Three Core Exercises to Help Your Back
Let’s get back to some basics. We’ve been talking about mobility, movement patterns, breathing, the whole 9 yards, BUT if you remember, none of that means anything if you aren’t minding some very basic biomechanical foundations.
Question: What is the most important structure in your body? Answer: Your spine.
Question: What are the two things our spines like? Answer: A neutral position and maintaining that position throughout movement (i.e. neutral stability).
Let’s do some article math and add together some of topics we’ve discussed to create some practical information you can use. Remember from this article that moving well consists of good joint positions being supported by proper muscle activation (muscular contraction). Remember from this article that out of all the joints our number one priority is the lumbar spine. Also remember that the lumbar spine enjoys a neutral, stable position. So the remainder in this problem becomes muscle activation.
Question: What muscles should we activate to create stability in the spine? Answer: Core Muscles.
Oh the core. One of the least understood yet most important group of muscles we have. Let’s set the record straight. To my bodybuilders, the core isn’t your abs. To my pilates people, the core isn’t your transverse abdominis. To my level-headed readers, the core is the musculature that stabilizes the lumbo-pelvic region. Lumbo-pelvic region is a fancy way of saying lower back (lumbar spine) and pelvis. In this way, core muscles are the muscles around your trunk that maintain a neutral lumbar spine position throughout movement.
*To my kinesiology nerds, I know some argue the hip (the gluteal, quadriceps, adductor complexes and biceps femoris) is part of the core, but I’m trying to keep this simple*
Quickly and without boring you with an anatomy lesson, the core is a “box” of muscles (minus fascia) comprised of:
Front: Rectus Abdominis and Transversus Abdominis (Wraps around everything)
Back: Erector Spinae, Multifidus, Quadratus Lumborum, Latissimus Dorsi, and Transversus Abdominis
Sides: Internal and External Oblique, and Transversus Abdominis
Top: Diaphragm
Bottom: Pelvic Floor
When all of these muscles fire, they create a balanced contraction around the lumbar spine that keeps it in a correct position. Essentially, they lock the lumbar spine in a neutral position throughout movement. By doing so, core muscles minimize wearing on the spine and optimize force transfer through the trunk. All in all, kind of important stuff, so how do we work the core? Answer: Isometrically.
That’s right, isometrically, which is a fancy way of saying exercises that don’t shorten or lengthen the core muscles, meaning crunches, back extensions, russian twists, etc. are out the door.
“But Sam, why not? I mean those exercises strengthen my trunk, they must be good for core training.”
Just to beat a dead horse, remember that whole neutral spine thing? Yes, those non-isometric exercises strengthen the trunk but it’s at the cost of wearing down your spine. Every time you do a crunch, back extension, etc. you are grinding down the intervertebral discs and creating compression and shear along the vertebrae. If we use exercises that wear down the spine to train muscles that are supposed to protect the spine, then we’re in Contradiction City and you’re the mayor. That said, isometric exercises are effective because they challenge trunk position, forcing the core muscles to contract and maintain a neutral spine. All the muscular benefits without the spinal wearing, sounds like a good compromise to me.
And that brings us to the specifics. What core exercises should you be doing? The following three exercises are my foundation to core training. Go forth and use them to train your trunk in the smartest way possible. Throughout every exercise, we will activate the core by bracing the entire trunk as if someone was about to punch your belly. Once again, this is a general contraction of the ENTIRE trunk (i.e. all sides of the “box”), not just pulling your belly button in as Pilates tries to preach. Make sure everything between your ribs and pelvis is rigid.
BIRDDOG EXTENSIONS
Birddogs are a great exercise for beginners with less core capacity or as a warm-up for more advanced training. They begin in a quadruped position with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. From there, adopt a neutral lumbar spine position and brace it in place. Once you feel solid, alternate between extend opposite arms and legs while maintaining trunk position. Be careful to not extend and flex your low back as you respectively reach and draw in the limbs.
Recommendation: 3 set of 60 seconds.
PALLOF PRESSES
I don’t know who the hell pallof was but he created such a glorious exercise that I respect the man or woman. To do this exercise, set a cable at shoulder height with a handle attachment. Stand oriented so the cable is perpendicular to your torso when you hold the handle. Set your braced neutral spine, Slowly press the handle in front of your chest until your elbows are extended and then bring it back in. As with the birddogs, don’t let your low back change positions, lock it in place with core bracing.
Recommendation: 3 set of 60 seconds per side.
DEADLIFTS
Isolation exercises are great and all, but in real life we use our whole body to move. What is one of the most basic things we use our body to do? Pick stuff up off of the ground. Enter deadlifting, an exercise we use to practice that phenomenon. A lot of great practitioners have awesome guides on how to deadlift, and this is starting to go on, so all I’m going to say here is practice maintaining a braced neutral spine when you deadlift. Yes, the primary movers in a deadlift are your hips, but if you mind trunk position then your core is getting an awesome workout too.
There you have it, your core, what it is, how it works, and how to work it. Get these exercises into your routine and reap the benefits of a healthy trunk. At the very least, please please PLEASE stop doing crunches, back extensions, and other non-isometrics that are jacking up your spine. Six packs are made in the kitchen, herniations are made doing crunches, and solid cores are made doing the exercises above.