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Browsing Tags core stability

Why Certain Core Exercises Hurt Your Lower Back

November 25, 2018 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Article written on November 19th, 2018 at 01:46pm | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

Does your lower back feel healthy and pain-free throughout the day but only to become very irritated with certain core exercises? Instead of jumping to conclusions, it’s important to realize two important factors:

You never have low back pain throughout your daily routine
Your back pain increases in response to specific movements

When this is the case, it’s important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Of course, seeking an evaluation from a trained healthcare professional can be a viable option. And, I always recommend this when dealing with pain or before getting started with an exercise program. But, if you have narrowed down the painful stimulus to specific movements, then it seems more impactful to either remove the trigger or assess technique and form while performing those movements.

The core is a complex area of the body. In the movement world we refer to this as the lumbopelvic hip complex. Therefore, it encompasses more joints and muscles than most people realize.

For decades we have been addressing this area with exercises such as sit-ups, crunches, supermans, etc. These can be beneficial to increase strength at the musculature surrounding the core. But, how much impact do they have on stability? And, do they place an unwanted amount of compressive force on the spine itself?

Instead of always strengthening these muscles in an attempt to build a healthy and resilient spine, let’s incorporate a stability component to improve control and positioning of each spinal segment. Too often do I see people performing tons of flexion, extension, and rotation-based movements without any focus on stability and joint position. Yes, this might build a killer 6-pack, but is it the best long-term strategy for spine health?

So, where do you begin? Self-assessing core stability can provide feedback into how well you are controlling the position of your spine. This isn’t how much weight you can move or repetitions on a sit-up. But rather how well you maintain neutral while the extremities move.

A simple and effective self-assessment is the legs lowering drill. I would recommend performing this with a 10-second eccentric (lower) while monitoring the position of the pelvis, spine, and rib cage. Sometimes it can be helpful to have a friend look at these areas for you to provide more accurate feedback. The video below will provide an explanation on how to properly perform this self-assessment.

Following the legs lowering self-assessment, if you notice that the lumbar spine loses it’s position into extension before the legs lower to 45 degrees, it’s important to patiently and consistently work on improving core stability. In the following video, I want to walk you through a simple exercise progression that serves as the foundation for better lumbar stability. These exercises include:

Hooklying marching
Dead bug
Overhead dead bug

If this approach to core training is new to you or you found that it was very challenging to perform these exercises with good control, it’s important to make these stability exercises a staple within your program. What’s important when it comes to improving stability is not attempting the hardest variation and struggling through with minimal success. Instead, perform the exercise that challenges you in a productive way for 4-8 weeks before moving on to the next. The goal should be quality and execution over quantity.

If you have any questions or need help troubleshooting any lower back pain as it relates to your current exercise program, please feel free to comment below or message me directly. I hope this video provided you value in some way. Thanks for reading!

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

How to Manipulate External Load to Optimize Kinematics

January 8, 2018 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Article written on January 8th, 2018 at 01:39pm | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

Resistance is such an important factor when it comes to strength training. But, how often do you alter the position of the resistance to assist or further challenge the body?

Let’s look past the short-sighted approach of using resistance to increase load and instead think more about quality of movement and/or what area are you trying to target. This will require you to think outside of the traditional thought process, but it will ultimately create better long-term improvement in movement quality.

In the following video, I demonstrate various loading strategies for the step up. Some of these strategies can be used to improve kinematics of the movement, while others increase the difficulty. Regardless, the movement remains unchanged and only the position of the resistance is altered.

Click below to watch the video…

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

How to Create a Well-Rounded Core Training Program

August 28, 2017 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Article written on August 23rd, 2017 at 10:14am | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

The core is complex and often misunderstood. I see this on a daily basis as I evaluate new clients and talk to them more deeply about their current exercise routine.

It’s quite easy to think about solely the abdominals when it comes to the core. They play a vital role in everyday tasks, athletics and injury prevention. Not to mention it’s a goal of most people to get “more cut” or 6-pack abs. But, training these muscles and overlooking the other important areas of the core is a very shortsighted approach that creates limited results.

In the following video, I talk about how the core requires attention from many different directions. From a stability standpoint, it’s important to teach the core how to prevent extension, prevent side bending, and prevent rotation. These three areas comprise a very well-rounded core stability training program when addressed properly. Let me show you exercises that will provide you with better long-term results…

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

The Basics Behind Creating Optimal Core Stability

September 21, 2016 · by Garrett McLaughlin

| Article written on September 21st, 2016 at 01:49pm | Follow Garrett on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram |

Over the years, my thoughts on core training has changed. I dabbled with core strengthening and also at one point removed all flexion/extension movements altogether. The amount of over dramatization out there is huge! The body is meant to move in multiple planes of motion and also prevent motion, that is why having the proper balance is essential.

One area that has always been a staple in many exercise and rehabilitation programs is core stability. It’s really easy to promote the benefits as a joint needs to have the necessary amount of stiffness and reactiveness to prevent unwanted positions. This is important not only to prevent injury but to function optimally and transfer energy throughout the kinetic chain. If a joint is not stabilizing, energy is lost and more stress is placed on passive structures (ligaments, capsule, etc.).

