Why I Only Train My Core Isometrically, and Why You Should Too

My friend Michael was nice enough to write a guest post for me this week! Michael is a competitive weightlifter who has been performing the olympic lifts for a little over 2.5 years. He recently obtained his Honors Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology and plans to go on to complete a degree in Physiotherapy. He has gathered a lot of hands on experience working in a physiotherapy clinic for the last five years and is passionate about human strength and performance. In his spare time, he enjoys long walks on the beach and romantic comedies.

I only train my core isometrically. Without movement. No sit-ups, no side bends, no toes-to-bars, no Russian twists, none of that. I do this for two reasons: safety and functionality.

Safety

Firstly let’s look at the spine. It is made up of a series of bony vertebrae with vertebral disks in between them. Vertebral disks are made of two parts, the outer, solid layer called the Annulus Fibrosis, and the inner, viscous layer called the Nucleus pulposus. A herniation occurs when the inner layer pushes its way out through the outer layer, often (very painfully) impinging a nerve coming off the spinal cord. I don’t need to tell you that as an athlete, you don’t want this. No one does. If you do herniate a disk and it hits a nerve root, you’re looking at a lot of pain, rehab, and potentially months off of your sport.

Core exercises that involve movement of the spine increase your chances of suffering a disk herniation. Research shows that repeated spinal flexion (bending forward) is needed to cause disk herniations [1][2]. If a researcher wants to herniate a spine specimen, they will put it through thousands of cycles of flexion and extension with moderate compression. That is exactly what you are putting your spine through every time you do a sit-up or a poorly executed back extension on a GHD (compression in this case is caused by your own core muscles, think of each vertebrae as a book stacked on top of another, your muscles squeeze down on the stack of books to keep them from falling over). Why would you put your spine through that? There are several safer, more effective alternatives to train these muscles.
Research also shows that repeated twisting also makes you more vulnerable to a herniation by slowly wearing away at layers of the annulus fibrosis, making it easier for the nucleus pulposus to herniate [3]. Sure, Russian twists are working your obliques, but at what cost?

The human spine is very good at absorbing compressive forces, the vertebrae--disks and vertebral curves all allow for this. The spine is not, however, nearly as good at handling forces like shear. For example NIOSH, a health and safety board recommends a spinal compression force of no higher than 3400N during work tasks, while the limit for shear forces is only 1000N [4]. The exact numbers are not important, but safety experts agree that our spines are about 3.5 times better at handling compression than they are shear. Excessive shear becomes a problem when the spine is fully flexed forward[5] (think sit-ups, toes-to-bars, etc). These exercises definitely do a good job of working your rectus abdominus, but not without introducing potentially dangerous and unnecessary shear forces on your lumbar spine. Exercises that keep the spine in neutral or near neutral are safer because they put the spine in a position to handle forces compressively instead of introducing shear forces.

At this point is when someone would usually say something along the lines of “Well I do exercises X and my back is fine! This can’t be true.” Your back may be fine if you’re doing these exercises now, but it may not be in the future. You may be fine in the future too even if you continue to do these exercises, but you are definitely increasing your risk by continuing to do so. To succeed in any sport, you need to stay healthy. There is no reason to put your spine through potentially dangerous exercises when safer alternatives exist (more on these alternatives later). Also, you should keep in mind that the absence of pain does not mean the absence of injury. Only the outer layers of the annulus fibrosis contain sensory nerve fibers [6], so during the early stages of a herniation, pain would not be an issue.

Functionality

Almost every sport I can think of requires a core that is neutral or near neutral (don’t think of neutral as a perfect position, think of it as a certain small range of motion around that position), and a core that is braced isometrically. The only example I can think of where this isn’t true is gymnastics (but gymnasts are freaks of nature, so let’s ignore them) and maybe swimming or rowing. I’m sure there are more, but that doesn’t really matter. Most sports require a neutral, isometrically braced spine.

This is especially true of strength sports. The squat, Snatch, and Clean & Jerk all require a neutral spine that is braced isometrically. Those who bench with an arch won’t have a neutral spine and some deadilfters prefer pulling with their spine in a little bit of flexion, but both of these exercises definitely require the spine to be braced isometrically. If strength athletes always need isometric core strength, the majority of their core training should be isometric as well. Since the spine is capable of moving in three different planes, the core should be trained isometrically resisting motion in all three of these planes. You should select exercises that resist flexion and extension (bending forward and backwards), lateral flexion (bending to either side) and rotation (twisting). Below is a list of exercises that I have had good success with implementing in my training, that challenge the core in all three planes of motion. Assuming you have the basic stability needed to do them, these exercises are a solid foundation.

Here are some of my favorites!

