TRAINING & EQUIPMENT
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John Kuc was a three-time IPF world powerlifting champion (1974, 79, 80) in the 242-pound bodyweight class. He was the fi rst man to deadlift 850 pounds and had a best of 870 pounds.
Low Back Training for Athletes For a powerful core, bring the erector spinae to the fore
BY KIM GOSS, MS he Russians have been a domi- back muscles. were that thick! nant force in weightlifting for As a Russian lifter shook a com- One reason for the emphasis on Thalf a century. They have always petitor’s hand, he would reach behind the erector spinae was that strong back placed a great deal of emphasis on the the athlete with the other hand and muscles were required to perform the erector spinae, the pair of muscles that check out the tone and thickness of the extreme back bending motion that run alongside the spine like thick cables. athlete’s erector spinae muscles. In fact, occurred during the Olympic press. In fact, at the 1968 Olympic Games in when you looked at a Russian weight- Although the US had some excellent Mexico City, US weightlifter Tommy lifter from the side at the start of his lifts, pressers, overall the Russians dominated Suggs observed the unique way Russian it would appear that his lower back was the records in this lift, holding six of lifters assessed their competitors’ lower rounded – the erector spinae muscles the all-time records in the exercise. The
32 | BIGGER FASTER STRONGER JULY/AUGUST 2013 Full range, free- weight exercises such as the front squat and the back squat (shown at right) help prevent muscle imbalances that can cause poor posture. These illustrations show optimal pos- ture and how the muscles surround- ing the pelvis can affect posture and movement. E\(ULF)UDQNOLQ +XPDQ.LQHWLFV '\QDPLF$OLJQPHQW7KURXJK,PDJHU\
press was discontinued after the 1972 well as how much weight an athlete can Despite the importance of work- Olympics, but lower back exercises such use in core lifts such as squats and power ing these muscles to their full capacity, as glute-ham raises and good mornings cleans. there is an unfortunate trend in many remained key assistance exercises in The key muscle group of the lower programs for athletes at all levels to Russian workouts. back is the erector spinae. It consists of avoid exercises that work the lower body Russian weightlifters aside, the three parallel sets of muscles (iliocostalis, through a full range of motion. Power lower back is often a weak link in many longissimus and spinalis) that run the cleans from the mid-thigh have replaced athletes. This is a serious problem, entire length of the spine. The erector cleans from the floor, quarter squats and especially if athletes expect to fulfill their spinae is involved in extending and later- leg presses are considered core exercises, physical potential. ally flexing the vertebral column, and it and deadlifts have been all but forgotten. helps maintain the proper posture of the The result is decreased flexibility and The Anatomy of Power spine when lifting. As a bonus, accord- more muscle imbalances, issues that can Lower back muscles not only pro- ing to Canadian strength coach Charles contribute to low back pain. duce force; they also help transfer force Poliquin, the erector spinae exhibits an Paul Gagné is a strength coach and from the legs to the upper body (and in exceptional “irradiation effect,” which Posturologist who has seen the conse- the case of weight training, to the bar). If means that strengthening these muscles quences of improperly designed weight the lower back is not strong, this weak- helps strengthen many other muscle training programs. “Many athletes who ness will affect athletic performance as groups. have focused on exercise machines and www.biggerfasterstronger.com 1-800-628-9737 | 33 TRAINING & EQUIPMENT partial-range movements often display on one sport at an early age, there is an Another problem is poor exercise postural problems and some have lower increased risk of muscle imbalances. technique. At BFS we recommend back pain,” says Gagné. “For these For example, a swimmer could develop compound exercises such as power athletes I have to devote a consider- round shoulders and a forward head cleans and squats, but there is consider- able amount of time retraining the posture, and a volleyball player could able technique involved in performing postural system through programs that develop tight hip flexors and relatively these exercises correctly. Performing a include flexibility training and specific weak hamstrings. Although the same power clean or squat with a rounded segmental exercises for the abdominal could be said about gymnasts, whose back, for example, could easily cause a muscles. Without such training, to have sport requires early specialized training disk problem because the lower back these athletes start with a program of to reach high levels, gymnastics coaches muscles will not be able to protect the full squats, Olympic lifts and overhead usually have their athletes perform spine. Although machines can have presses and jerks could cause lower back general conditioning to prevent muscle a place in the training of athletes, it’s pain or make existing back pain worse.” imbalances. Likewise, figure skating unwise to place too much emphasis on Gagné also believes that one coaches prevent muscle imbalances by machine exercises, such as leg presses, at reason for these postural problems is having their athletes supplement their the expense of training the lower back the emphasis on sports specialization training with ballet and other forms of muscles with free weight exercises, such at an early age. “When athletes focus dance.” as squats.
