Paolo, I do not think Im smarter than Dr. McGill. As Dr. Stuart McGill has often mentioned, pain is very specific to the individuals injury, dysfunction, or pain-mechanism. Bend the spine back and forth enough times and the intervertebral discs will eventually rupture. A Pile of Blankets. Romanian Deadlift vs Deadlift: Which Version is Better? (obviously not all in the same day) If anyone is wondering i'm going to start this workout plan. Raise your body back up until your hips and waist are extended. As a matter of fact, simply bracing the spine and contracting the core musculature increases spinal compressive loading by 12-18%, yet the act simultaneously enhances spinal stability by 36-64% (Granata and Marras, 2000). . I have seen nothing in your excellent videos in this post that is conflicting with the advice of McGill. Its got dead in the name, and its one of the few lifts where the concentric phase tends to steal the show (at least compared to other lifts). Heres another way to think about it: Stronger deadlifts equal faster sprints. Thanks for putting out great content. To really feel this one, concentrate on those glutes to be sure they engage. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Notice: It seems you have Javascript disabled in your Browser. They're used in all of my programs, and everyone at Glute Lab does them religiously. Heres my take on different movements: 1) I believe that all folks can squat twice per week. . We ask not your counsels or arms. A low-maintenance "quilt": Baloo Weighted Blanket. Exercises like the good morning and RDL can help develop the hamstrings and glutes but require good technique. McGill may know the spine, but I know strength training. The fact that quality of discs is mostly determined by the genes, that no symptoms not implies that there is no damage, that damage structurally weakens the discs would mean that you will create irreversible damage to your client (even if it doesnt hurt). While this can definitely vary depending upon how you go about it, to me the deadlift doesnt have much or any advantage over back extensions of reverse hypers in that regard. Second, how do they make you feel? About Us. Wow, Bret absolutely awesome post. Donkey kicks are amazing for targeting the upper portion of the glute medius, which will help give you that coveted butt lift. Start with bodyweight if you've never done them and gradually work to where you are holding a plate against your chest with your arms crossed. In the beginning, I was convinced that hyperextensions should be performed without extra weight. It simply implies that the damage is not in a place where it hurts. Considering that 80% of individuals suffer from low back pain at some point in their lives it is important that we figure out exactly what is causing this pain. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." Like were all so stupid that we cant tell the difference. I prescribe bodyweight reverse hypers to beginner males and amateur women that I train The. NOTE: I now have a reverse hyper that can use the rollers or straps. This makes the standing decline cable press an effective weighted dips alternative. So obviously, Ill need to make sure that my glutes are firing in every set of lower-body exercises that I perform. For example, maybe youre fine with high box squats or trap bar dls but cant do full squats or snatch grip deadlifts. Stand up and repeat. Then I trap-bar dl, split squats (to work on hip-flexors flexibility and glutes), back extensions, and x-band walks on lower body day. In order to submit a comment to this post, please write this code along with your comment: 751c804596b0da4db9bca24c736a6ea3, TREN: The Tale of Riki Violino Only $0.99 (Book Promo). Just like we isolate for core stability, its a good idea to isolate for hip strengthwhether it be hip extension, hip flexion, hip abduction, hip external rotation, etc. I prescribe heavy reverse hypers to all ground-based athletes that I train 20-Dec-2005, 10:58 AM #5. The good morning strengthens the hamstrings and hips, as well as the core and back. Thanks Bret! Your question, Do you want to take the risk? is a great one and heres my answer: This is what I currently do to help prevent back pain with my clients: 1. Initiate the movement by setting the pulleys on a dual cable just above your head. What do you do when a new fad comes along that goes against what your past experience has taught you? I dont use extension exercises like the ones above with folks who are very lordodic. I really need to quit being lazy and really delve into the spinal research to cement my opinion. Simply place your hip crease on the thigh pads and face the foot slots (see below video). An example of someone who does crazy amounts of situps does not strengthen your point, it says something about the individual and not the exercise. The other reason for pain has to do with inflammation and whether nerves actually grow into the nucleus (Freemont AJ 1997). Its one of the best, Keeping the core tight and back flat, ease the hips back while closing them, keeping your weight in the rear of your foot, At 90-degrees or the end of your hamstring flexibility, reverse the movement by pushing the hips forward and bringing your chest up again, There are very few exercises that offer the same hip and, Keeping the knees in one place, hinge the hips backward to bring the kettlebell back as far as your balance allows, Keeping the back straight, push the hips forwards aggressively, swinging the kettlebell forwards and up, Control the top of the motion keeping the kettlebell close and your whole foot on the floor, Continue the momentum down through the starting position and all the way back, before starting the next repetition, Glutes and/or hams: building the posterior chain, The posterior chain is the group of muscles including the back, buttocks, and hamstrings. You need a strong and active core for these glute-ham raise exercises. Although Im okay with the occasional leg curl, why no glute ham raises, Russian leg curls, sliding leg curls, etc.? They lead to significant amounts of shear loading on the spine even if executed properly, Arguments in Favor of Back Extensions and Reverse Hypers, 1. Its always kind of funny to me that youre cautioning me