1. Planks (resisting extension)
2. Reverse Planks (resisting flexion)
3. Side Planks (resisting lateral flexion)
4. Hollow holds (resisting lumbar extension)
5. Side hollow hold (resisting rotation)
6. Back extension holds (resisting flexion)
7. Kneeling 1 arm press (resisting rotation)
8. OH barbell spins (this is a bit all of them, but mostly resisting rotation)
1. No video for this one, but you basically hold a barbell over your head, keep your core tight and move turn your feet until you do a full 360
9. Farmer’s walks or single arm dumbell carry (resisting lateral flexion)
10. Ab Wheel (resisting at the bottom)

This list if by no means exhaustive. Get creative and find what works for you.

At the end of the day, you can train your core muscles in whatever way you want to train them. Just be aware of the risks and rewards that come with your choice of exercises and take this information into consideration before your next core workout; it’s probably not worth it. Stay safe!


Works Cited:

1. ADAMS, M A, and W C HUTTON. 'Prolapsed Interverfebral Disc'. Spine 7.3 (1982): 184-191. Web.
2. Amrani, Jacob. 'Disc Tear (Annular Tear) | Spine Doctor'. Spine Doctor. N.p., 2015. Web. 21 Aug. 2015.
3. Arjmand, Navid et al. 'Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation May Generate Spine Loads Exceeding Recommended Limits'. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 47 (2015): 1-8. Web.
4. Callaghan, Jack P, and Stuart M McGill. 'Intervertebral Disc Herniation: Studies On A Porcine Model Exposed To Highly Repetitive Flexion/Extension Motion With Compressive Force'. Clinical Biomechanics 16.1 (2001): 28-37. Web.
5. Drake, Janessa D.M. et al. 'The Influence Of Static Axial Torque In Combined Loading On Intervertebral Joint Failure Mechanics Using A Porcine Model'. Clinical Biomechanics 20.10 (2005): 1038-1045. Web.
6. McGill, Stuart et al. 'Shear Happens! Suggested Guidelines For Ergonomists To Reduce The Risk Of Low Back Injury From Shear Loading'. 1998. Presentation.

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Check Your Ribs! 4 Exercises to Fix Your Rib Position

What's wrong with this picture?

Yes, this model has an incredibly impressive physique, but I'm referring specifically to her posture. Her ribs, in particular, are the first thing I notice.

Rib flaring is an extremely common postural fault. I mainly see this in women, but there are many men who are guilty of flaring ribs as well.

You might be thinking, "you can only see her ribs because she's so lean!" or " maybe that's just the way her ribs are!" No. Her ribcage sits that way because of core instability and a lack of thoracic awareness.

A forward ribcage usually goes hand in hand with other postural issues like lordosis and scapular winging. An unstable core results in dysfunction all up and down the kinetic chain. Ideally, we want to maintain our center of mass over our...well, center. There should be a straight line leading from the ear lobes all the way down to the ankles (lateral malleoli). Note the drawing on the right. This photo details the optimal posture: his weight is centered on his whole foot, his ribs sit directly over his pelvis, and his head does not jut forward like many sedentary, laptop-absorbed folks we see today.

If the ribcage protrudes in front of the hips, we cannot properly engage the rectus abdominis, and, thus, the function of the muscles around shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles will be compromised.

Additionally, the ribs will pull forward your center of gravity and affect your balance, along with your gait. Any movement will be altered, because your ribs are, quite literally, several steps ahead of you.

At the other end of the spectrum, take a look at Georges St. Pierre, a professional MMA fighter. You will notice that his core is rock solid and stable, unlike the bikini model in the above picture. Maybe that's why he's one of the most successful (and highest paid) fighters! Which of these individuals do you think has a stronger abdomen?

Someone's standing posture will tell you a lot about how their bodies will move during weighted exercises. Just imagine how both of these individuals will look once they press barbells overhead. The lifter with a flared ribcage will almost, 100% certainly, be hyperextended, while an individual with proper abdominal bracing can maintain a secure position.

Sometimes, a prominent ribcage will not be immediately visible while standing. In this case, I employ the wall slide test. If a client cannot bring their forearms to the wall without reaching their ribs forward, they fail the test. I now know that they have limitations in the shoulder, and I work from there.

This model does NOT pass the test...

9 times out of 10, telling someone to bring the "ribs down" is not enough to help them understand. I've realized that these people usually lack the kinesthetic awareness to do that--they don't know how to properly engage the musculature around the ribs.