A major problem I often see is that people don’t have a good classification system when putting core exercises together into a routine. This is almost done with reckless abandon based upon what exercises they like to do or where they feel needs the most attention.

Instead, let’s look at core stability from the viewpoint of what motions need to be prevented in order to perform at a higher level with less susceptibility to injury. If we utilize this simplistic but beneficial approach, preventing flexion, rotation, and lateral flexion are at the top of the list.

Anti-Extension

The anterior core musculature creates flexion movement at the spine. When these muscles fire and no motion occurs, this is called flexion moment. Essentially the muscles are maintaining the position of the spine while preventing any extraneous movement. Anti-extension is essential to reduce stress through the lumbar spine and maintain a neutral alignment. Below is a video explanation of anti-extension and a recommended exercise progression.

Anti-Rotation

Rotation is another common motion often carried out at the trunk. Many sports consist of high velocity, rotational movements which is why teaching the body how to disperse and decelerate these forces is important. Anti-rotation exercises can consist of the pallof press and it’s variations. Below is a video explanation of anti-rotation and a recommended exercise progression.

Anti-Lateral Flexion

Last, but definitely not least, is anti-lateral flexion. The lateral flexors consist of the obliques, quadratus lumborum, and other core muscles. These muscles can be targeted with hip abduction leg lifts, lateral walks, and other strengthening exercises. But, to improve stability we must teach the body how to fire these muscles to maintain joint position. Below is a video explanation of anti-lateral flexion and a recommended exercise progression.

In summary, core stability is very different from core strength. Instead of firing the core musculature to create movement, these muscles must react and adjust to maintain healthy joint positions. Over the years, I have increased emphasis on core stability before strength. Teaching the body how to control, decelerate, and absorb forces may be a more advantageous starting point before creating motion at an unstable joint.

By; Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Exercise of the Month: Hip Hinge

September 14, 2015 · by Garrett McLaughlin

| Article written on September 13th, 2015 at 5:30pm | Follow Garrett on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram |

Teaching the body how to hinge at the hips is essential in promoting proper function and reducing unwanted stress through the lumbar spine. It is common for many people with low back pain to be unable to differentiate hip and spine movement. That is why teaching proper hip hinging is important.

The hip hinge is a very basic, but challenging movement. From sitting for long periods of time and improper training, we often lack proper hip extension. The inability for the gluteus maximus to produce extension due to neural inhibition is called gluteal amnesia. Before performing movements such as the hip hinge, we must first learn to activate the appropriate musculature with exercises such as: forearm hip extension and cook hip lift.

When learning the hip hinge, it is important to start with the fundamentals and progress appropriately. That means learning the proper pattern against a wall to teach neutral spine and only hip motion is key. This entry level variation is what we will focus our attention on in this article. Don’t be fooled by it’s simplistic appearance. Due to poor posture and faulty firing patterns, it can be challenging to execute this movement correctly. And, it’s value cannot be overstated.

How to perform this movement:

Stand 6-12 inches away from the wall
Place the pinky side of your hands into the angled crease of your hip joint
With minimal bend in the knees, drive the hips back to touch the wall
Ensure a neutral spine position with no increase in knee angle as you lower forward
Lower until the spine is parallel to the floor
At the lowest position, contract the glutes and drive the hips forward
Raise back up to the starting position
Repeat for the desired repetitions

Note: Posture is essential in this movement. Maintaining a neutral spine position will reduce force on the lumbar spine discs and musculature once you progress to the weighted versions. Also, keep the knees in only 10-15 degrees of flexion as you complete the movement. They are not allowed to bend more as you lower down, but should straighten as the hips drive completely forward at the top of the movement.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Exercise of the Month: Plank with Hip Extension

June 3, 2015 · by Garrett McLaughlin

| Article written on June 3rd, 2015 at 9:00am | Follow Garrett on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram |

The plank is an exercise that has lasted the test of time. But recently, I have had a change of heart about this exercise. Since starting at Quest and learning more about the consistency of programming, I realize it is often difficult to intermix exercises that are timed and exercises that use repetitions. Especially when there is a need to time one athlete while spotting another. Don’t get me wrong, I still love all planks and their variations. But, adding a small change that allows you to count repetitions can be worthwhile.

FIrst off, let’s talk about the traditional plank… The main goal of the plank is to maintain a neutral core position and rigid torso, as well as prevent extension (arching) in the spine. By doing so we need to create and maintain stability all the way from the toes through the head. When we lift one leg off the ground into hip extension, we are causing a rotational stress throughout the body. This increases the demand on the core, to not only prevent extension, but rotation as well. Adding to it’s difficulty and also benefits once it is mastered.

–> Click here to watch a video demonstration of this exercise <–

How to perform this exercise:

Set-up in a traditional plank position
Elbows should be under the shoulders and toes under the ankles
Raise the hips so they are level with the feet and shoulders
Once you have a solid plank hold, lift one leg off the ground
Make sure the knee stays straight with no bend and the body doesn’t rotate
Lower that leg back down and repeat with the other leg
Complete for the desired repetitions

Note: Perfecting the traditional plank is the best starting point. Once you can hold this for 30-45 seconds, hip extension can be added. During the exercise, as you raise the leg it is important to make sure the body doesn’t rotate and hip drops.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

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