Hey Gang,
Thought my newsletter from yesterday might interest some of you. In hindsight, I probably should have turned it into a T-Nation article, but I guess hindsight is 20/20.
http://www.ericcressey.com/newsletter91.html
Food for thought.
EC
nice article but the title is a bit misleading. seeing the figures for the loads on the spine was interesting
[quote]Eric Cressey wrote:
Hey Gang,
Thought my newsletter from yesterday might interest some of you. In hindsight, I probably should have turned it into a T-Nation article, but I guess hindsight is 20/20.
http://www.ericcressey.com/newsletter91.html
Food for thought.
EC[/quote]
What are your thoughts on Zercher Squats, Front Squats, and Belt Squats?
[quote]FightingScott wrote:
Eric Cressey wrote:
Hey Gang,
Thought my newsletter from yesterday might interest some of you. In hindsight, I probably should have turned it into a T-Nation article, but I guess hindsight is 20/20.
http://www.ericcressey.com/newsletter91.html
Food for thought.
EC
What are your thoughts on Zercher Squats, Front Squats, and Belt Squats? [/quote]
Never use 'em, love 'em, and can’t wait to get one, respectively. 
Hey EC,
I know some people who can only train in the morning because of their schedule. What would be your best recommendation as far as exercise selection or any other general tip you would recommend?
Very nice letter with some great thoughts. Is it coach Boyle who talks about always evaluating the “cost to benefit ratio” of a given movement? I think this is a perfect example, as we all know the benefits of the back squat, and the fact that there are so many makes us rush to the squat rack without giving much thought to the costs involved.
I do remember Louie Simmons saying “Get the most out of the exercise, don’t let the exercise get the most out of you,” and these numbers really lend credence to the relative safety of box squats.
Another thing to consider, though, is the effect on motor patterns that “excessive” squatting can cause. Chris Korfist has gotten a number of high school athletes faster and more athletic by dropping the squat.
Great article do you allow any of your players to do some beach work. Its a vein question but lets face it most guys want the big arms.
Hey Eric,
I just bought magnificent mobility in hopes to increase my flexibility and decrease my chances of injury. Here is a thread I post I made in the forum. I hope you can give some input. Thanks!
Hey Everyone,
This is my first year in college. During my high school years, I played 4 years of football and one year of baseball. My senior year I was about to squat ATG 225 for sets. I weighed about 160 pounds and am currently 163.
Alright so, after not working out squats for a while, I hit the gym and warm up. 95 pounds went fine. 115 pounds went fine. Now, once I hit 135 and went ATG, I felt something weird at the back “belt line.” I immediately stopped the squats and moved onto something else. I thought nothing of it and just thought I was rusty.
Anyways, I rested it for a couple weeks and decided I would try again later. This time, as I followed the same protocol, I experienced this pain again. I tried to push it, and after the set, the back belt line really hurt. When I bent over, I felt very unstable; sitting down and slouching really amplified the pain. I went to a chiropractor and he told me that I had misaligned the L5 and Sacrum.
After a few adjustments, I felt 90% better. Foolishly, I tested my luck with the squats again…low and behold, the pain was back just as bad as the first time. I went back to the chiropractor and more adjustments. I am about 85% better. Today I went to the gym and did some rack pulls and front squats. Surprisingly there was no pain.
I noticed that every time my back is kept neutral,and my hamstrings aren’t pulled to an uncomfortable position, my lower back seems fine. So here is my question:
-
Do tight hamstrings tuck the pelvis causing misalignment? (Posterior tilt) In this case, if I ATG squatted, and my hamstrings were very tight, could this affect my L5 and Sacral area due to excessive lumbar flexion?
-
What can I do to aid in recovery and make sure that this problem does not happen in the future, with squats?
whoops wrong thread i feel stupid.
Eric, if you see this, I’m wondering how you feel about the trap bar for lower body work. It doesn’t seem to get much action anymore and I couldn’t live without mine. I’m just curious.
[quote]Jetric9 wrote:
Hey EC,
I know some people who can only train in the morning because of their schedule. What would be your best recommendation as far as exercise selection or any other general tip you would recommend? [/quote]
Good read for you:
http://billhartman.net/blog/2008/01/21/morning-breath-club-bending-and-lumbar-disc-injury/
I like a) getting up 15-30 minutes earlier and b) taking a hot shower.