When I see someone with ribs like the woman in the first photo, I immediately check their breathing. I am never surprised to see that these people abuse the muscles in their necks and chests to breathe rather than taking advantage of their diaphragms. Often, breathing alone will make a huge impact in the position of the ribs. Aside from doing breathing drills, I like to use the following exercises to teach my clients how to activate the muscles that retract the ribs:

1. Barbell roll-outs or TRX fall-out
2. Hollow holds
3. Rib cage movement drill
4. Deadbugs

Teaching proper joint alignment will allow for optimal posture and mechanics in all activities. Strive to employ better movement patterns. Don't lift weights you can't move without perfect technique. You may limit your risk of injury, and you will be much stronger in the long run. Keep your ribs down, and learn to utilize the core properly!

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Breathe Your Way to Bigger Lifts (Part 2)

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on breathing properly for your lifts. This week, my friend Nate Henry, a competitive powerlifter, wrote a wonderful follow-up article. His strongest lifts include a 523.5 pound squat in competition, and a 535 pound squat in the gym, weighing 206 pounds. His best meet total is 1,372 pounds! He is also currently pursuing a bachelors degree in Kinesiology and an NSCA CPT. If you want to move big weights like this guy, follow his advice.

I mean...look at this guy.

Brief Squat Overview (Kinesiology)

Before I get into anything, let's review all of the primary muscles that are used within the squat because a lot of people overlook them.

When you’re lifting or doing anything and figuring out what muscles are being utilized, you have to analyze the dynamic (moving) joint to be able to identify the muscles worked. The muscles being worked are the ones that are fighting against the load.

As you squat there is movement in these joints:

• Hip (femoral acetabular joint, femur connects in the acetabulum in the coxal bone) 
• Knee (tibio-femoral joint, where the femur connects to the tibia)
• Ankle (taleo-tibula joint, where the tibia meets the talus)
• Spinal column (vertebral column)
•  Sacroilliac (SI, or lumbo-sacral) joint which is where the column connects to the illiac.

Analyzing the movement against resistance, standing up when you squat, we can identify the action of the muscle taken. In this case:

• Hip extension
• Knee extension
• Plantar flexion (ankle)
• Spinal extension (and depending on the lifter, there can be a posterior or anterior pelvic tilt in the SI.)

Rather than listing out all of the muscles involved, here are some nifty graphs I made to show what muscles are responsible for what movement:

Keep in mind these are only the primary muscles and these do not include the statically loaded muscles or the secondary muscles involved in the movements.

Now what?

Now that we’ve identified all the muscles we can get into this cueing business, the muscles will come into play a little later. Outside of reminding everyone reading this that their set up is the most important part of the squat (don't rush it, set up every set the same, etc.). I’m going to assume you’ve squatted before in your life, and I'll get right to it.

One of the biggest things that helped me advance my own squat was learning to properly brace and learning to “breathe into my lower back.”

A lot of lifters rant about “getting tight” and “getting your breath,” but what the heck does that even mean? It’s one of those things that if you know it, you get it. If you don’t, it’s hard to explain fully.

The whole point of getting “tight” or bracing is to prepare your body to handle load. Usually in the form of the Valsava Maneuver (holding your breath). However, a lot of people can’t even breathe correctly without load, so getting your breath and bracing properly is hard to do if you’re just starting out.

Rather than explaining it further, Arianna has written an awesome article already!

That breath and bracing is the most important and overlooked aspect of the squat next to having a proper unrack/walkout.

The reason this is so important is because if you’re not bracing completely you’ll put a lot of pressure on different muscles. We talked about spinal extension as one of the movements in a squat right? Well, when you’re just bracing the frontal core (the rectus abdominis plays a huge role in stabilizing the muscles responsible for spinal extension), you’re leaving your back completely unprotected, even with a belt! When you’ve got something heavy on you, that weight will zero right in on your weakest part of the back and that’s how back injuries happen and why.

This cue is especially important for low bar squatters who tend to use more extension in the back to leverage heavier weight on the way up.

To add to that, a lot of lifters might get the back tight (flexing it rather than creating the tension through the diaphragmatic breathing) and then tip forward because there is no brace on the front. This can also create some havoc within the muscles being worked. The quads may try to take proportionally more load than needed and the hip extensors try to pick up the slack. Things can get weird.

The point is, you need to brace and create that pressure. This is how I learned to do that.

Why breathe into my lower back?

Your core musculature wraps all the way around. A lot of lifters just breathe into their stomachs, creating little pressure, and not getting 360 degrees of tightness throughout all the musculature, extrinsically, nor intrinsically. They lack the understanding of what full abdominal expansion feels like; that’s where this cue comes in handy.

Put your hand on your lower back. Breathe into your stomach with a proper breath (fill it like a balloon). Not much going on in the lower back right? Or the sides, really, correct?

