The lifter’s inability to use his spinal extensors to keep his back in rigid extension while trying to withstand a heavy moment force – one that is trying to bend the spine—results in a rounded back. It’s highly unlikely that the hamstrings are stretched to their max in the bottom position because the knee is bent. The spinal extensors have the job of keeping the spine in rigid extension and locking the pelvis in position relative to the lumbar vertebrae. 9 out of 10 of these individuals will never know the cause. The vertebrae protect the spinal cord and support the majority of the weight put on your spine. Get. They’re actually quite large, especially in the lumbar region. Many people are taught they have to “look up to go up” when squatting. Shear forces push one part of an object in one direction, and another part of the object in the opposite direction. When driving a car, sure. is how you resist injury and build a strong back! | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Powered by Tension Group. OHP - 20 kg. As a lifter approaches the bottom, the leaned-forward position and large moment arm on the back segment can cause the back to round in people who lack this control, pulling the lumbar spine and pelvis out of position. In that case, I might recommend parallel squats or low bar back squats, which rarely go very far beyond parallel. It reflects years of refining our material and coaching methodology. While a low bar squat does not use a back angle as horizontal as a deadlift, the back segment is still subject to moment forces that are trying to bend it. This is exacerbated if the lifter is not shoving their knees out enough. Then your lats are tight. The spinal column is made up a 24 bones (called vertebrae) plus the sacrum, connected by ligaments and muscles – over 300 of them – that allow the spine to bend and twist. your back flat, then progress yourself gradually over successive sessions while not allowing the spine to flex. However, while completing this rehab, exercises like box squats, low bar back squats, and reverse lunges can provide much of the same benefits of high bar back squatting with far less anterior knee stress as they shift more of the workload to the hips. He also claimed that that isn't out of the norm - it's common for guys who did a lot of Olympic lifts to have problems with their joint's later on in life. This is where Dan John comes in. Any kind of overhead work can be bad for your back if your lats are tight. Bad posture can cause shoulder pain. To get abs and not hurt your back - hang from a straight bar and do … And maybe we don’t necessarily need to keep our back perfectly vertical. Failure of the spinal extensors to withstand these forces will result in the spine bending, not shearing. But for all its popularity, the back squat hides a dirty secret: it’s one of the most dangerous exercises for your low back, hips, and knees, even when done with perfect form. I could probably write an entire article series on the above information alone, but I’ll save that for another day so we can get to the stuff you came here for: how does this relate to squatting? the thing that keeps your spine straight and protects you from injury is not keeping your back perfectly vertical – it’s the isometric contraction of the muscles around the spine that locks it into a rigid position and maintains the pelvis’ alignment with the spine as you lean over. To fix lumbar flexion or “butt wink”, the lifter needs to learn how to use their spinal extensors to hold their back in rigid extension and not squat too deep. If the back squat is irritating your shoulders, it could be your workout split. Despite Dr. Pulskamp’s best efforts, the damage that Klein inflicted had been done. But sometimes, butt wink is an ankle mobility issue. Squatting too deep (or “ass to grass”) can result in lumbar flexion because as the thighs approximate with the pelvis and the hips cannot flex further, the back will have to round in order to keep going lower. Edit: I didn't add that this same doctor was a very accomplished wrestler when he was in HS and college and he was very active in doing squats and deadlifts and said that his own knees and back are pretty fucked from all those squats and dl's he did. I am not a chiropractor, exercise physiologist, or fitness coach - just a regular guy. Suffice it to say back squats are terrible for your spine. To see why, we need to start with a quick biomechanics lesson. But the spinal extensors must win. Spine health and back pain. We are talking about the chances that your spine with shear in half if you bend over when squatting, which is slim to none. So how do we prevent our spine from flexing under a load? So it’s true that the moment force placed on the back segment in a low bar squat is a shear force, as it is composed of two different forces acting in opposite directions – the weight of the bar and gravity pushing down, and the force you generate to push the bar up. This requires that the lifter is able to lock the spine in rigid extension through isometric contraction of the spinal extensors, and maintain this anatomical position throughout the rep, even as they hinge forward at the hips. Rather, it puts one side of the spine under compression and the other side under tension. Or try using a slightly wider grip. Lower the bar slowly all the way to the pins with good form , and let the bar rest on the pins for 3 seconds. Try a different bar position. If you usually do low-bar squats, move the bar higher. Shearing your spine sounds super scary, and you may have been told that loading your back while it’s at an angle will predispose you to a shearing injury in which one vertebrae “slips” on another, which could mean very bad things for you spinal cord. Set the pins in the squat cage around waist height and unrack the bar in a standard back squat fashion. This leaned over position allows us to train more muscle groups, while keeping the spine straight and rigid. Takeaway: With effective workout progressions, you can change your overall body composition using squats. It is also complete nonsense. You need to decide that you are going to look down, make your back flat, and lean over when you squat. This should be the narrowest stance you can handle while still being able to keep your heel down on the lead leg and limit "butt wink" at the bottom. That’s right, we are also using the squat to strengthen our back! 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