Do This After Your Training To Keep Your Back Feeling Great!
In just about any performance oriented strength and conditioning program, much of our training in the gym is what I'd call 'extension dominant'. All that means is that we rely heavily on the back extensors to stabilize our body.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with that as long as we don't allow our training to create muscle imbalances in our body. We only have a problem when our training leads to the gradual adaptation of postural changes which are ineffective for performance, and also that can cause pain and stiffness.
All this may sound complicated, but it's not. Check out this video to understand the basics and what you can do about it. If you have any questions about it, please email me.
Typically I'll pick 1 or 2 of these exercises and do 2-3 sets to fatigue after my workout with 45-60sec rest between sets. I usually pick one of the first two drills to fatigue the abs, and then I'll pick one of the last two drills that are easier but still helpful re-positioning drills.
Here are the exercises I personally do after training to keep my back feeling great:
- Hollow Body Hold
- Deadbugs with Hollow Body Position
- 90/90 Breathing Drill (This isn't a hard ab workout, but it helps reset the pelvis position and back)
- Standing PRI Squat with Reach (Also not really an ab workout, but it can be a good re-positioning drill to stretch out the back a little and introduce some flexion.)
If your back hurts badly (i.e. more than a bit of stiffness or muscle soreness) you can check out this video too!