[quote]thetruth24 wrote:
Hey Eric,
I just bought magnificent mobility in hopes to increase my flexibility and decrease my chances of injury. Here is a thread I post I made in the forum. I hope you can give some input. Thanks!
Hey Everyone,
This is my first year in college. During my high school years, I played 4 years of football and one year of baseball. My senior year I was about to squat ATG 225 for sets. I weighed about 160 pounds and am currently 163.
Alright so, after not working out squats for a while, I hit the gym and warm up. 95 pounds went fine. 115 pounds went fine. Now, once I hit 135 and went ATG, I felt something weird at the back “belt line.” I immediately stopped the squats and moved onto something else. I thought nothing of it and just thought I was rusty.
Anyways, I rested it for a couple weeks and decided I would try again later. This time, as I followed the same protocol, I experienced this pain again. I tried to push it, and after the set, the back belt line really hurt. When I bent over, I felt very unstable; sitting down and slouching really amplified the pain. I went to a chiropractor and he told me that I had misaligned the L5 and Sacrum.
After a few adjustments, I felt 90% better. Foolishly, I tested my luck with the squats again…low and behold, the pain was back just as bad as the first time. I went back to the chiropractor and more adjustments. I am about 85% better. Today I went to the gym and did some rack pulls and front squats. Surprisingly there was no pain.
I noticed that every time my back is kept neutral,and my hamstrings aren’t pulled to an uncomfortable position, my lower back seems fine. So here is my question:
-
Do tight hamstrings tuck the pelvis causing misalignment? (Posterior tilt) In this case, if I ATG squatted, and my hamstrings were very tight, could this affect my L5 and Sacral area due to excessive lumbar flexion?
-
What can I do to aid in recovery and make sure that this problem does not happen in the future, with squats?
[/quote]
Take a step back. You aren’t strong or old enough to have this kind of dysfunction, so it’ll be easier to undo. You simply don’t have the flexibility to squat that deep, so you need to avoid the position at which your spine flexes.
I don’t necessarily buy the tight hamstrings argument. It’s tough to hit end-range on hamstrings when the knee is flexed…
Look at your ankles (dorsiflexion ROM), hip flexors, thoracic spine, and core stability (as much as I hate that buzzword).
[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
Eric, if you see this, I’m wondering how you feel about the trap bar for lower body work. It doesn’t seem to get much action anymore and I couldn’t live without mine. I’m just curious.[/quote]
Love it. Actually just bought one and had it shipped to a pro ball player I work with as a little surprise to take on the road with him this season in the minors.
Eric,
I also have scoliosis, and one of my legs is longer than the other, if that may be a factor.
If it isn’t tight hamstrings, then how do I account for this sudden inability to squat ATG with warm-up weight without it hurting.
I feel that I have extremely tight hamstrings and overpowering quads.
In any case, can this type of pain (pain in the belt line region, sometimes localized to one side)be associated with excessive lumbar flexion? If so, would you mind explaining how excessive lumbar flexion impacts the L5/Sacrum? This pain can also be felt when I am sitting down on a chair and slouching over. (In a posterior pelvic tilt position) Are there any recommendations you can make help me in terms of prevention and pain relief?
Lastly, will your DVD help improve flexibility enough for me to squat deeper?
Thanks.
[quote]Eric Cressey wrote:
thetruth24 wrote:
Hey Eric,
I just bought magnificent mobility in hopes to increase my flexibility and decrease my chances of injury. Here is a thread I post I made in the forum. I hope you can give some input. Thanks!
Hey Everyone,
This is my first year in college. During my high school years, I played 4 years of football and one year of baseball. My senior year I was about to squat ATG 225 for sets. I weighed about 160 pounds and am currently 163.
Alright so, after not working out squats for a while, I hit the gym and warm up. 95 pounds went fine. 115 pounds went fine. Now, once I hit 135 and went ATG, I felt something weird at the back “belt line.” I immediately stopped the squats and moved onto something else. I thought nothing of it and just thought I was rusty.
