The inability to dissociate your hip and low back movements
from one another is one of the most common problems I see when walking
throughout the gym. This problem is especially easy to spot if you watch a good
sample size of people deadlifting. I’d like to also mention that it’s very
impressive to see just how much weight some people can lift while just pulling
with their low backs. In addition to deadlifting, this disassociation issue can
also be seen while running, jumping, and squatting. Notice that the
aforementioned movements are all extension-based.
When I refer to dissociation between your hips and low back,
I’m talking about getting extension from only your hip while your back remains
relatively neutral, acting isometrically. By performing activities without
causing flexion and extension moments at your lumbar spine, you can reduce the
amount of stress and dynamic load you place on it. Dynamic load on your spine
is not an ideal scenario.
Individuals who like to extend with both their low back and their
hips to create forward propulsion when running/sprinting-or performing any of
the other activities listed above-like to move into relative lumbar flexion so
they can then extend through those spinal segments. This is what is considered
dynamic load. For example, in the picture below, both stick figure lifters end
in the same position. The one on the left was in relative flexion and used hip
and lumbar extension to finish the lift, causing dynamic load, while the one on
the right used hip extension and isometric action at the lumbar spine. Those who use the movement strategy of hip and
low back extension together to create movement often have complaints of back pain,
due to repetitive use of their back extensors. If you are familiar with the
feeling of gradually worsening tightness or discomfort of your low back when
exercising, this is one of the common causes. (Please note that there can be
other causes as well.)
This inability to dissociate can arise for multiple reasons.
Three of the main contributors are weak anterior core musculature, poor neuromuscular
control, and tight hip flexors.
The anterior core musculature is made up of a couple
different muscles aside from the popular rectus abdominis, aka the six pack.
These include the internal/external obliques and transverse abdominis. Their
job, as a collaborative unit, is to increase intraabdominal pressure during
movements in order to keep the spine stable. If these muscles are weak and
cannot counteract the forces of your hip flexors or momentum when moving
forward, you will move into extension.
Neuromuscular control can also present as a problem. The
abs, hip extensors, and back musculature can all be plenty strong, but that
doesn’t mean they sequence correctly. In my opinion this is the hardest problem
to fix due to the repetitive nature of movement and the amount of repetitions
required to create a new movement pattern. This is where people often get
frustrated when they do not see immediate results because their previous
movement pattern is so ingrained into the brain that it becomes hard to change.
Hard to change, but still possible. This change in movement patterning calls
for a lot of repetitive tedious exercises, which aren’t physically challenging
but frustrating because they come with a lot of trial and error of movement
till you get it right.
So how do you correct some of these issues listed above?
Simply put, strengthen the anterior core muscles, practice
hip extension with isometrically acting back extensors while keeping a neutral
back, and lengthen the hip flexors/make them more supple.
Some good isometric anterior core exercises to try are
reaching planks and shoulder tap planks shown below. While performing these,
making sure to contract the glutes and abdominal musculature at the same time.
For neuromuscular control, I like to start with a prone hip
extension and then progress to a birddog. It is important to pay attention to
where the extension is coming from during these exercises, feeling the spine
stay relatively neutral and the motion coming from the hip. It is good to
concentrate on the glute contraction when performing these exercises and not
attempt to extend the leg too high towards the ceiling. People do not generally
tend to have a ton of hip extension. Normal is considered ~10 degrees of
extension at the hip. If you are getting more than that, you might be getting
it from the low back.
To lengthen the hip flexors, I like the hip flexor bench
stretch. I don’t have a fancy name for this one so if you have a better one
please let me know :)
Hip Flexor Bench Stretch
Shown below is the proper way to perform this stretch. It is
important to keep the abs tight to keep from going into extension of the lumbar
spine. Remember to breathe as you perform this stretch as well.
When the abs are not held tight, you can fake hip extension as shown below. Most of this motion, however, is coming from the lumbar spine. Trust me, you are not impressing anyone with your stretching skills so just preform them correctly and get the desired affect even if it makes you look very inflexible. That is, after all, why you should be doing the stretch in the first place, so don’t cheat yourself.
This should be a good place to start if you have difficulty dissociating
your hip and low back movement. If you have any questions about this topic feel
free to leave a comment or send an email to the address listed below.
As always, please like, comment, and share! That always is a
huge help to get this information out there.
Thanks for reading,
Ryan Goodell, CSCS
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