about chiropractors knowledge of biomechanics, because my chiropractor runs a business on the side running classes for athletic trainers his favorite topic to rant about while grastoning or ARTing me is the apparently endemic lack of knowledge of biomechanics among athletic trainers. I appreciate it. Set-up on a Reverse Hyper Machine with your feet hooked and the front of your hip crease placed against the edge of the pad. Can anyone think of a substitue for these two excercies? He seems to be okay with training back extensions with a rounded back, if the goal is to train the erector dynamically. If someone like me can do them correctly, then I surely expect them to do them correctly and will keep working with them until they get it right. Great post. I dont remember. Good mornings might be a little too taxing on the body to be an assistance exercise, they're more of a supplemental exercise (for squats, deadlifts, etc). I love your blog, but I have some mixed feelings about this post, because I believe it has conflicting messages. Any exercise is wrong, if performed incorrectly, 3. 6. Its been said that people who dont deadlift miss their chance to transform from fragile boys into muscular cavemen. Its great to get 2 benefits from a single movement. Anything that strengthens the posterior chain might lead to less low back pain and injury. The bar position makes them an easy site for injury if youre not careful or you load too quickly. The 45-degree back extension, sometimes called the hyper-extension, is a Romanian deadlift alternative that can be easily modified to isolate more of the glutes or lower back depending on what you want to target. Avoid crunches, supermans, side bends, and any low back twisting. Bret, Again, great post!!! Second, you cant lift a lot of weight. Robert, heres a video I posted to Youtube a while back that shows a rounded-back variation. Thanks for you response. If you tell me that this form is just too hard for people to master then I will think youre a crappy trainer. But everybody has a different. While I appreciate the logic behind these folks arguments, I am still a big supporter of these lifts. Further you state that most peoples back problems. Whatever your fitness goal is, a strong posterior chain will help. Exactly my point. You gain T-spine mobility by doing T-spine mobility drills and by focusing on keeping the chest up while you squat. In this manner a grip exercise could increase sprinting speed if it strengthens the grip which happens to be the limiting factor in ones max deadlift. I have a very long torso (length 30-32 pants and Im 61) compared to my legs. trainer about that shortly but its a thought. Why not just do good mornings instead of hyperextensions? Can they be very beneficial? Some dont. 270,380,190. To simplify: keep the torso neutral, keep the feet flat, and the knees in place, while closing and opening the hips. The best exercise which I have used for alternatives was seated good mornings.I once used heavy seated GM and rack deads to increase my olympic dead lifts. Back extensions and reverse hypers may be more specific to top-speed sprinting and may transfer better due to the more specific-nature of the directional loading pattern (horizontal vs. vertical) in comparison to squatting, lunging, and deadlifting patterns. Im not always in agreement with the mainstream especially as it pertains to unsafe exercises. Remember high expectations and quality coaching! Thanks. (Topic#16066) br d Total Posts: 253: Barbell Rows. 99 $79.99 $79.99. 2. Many individuals have witnessed their back pain disappear once they started performing back extensions and reverse hypers. However, upon further consideration one realizes that this is not in fact true. Theyre all important and you need to train them all to really replace the Glute-Ham Raise in your workout program. The problem with people is that as soon as they know a little or even tried something that worked for them, they assume everyone else is doing everything backwards. I love the reverse Hyper but kinda on a budget any one have a good idea on were to buy one?? If an exercise increases shear 20%, but still in the safety range and it increases performance 5% more than any other known exercise, it may well be worth the price. Obviously if youre limited on time, go with standing movements. You dont always need both in one. Some have performed over 1 million flexion cycles which is 5,555% more cycles than in McGills research yet they still dont have herniations. Matt Great comment and great perspective! Supported lifts or lifts that support part of the body train muscles without improving upon integrated, coordinated movement Teach them proper mechanics and posture with weightlifting and with everyday stuff, for example how to pick stuff up off the ground Hi Bret great article! It is a huge myth that these exercises lead to a disproportionate amount of erector spinae contribution. The fourth way I mentioned may be better for active recovery as it doesnt induce any soreness. And your reverse hyper video demonstrates just how much eccentric stress can be had when you actively stop the weight from pulling you under. The Romanian Deadlift (or RDL) is a classic strength exercise that has built champions in all kinds of sports. If you dont know why someone is prescribing an exercise, ask why and try to understand his rationale and results, 2. Glute ham raise substitutes that train the core are worth your time! In the clip below, I perform a heavy set of reverse hypers while allowing the sacrum to rotate. Weighted back extensions 2. Since the glutes contract very hard at the top of these movements at end-range hip extension, they may help add much needed power to that range of motion during athletics. Since these lifts can hone in on muscular weak links and improve strength in the integrated, coordinated total-body lifts like squats and deadlifts, they lead to improved integration and coordination in a round-about manner. You'll also get a little core engagement with the exercise as you balance with one leg in the air. To defend the back extension even more think- Biering-Sorensen test although its isometricthe research has been proven valid. Tip: Your entire upper body should be hanging down towards the floor.