Now, do the same thing but try to breathe into the back while still trying to fill in the balloon (if that’s not helping, try to breathe into the lower back lying on your back and try to focus on pushing against the ground). If you’re doing this correctly, you should feel your back, stomach, and sides fill with air. Put your hands on your sides as well, you’ll feel it.

This is what I mean by breathing into your lower back. Proper inhalation helps your muscles in the core/lower back get tight/brace. Think of your core musculature as your body's own belt.

Using this, let's go over a quick squat without getting too much into the whole process:

1. Approach the bar, get your hand placement. 
2. Without rushing, get under the bar and get your placement down (high/low/hybrid). Dig into the bar, get the hands set, get everything nice and stable. 
3. Get your hips under you (both feet, not split stance this will prevent injuries in the back as well)
4. Breathing into your lower back, and getting the full breath first, unrack the bar.
5. Take your first step back, settle. 
6. Bring your other leg back, settle. Adjust this foot if need. 
7. If you’re squatting really heavy and the bar is whipping, let it settle. Good walks, make good lifts.
8. If you let out some air during the walk, retake the breath but make sure you create pressure during the walkout phase because even though you’re not squatting, you’re still having to move around that weight. 
9. Squat
10. Stand up
11. Retake the breath (don't descend without completing the breath!)
12. Repeat

I like using Chad Wesley Smith as an example, since he’s the one who introduced me to this cue. Here he is squatting 825 for a double.

Notice the control, the time put into the set up, and how he breathes. Now, Chad is an Elite Squatter. He’s quick about it. Take your time.

The cool thing is this applies to all disciplines: CrossFit, Powerlifting, Strongman, Weightlifting, Bodybuilding.

Try these tips, and add serious weight onto your lifts.


Works Cited:

1. Nuckols, Greg. "Squat Mechanics – The Red Pill." Strengtheory. N.p., 23 Feb. 2015. Web. 02 June 2015.
2. Smith, Chad W. "10 Steps to Great Squatting Technique." JTS Strength. N.p., 20 Aug. 2014. Web. 02 June 2015.
3. Smith, Chad W. "Squatting Specifics - What Technique Is Best for Your Sport?" JTS Strength. N.p., 22 Aug. 2014. Web. 02 June 2015.

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Behind the Neck Exercises: Do You Need Them?

For every exercise, there's an equal and opposite, behind-the-neck variation. Behind-the-neck lat pull-downs, pull-ups, push presses, strict presses, are just a few examples of exercises I've seen people try to do behind their necks. Perhaps they're trying to hit the same muscle groups in a new way, or target different muscles altogether. Regardless of the reason, I am not generally a fan of the behind-the-neck training club.

Given the overwhelming number of shoulders stuck in internal rotation and spines stuck in kyphosis for the average desk-worker or sedentary individual, many people already come into the gym with a slew of shoulder restrictions and postural limitations. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body. Because of the huge range of motion in the joint, many people have poor stability overhead. Men and women alike suffer from scapular flaring (see below) as a result of lifestyle habits and poor posture.

She may look like she's at peace, but she's forcing her shoulders into an unstable position!

It is often difficult enough for someone to maintain shoulder stability in the traditional variations of a pull-up or strict press. Now, once you start trying to do these movements behind the neck, you're just reinforcing a dangerous position that may lead to pain or injury in the future.

For starters, let's analyze the neck position of someone doing an exercise behind his neck.

If you've read my previous posts, you understand that the position of the neck impacts the position of the rest of the spine. This particular...gentleman is obviously very muscular. Despite this, however, his cervical spine (neck) is flexed, and he is reinforcing the dreaded forward head posture ("chicken head" posture). This exercise may be counterproductive for him as it could potentially lead to some neck pain down the line.

Now, let's move on to what might be happening to the shoulders in a movement like the lat-pull downs in the above photo.

As the result of the neck position, (because the human body works as a chain) his shoulder stability is also compromised. Ideally, his scapula should slide down the ribcage as he pulls the bar towards his traps. However, if the shoulders are internally rotated, the shoulder blade tilts forward and slopes off of the ribcage.

Many Olympic lifting coaches teach jerks or presses behind the neck, because it enables the athlete to keep his torso more upright in the dip. Unfortunately, for most, this might also damage the integrity of the shoulder position in order to maintain a vertical torso.

In an ideal situation, a behind-the neck exercise might be beneficial for an athlete. Unfortunately, the shoulder position is often compromised. If you have had shoulder issues in the past, you more than likely lack mobility or stability in the shoulder joint, and these types of exercises will just exacerbate your issues.

Unless you are certain you can sustain an ideal position in a behind the neck exercise, perhaps your routine is better off without them!

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Just Say No to the Smith Machine