Another Lunge Modification

Another Lunge Modification

When performing the Body Weight Lunge, you must maintain a vertical spine.  Do not allow your back to flex forward toward the lead leg or laterally to either side.  

The trailing knee moves directly toward the ground, without allowing the knee cap to touch the ground.  This will prevent patella-femoral compression.  The lead knee remains in line with the center of the lead foot, not allowing the arch of the foot to drop (avoid being flat-footed).  Basically, avoid any "down and in" motion of the lead knee.  To return to upright, push through the front heel (not the toes!), until you are upright with both knees extended and gluteals contracted (clench your butt).

A common modification of the lunge is an Elevated Lunge, where the trailing foot is elevated either on a plyo-box, chair or suspension trainer.  This forces the lead leg to work harder, provides a more aggressive stretch to the trailing thigh, and more aggressively challenges ankle stability of the front foot.  You must maintain the same technique as mentioned above in regards to posture and leg position.

In yet another modification, instead of elevating the trailing leg on a chair, box or suspension trainer, place your trailing foot flat against the wall behind you with approximately 90 degrees of knee flexion.  

Notice the trailing leg has approximately 90-degrees knee flexion and is flat on the wall.  You must push into the wall through the heel, not the toes and your lead knee should not cross in front of the toes

As you move into a vertical lunge, maintain the same form as with the Standard Lunge.  Do not allow your trunk to shift forward or laterally, and do not allow the lead knee to move "down and in."  At the same time, maintain a "push" of the trailing foot into the wall through the heel.  Try to keep the amount of push into the wall constant throughout both phases of the repetition (concentric/eccentric). This creates an isometric hip extension contraction of the rear leg throughout the entire repetition, while the front leg works to lower and raise your body.  As a result, you are working the gluteals on both sides more aggressively than in the previous two lunge techniques.   Try it out and let me know what you think.  Start with just body weight.  Then try it with a kettlebell racked on either side.

This Tip Eliminated Most of My Back Pain

In previous posts, I mentioned how I had been diagnosed with a herniated disc at L4-5 ten years ago, and that I am still aware that this is my weakest link.  I can feel the ache first thing in the morning, and must avoid any type of flexion activities for the first hour that I am out of bed.  I focus my  training sessions on core recruitment and stabilization while training full body movement patterns.  To my knowledge I was maintaining a stable trunk and was protecting my lower back.  However, the day after my training session, I would feel an increase in lower back soreness and felt that I had to be extra cautious with certain activities to prevent an increase in pain.

The majority of my training deals with multi joint movement patterns rather than isolating muscles.  I make sure to do squats, lunges, and deadlifts, and ensure that I incorporate a proper hip hinge rather than spinal flexion when lowering myself.  But there was one technique that I had not focused on while performing these movement patterns until recently.  And since doing so, my lower back pain has dramatically improved.  I have spoken about "gluteal amnesia" in the past.  One of the causes of this "amnesia" is that upon performing a squat, we use our hamstrings to extend our hips and our lumbar extensors to extend our spines while transitioning from the squat position to tall standing.  Using the spinal extensors to do this compresses the spine, causing more back pain.  This is most likely why I would wake up the following day in more back pain.  Incorporating the gluteals to extend the hips while returning to a standing position from a squat will help reverse this "gluteal amnesia," and save the back.  So I decided to try this a few days ago.  To do this takes concentration but is not too difficult.  All you do is "spread the floor" with your feet.  So when performing squats, as I descended and ascended, I was gripping the floor with my toes as I was pushing my feet isometrically outward, as if I was attempting to spread the floor.  This technique engages my glutes which extends the hips, bringing me into the upright position while taking the strain off of my spinal extensors (and reducing spinal compression).  I decided to incorporate this throughout my day, not just during training sessions.  I initiated getting out of a chair by "spreading the floor."  Squatting down to pick up my daughter, I did the same thing.  This morning I woke up with almost no lower back soreness. 

Try this technique and you will be amazed at how your back responds.  I was taught that my "lower back is like a bank account.  There is only so much money in it.  So use it only when you need to."  To do this, we must use proper and efficient movement patterns to eliminate unecessary stress on the spine.

Incorporating The Bridge

Incorporating The Bridge

 

The bridge is a common exercise prescribed to clients suffering from lower back pain.  Many of these  patients commonly present with crossed-pelvic syndrome (weak glutes and abs, tight hamstrings and hip flexors).  They have overworked hamstrings and underworked gluteals.  Upon performing the bridge, most will initiate the extension movement by firing their hamstrings, instead of their glutes.  Our goal is to teach them how to engage their gluteals first.  This will carryover into functional activities such as squatting.  Start by teaching a "Glute Set."  To do this, you have your client lie on their back and clench their butt.  The cue "pinch a dime" works well.  Then perform this same technique with your client lying on his/her back with their knees bent and feet flat on the floor.  "Pinch a dime" again.  Repeat this without any actual lifting of the pelvis until it is performed without hamstring contraction.  Palpate their hamstrings to ensure this.  Then, have them perform this technique and lift the hips off the floor.  If the hamstring are still firing early, having your client attempt the bridge with their toes touching a wall may help.  In this position, upon attempting the lift, gently ask your client to push their toes into the wall as if trying to extend the knees.  Contracting the quadriceps here, will inhibit the hamstrings from firing, and the glutes will do the work.  Have your client repeat this until it becomes habit.  Then check out the quality of their squat and see if it has improved.    

Common Morning Stretches May Be Detrimental to Your Lower Back

Common Morning Stretches May Be Detrimental to Your Lower Back

 

Below are two very common stretches that many of my lower back patients tell me that they perform regularly in the mornings.

Stretch 1

 

Stretch 2

 

 These stretches may feel good.  However, you may be causing more harm than good.  Throughout the day, your spine undergoes compression and shear forces.  Upon fully flexing the spine (Image 1), you create a "flexion-relaxation phenomenon."  With this, the lumbar spine extensor muscles "relax" and no longer protect the back from shearing forces.  Stretch 2 feels good because it applies a stretch to the gluteal muscles.  However, the further you pull your knees to your chest, the more your spine flexes, the less the extensors protect your spine.  I would advise not to do these stretches first thing in the morning, never to do Stretch 1, and to perform Stretch 2 only up to the point that you feel the stretch in the gluteals.

 

Knee Pain: What Can You Do For It?

Many people, especially athletes have complained of knee pain one time or another, especially during activities such as squats and stairclimbing.  Instead of focusing in strictly on the knee joint, neighboring joints/muscles should be assessed as possible causes.  For example, tight calf muscles and IT-band, weak gluteal muscles and poor motor control are contributing factors.  Check out these videos for further information on possible corrective strategies.  Also, make sure you attempt the painful motion following these corrective strategies to check for proper carry over.  Pain should diminish noticeably.
PFPS part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kauwemDv0wo
PFPS part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l623GQDoKo

Hope this helps