3KRWRVE\%UXFH.OHPHQV The erector spinae muscles run parallel to the spine. Olympic lifting exercises effec- tively work these muscles, as shown by the thick lower back development of these elite weightlifters.
34 | BIGGER FASTER STRONGER JULY/AUGUST 2013 A Closer Look at Back Training Before we look at specific lower back exercises, it’s important to under- stand that the erector spinae consists of both high-threshold motor units (fast-twitch muscle) and low-threshold motor units (slow-twitch muscle). This means that for complete development an athlete should perform back exer- cises for low reps with heavy weights and also high reps with relatively Exercises that strengthen the lower abdominal and erector spinae muscles may be lighter weights. In the BFS program necessary for those athletes who have developed muscle imbalances from sport- such variation is built into the set-rep specific training or improper training methods. program. With that background, let’s take a movement. Having a machine that Another type of back extension, closer look at three basic categories of has the chest pad tilted downward will and one that is seldom used, is the type lower back exercises: deadlifts, reverse facilitate this stretch. Lifting the legs to that is performed on an incline back back extensions, and back extensions. parallel, as many powerlifters recom- extension bench. Two advantages of Deadlift. The deadlift, as per- mend, will place adverse stress on the the incline bench, says Gagné, are that formed with a straight barbell in the L3 to L5 vertebrae by causing the the muscle tension is less and the angle sport of powerlifting, is a basic move- spine to hyperextend.” allows for a greater range of motion of ment that will effectively strengthen Another advantage of the reverse the trunk. the lower back. Keep in mind that back extension is that it places mini- Gagné says that the sequence in with the straight bar, the weight is mal compressive forces on the spine, which the muscles are activated in both out in front of the lifter and this can especially when compared to a seated the back extension and the incline back create high levels of shearing forces back extension machine. Research extension is as follows: calves, ham- on the spine. Instead, Gagné advises, conducted by Alf Nachemson of strings, glutes, and erector spinae. At “It would be better to perform the Sweden in 1975 showed that lean- the start of the movement both these deadlift with a hex bar, as it is easier to ing forward about 15 degrees from a exercises produce traction on the spine maintain the proper alignment of the seated position can nearly double the and as such help strengthen the muscles; spine.” compressive forces on the L2 and L3 either exercise is an effective warm-up Reverse back extension. Accord- vertebrae. “Further, the seated back exercise at the start of a workout. ing to Gagné, one of the best exercises extension machines focus on strength- Gagné says that Olympic lifting for the erector spinae is the reverse ening the erector spinae in the internal exercises and their assistance exercises, back extension, especially for athletes range, which should not be the priority such as squats, will not only improve with postural problems. “About 90 for most athletes, especially those with lower back strength and athletic per- percent of the professional hockey back pain,” says Gagné. formance but also help prevent lower players I coach have excessive anterior Back extension. Back extensions back pain. “Weightlifters tend to have tilt of the pelvis and chronic tight- strengthen the erector spinae muscles great flexibility, abdominal and lower ness in the lower back. They need in the internal (shortened) range. Back back strength, and muscle balance. If to focus on working the low back extensions also strongly affect the all athletes would begin their physical with a neutral spine and only in the gluteal muscles. As an example of how training by emphasizing free weight external (lengthened) range. So, on a much emphasis the Russian weight- exercises such as these, performed reverse back extension they would lift lifters placed on this exercise, they through a full-range of motion, they the weight only three quarters of the were often seen using several hundred would be less likely to become injured way up and work on bringing the legs pounds in this exercise, with the barbell and would have a significant edge over under the hips at the bottom of the placed on the back of the shoulders. their competition.” www.biggerfasterstronger.com 1-800-628-9737 | 35 GET FAST NOW!
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