too. All proceeds from merch sales will go to @primalarmor as part of our Fall Non-Profit campaign.

Sponsor Highlight

NordStick, founded by Dr. Garrett Drumheller, a sports physical therapist, emerged from a practical need to address hamstring and knee injuries among athletes. The initial concept involved a makeshift device using a rolling pin and ratchet strap, which, while functional, highlighted the necessity for a more refined solution. This realization led to the development of NordStick’s flagship products, aiming to provide effective and accessible hamstring strengthening tools.

That has grown from a door attached piece to a fully built out NordBench Pro that can tackle half a dozen movements.

They have their original NordBench, which I believe is likely the BEST space saving and budget option on the market. And their Pro model adds stability and features in a compact size.

Prize Announcement

They are tossing up one of their OG NordBenches for one lucky winner in the Fall. This will open up back extensions, nordic curls, hip thrusts, split squats, and a number of other creative exercises in a machine that could tuck under most beds.

Training Tip - Fix my butt wink when squatting

We got a great one from the Pipeline Survey, asking about addressing Butt Wink in the squat. So I asked our GGC coaches, and this is what we got.

Not an issue if it doesn’t bother the person (namely low back pain after completing higher volume or higher intensity of “butt winked” squats).

- can be “remedied” by box squats progressively lowering the box.

- introducing stabilizing core exercises before squatting for the day has been seen to provide some relief of symptoms.

- working through hip flexibility can help alleviate issues too.

Butt wink happens when your pelvis and spine tries to make up for another part not moving the way it should. It’s often caused by tight ankles or hips.

But more often it’s because you’re not bracing your core well or your stance isn’t quite right. To fix it, try working on hip mobility and focus on keeping your core tight so your spine stays in a neutral position during the squat.

You might also need to experiment with your foot placement sometimes standing too wide or too narrow can make it harder to squat deep without your pelvis tipping. 

Don’t forget to check your ankle mobility too. (A million youtube videos on this ) If that's an issue switching from flats to lifters may help, me personally i like a zero drop trainer… and for God's sake don’t squat in running shoes. 

What’s important to remember is that everyone’s body is different, so there’s no “perfect” way to squat. Instead of copying someone else’s form exactly, find what works best for your body. 

Typically improper pelvic movement is a compensation for an issue elsewhere. Butt wink, a posterior tilt of the pelvis when trying to achieve depth, is no different. 

The first area to look, bracing. Is the brace being set correctly, ribcage and pelvis stacked in neutral position, and locked there. Hint: it is not "locked" if butt wink is occurring. Can the athlete reach depth while keeping it "locked"? If not, problem is likely elsewhere. 

Other areas to look at include lack of ankle or hip mobility, width of stance, and anatomical limitations. Common example, in larger athletes, if squatting in a too narrow of stance, upper body mass (belly) may run into lower body mass (thighs) before depth can be achieved. Frequently, these athletes will use posterior pelvic tilt (butt wink) to get butt lower around that obstacle. For these athletes, it would be better to widen the stance some to allow upper body mass to pass between lower body mass, while keeping torso in a stacked and safer position.

Why is this important? Any movement of spine under maximal or near maximal load increases the potential for injury and improper pelvic position can decrease muscular output due to being in a shortened or stretched state.

When it comes to excessive "butt wink" this is usually due to a loss of control of the pelvis which can lead to lower back rounding 

Many lifters run into this issue by initiating the squat by arching too much. Rather than extending the back, aim to keep the rib cage and pelvis stacked and by setting a good brace. 

For those having trouble holding their spine position and the "stack", try adding plank variations as well as breathing and bracing drills as part of your pre squat routine. 

And if you aren't a competitive powerlifter, sometimes it can also be a matter of squatting lower than your current capability or technique allows. Outside of getting ready for a powerlifting meet, I suggest squatting as low as you can maintain good position. 

And remember, keeping good spine position is a range, so a slight butt wink is nothing to worry about and if you aren't sure you can always have someone watch your form to give some insight if the butt wink is excessive or not.

I bolded the most important part ( I could write an article on this one LOL)

My take on squatting too deep 

https://archive.t-nation.com/training/the-truth-about-squatting-deep/

John Gaglione

• Check your mobility (hips and ankles): Limited mobility will force compensations elsewhere and may contribute to poor mechanics

• Break at the hips: Initiate the descent by focusing on breaking at the hips instead of bending the knees

• Be intentional: Be intentional with your squat mechanics on every set (even empty bar warmups)

Josh Berry

Butt wink is something I see in the clinic all the time with low back pain. Majority of the time it's a compensatory motion due to decreased hip flexion mobility. This is causing increased lumbar flexion which is seen as "butt wink". I will say butt wink is really only a major factor if it's occurring before 90 degrees of hip flexion. 

Kirk Thomas

And I’ll toss in my opinion. Butt Wink in my experience is typically a sign of deep squats and a lack of bracing (core tightness) combined. You rarely see butt wink at parallel. From a bodybuilder and general athlete perspective, deep squatting can be a good thing. From a powerlifter perspective, we typically want to squat only as deep as we need to.

So if you are chasing a bigger total, learn to hit depth in the squat and see if that fixes the butt wink. If not, the best exercise I know to train bracing through movement is weighted carries. So have some strongman fun and pick something up and walk around with it. Start light and focus on keeping that midsection rock solid while breathing and moving. Add weight as you get better, and it’ll carry over to your powerlifting movements. You can check out this article for more.

r/HomeGym

This post caught my eye. Probably because I’m about to review the Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2, but the people that own this bench have gotten super creative with their solutions and hacks. Taking a bench, using a preacher curl attachment, and making it into a Reverse Hyper is a pretty crazy idea.

AMAs

REP finished their AMA earlier this week and dropped some notes.

Next up will be Freak Athlete and Freedom Fitness in October, which will be our final 2 AMAs for the year. We’ll dive into Black Friday deals in November, and then take a break from craziness for December.

I should have a 2026 AMA Schedule ready to share in early October, so stay tuned for that.

One Last Thing…

Soccer season is upon us. This year is Year 4 of Soccer, our team is the Blue Flamingos, and the girls are kicking butt! The coolest thing this year is that we are playing 7v7, so we have actual positions. Which means the girls are learning to play REAL soccer. Passing, spacing, dribbling, and more.

The above picture is Audrey scoring the first goal of the season with a strong shot over the goalies head.

If you have the opportunity and the want to coach, I highly encourage it. Even if you don’t know the sport, YouTube and Google are fantastic resources. Coaching has helped me as a parent, as an athlete, and is just a super rewarding experience.

And if you don’t have kids or don’t like sports, maybe you like dogs. Enjoy this picture of Jax from this weekend.

See everyone in a couple weeks…

Joe