PROTECT YOUR LOWER BACK

Question from Quora: “How can I prevent lower back issues, so I can finally start going heavy on my squats and deadlifts?”

A simple all-around rule for you to add to your arsenal, whenever something hurts the first thing you need to consider is if there is WEAKNESS in the antagonist's muscles to the source of the injury.

Shoulders are feeling funky? Go straight to that rotator cuff, rhomboids, rear delts, and upper back in general.

Knees are bothering ya? How much stronger are your quads compared to your hamstrings? the strength gap between your quads and hammies will create serious issues in your knees if not addressed properly.

The lower back is screaming at you? How strong are your core muscles? Obliques, TVA, all that jazz?

When you're executing movements like squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses, the force generated by the barbell travels from the top of your spine to the bottom of your feet, the technical term for this is an AXIAL LOADING OF THE SPINE.

In this little journey that kinetic energy has to take, most of the places that it visits are full of wonderful powerful structures specifically designed to give that energy a smooth ride.

But right in the middle of this flight that goes from the top of the spine to the bottom of your feet, it gets a bit of turbulence.

All the real state inside your core, your bowels, kidneys, liver, stomach, and all that jazz are a bunch of fluffy stuff that is there for reasons completely separate from the movement system, you have your lower back hanging in there all alone without any hips, ribs, clavicles, nor scapulas to help it share that load, at that point, and the only skeletal muscles supporting that connection are the often neglected obliques, TVA's, and the diaphragm.

So the force ends up dispersing right at your core and damages your overworked lower back.

Protecting the lower back is a matter of first, reinforcing the only muscles that help the lower back send that energy toward the ground, your core muscles, so here are the KEY exercises I want you to start doing right now, if you had lower back issues squatting and deadlifting.

SINGLE-ARM FARMER'S CARRY / 2-3 sets / 30-90 secs / 1-2x week.

SIDE PLANKS / 2-3 sets / 30-90 secs / 1-2x week.

PLANKS / 2-3 sets / 30-90 secs / 1-2x week.

BIRD DOGS / 2–3 sets / 10–20 reps / 1–2 week.

GLUTE HAM RAISES / 2-3 sets / 25 reps/ 1-3x week.

HANGING LEG RAISES / 2-3 sets / 25 reps/ 1-3x week.

Do all those, or pick 2–3 of them at 1–3 specialized sessions each week for 8–12 weeks and you’ll already start seeing great improvements.

Alright, a stronger core will for sure help you, but remember all that fluffy stuff inside you? If you don't get that shit tight in a coordinated effort no amount of core muscles will save your lower back from taking that hit.

Why do we add gravel and steel to the concrete?

To generate compressive strength allowing it to counteract the force of gravity so we can build buildings that stand taller and last longer, it's basically the same deal here.

You generate compression in your core by properly bracing.

First, you need to fill in the gaps between all that fluffy stuff, and it

starts with filling those bigass balloons you call your lungs to take as much space inside your torso as possible and then sealing it in so it doesn't escape.

Think about a bag of Doritos, when it's full of air and closed, you can put stuff on top of it and the air will hold the bag in place, if there's a way for air to escape, the air will leave and the stuff you put on top of the bag will crush your precious little nachos.

And we don't waste perfectly good nachos around here bubba, so fill those lungs and shut your mouth.

Second, you need that diaphragm to do some work, potentially if you have decent body awareness, after simply sealing the air in, your diaphragm is already contracted, but if you wanna make sure you can feel it, without letting the air escape, pretend you're trying to blow a candle as forcefully as you can.

that movement that you feel right on your upper abs, is your diaphragm doing its thing.

After the diaphragm is engaged, and the lungs are full of air, then you just need to finish tightening up the rest of the core, if you're already doing the aforementioned exercises, you probably already developed a sufficient mind-muscle connection to do this intuitively, and squeeze those glutes like you were in prison and sending a message that within it is "EXIT ONLY".

At this stage, your lower will automatically be in a neutral position preventing you to screw yourself up.

So that's it boyez, remember, if you're particularly weak in your core, then you need to really focus on getting that core stronger before dabbling with heavy barbell movements.

I would suggest incorporating a heavy core emphasis with those 5 exercises for 6-10 weeks, and then you'll be good to go to start your journey through THE IRON PATH!

MY BRUDDAH, now it's time for you to go there and build SOME SERIOUS MUSCLE!

BANG IRON!

Big KISS

THE POTATO MAN