Here’s an email from a girl in Sweden who contacted me recently for advice on bodyweight training. She’s already performing 5 pull ups and 50 hindu squats, which are admirable numbers. Then she tells me this:
Hi Dave,
Thank you for you reply and for offering your help!
I don´t have a specific goal at the moment. Just get into a training routine on a regular basis, 4-5 times per week, using body-weight exercises as improving my strength and endurance. A future strength goal could be doing pull ups for 10 reps and hindu squats 200 reps. I want loose 5 kg which I carry around my waist. Also, I need to improve my flexibility after ignoring it completely earlier. I also need to strengthening my core and lower back. Some ab exercises cause my lower back some discomfort which could be due to my lack of flexibility. Thank you so much in advance for your help!
Regards,
Per
It’s the section in bold I wish to address first.
Many people completely ignore flexibility in their training, most experience back pain at some point in their lives, often while performing abdominal exercises.
A while ago I posted about doing crunches right (here), and I’ve spent countless hours trying to teach people to do them right.
Done wrong a crunch will simply over tighten the hip flexors or strain the neck, neither of which are conducive to a healthy back.
If you suffer pain from doing these types of exercises, STOP DOING THEM. Crunches don’t suit some, and even fewer have been educated properly (my post and YouTube clip simply don’t replace proper hands on instruction).
Instead what should we substitute?
Planks, Side Planks, Supermans, Bridges and walkouts (if strong enough).
The primary function of the abdominal muscles, including the low back, is to stabilise the spine, not to flex the trunk. If we train them in such a way, which the chosen drills do, we should begin to alleviate back pain issues.
You may notice that the Bridge drill doesn’t feel like a core drill?
The bridge is a drill that is worth an article in itself, in fact I’ll have one for you shortly. But for now it suffices to say that the bridge, done right will wake up the glutes (you’re bum) and allow the troublesome hip flexors to relax and stretch. Both of which you’re poor back will be grateful for.
So how do we do it right? By using as little tension as possible. You want to feel the muscles around the knee and the muscles in the backside working. the hamstrings ought remain relaxed.
Once the planks and bridges have been brought up to an acceptable level, we can maybe reintroduce movement based abdominal work.
If any of the drills mentioned in this article are unfamiliar to you, you will find them all detailed in No Equipment, No Excuses – Bodyweight training
Regards
Dave Hedges
www.wildgeesema.com / wildgeesema.blogspot.com
dave@wildgeesema.com
+353 87 672 6090
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