Anyways, I rested it for a couple weeks and decided I would try again later. This time, as I followed the same protocol, I experienced this pain again. I tried to push it, and after the set, the back belt line really hurt. When I bent over, I felt very unstable; sitting down and slouching really amplified the pain. I went to a chiropractor and he told me that I had misaligned the L5 and Sacrum.
After a few adjustments, I felt 90% better. Foolishly, I tested my luck with the squats again…low and behold, the pain was back just as bad as the first time. I went back to the chiropractor and more adjustments. I am about 85% better. Today I went to the gym and did some rack pulls and front squats. Surprisingly there was no pain.
I noticed that every time my back is kept neutral,and my hamstrings aren’t pulled to an uncomfortable position, my lower back seems fine. So here is my question:
-
Do tight hamstrings tuck the pelvis causing misalignment? (Posterior tilt) In this case, if I ATG squatted, and my hamstrings were very tight, could this affect my L5 and Sacral area due to excessive lumbar flexion?
-
What can I do to aid in recovery and make sure that this problem does not happen in the future, with squats?
Take a step back. You aren’t strong or old enough to have this kind of dysfunction, so it’ll be easier to undo. You simply don’t have the flexibility to squat that deep, so you need to avoid the position at which your spine flexes.
I don’t necessarily buy the tight hamstrings argument. It’s tough to hit end-range on hamstrings when the knee is flexed…
Look at your ankles (dorsiflexion ROM), hip flexors, thoracic spine, and core stability (as much as I hate that buzzword).
www.EricCressey.com[/quote]
[quote]thetruth24 wrote:
Eric,
I also have scoliosis, and one of my legs is longer than the other, if that may be a factor.
If it isn’t tight hamstrings, then how do I account for this sudden inability to squat ATG with warm-up weight without it hurting.[/quote]
Reread the article; I’d be willing to bet that it isn’t a “sudden” problem - but one that’s been manifesting for a long time and has just reached threshold.
[quote]I feel that I have extremely tight hamstrings and overpowering quads.
In any case, can this type of pain (pain in the belt line region, sometimes localized to one side)be associated with excessive lumbar flexion? If so, would you mind explaining how excessive lumbar flexion impacts the L5/Sacrum? This pain can also be felt when I am sitting down on a chair and slouching over. (In a posterior pelvic tilt position) Are there any recommendations you can make help me in terms of prevention and pain relief?
Lastly, will your DVD help improve flexibility enough for me to squat deeper?
Thanks.
[/quote]
L5 is part of your lumbar spine. If you flex, the spine’s ability to withstand loading reduces markedly. Imagine trying to sit an elephant on top of a regular building or the leaning tower of Pisa.
My recommendation is for you to see a Dr. It could be a lot of things, but you should have a thorough in-person examination that includes some diagnostic imaging.
Hey Eric,
Fist of all I would like to say thanks for all the great tips you have given so far and for greatly increasing my hip mobility through Magnificent Mobility. Sadly, I still have terrible Ankle mobility, and I think that it is what prevents me from keeping my heels on the floor when I squat. I have been trying to increase flexibility for about a month now, and nothing seems to work. I feel like my ankle just hits a certain point when I try to stretch and it is like I hit a wall. My body seems physiologically incapable of increasing the ROM.
I kept thinking it was my hips that were causing the problem but I have enough flexibility in them now to where I think it has to be my ankles. Do you have any new tips on how to increase my ankle mobility. I happen to have extremely high arches…kinda freakishly high, could that explain some of my problems, or wouldn’t that affect ankle mobility?
Thanks, and anyone’s advice is greatly appreciated.
I have been paying more attention to de-loading lately (or trying to at least). I have found over the years that lifting heavy weights for low reps yields the best results for me. However, I now train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 4-6 times a week and want to keep the old joints healthy. I currently do full body workouts and vary between a squat and deadlift movement each workout. Would it be more beneficial to have de-loading weeks where I use lighter weights or better to de-load by alternating a single leg day between the squat and deadlift days?
[quote]Eric Cressey wrote:
Tiribulus wrote:
Eric, if you see this, I’m wondering how you feel about the trap bar for lower body work. It doesn’t seem to get much action anymore and I couldn’t live without mine. I’m just curious.
Love it. Actually just bought one and had it shipped to a pro ball player I work with as a little surprise to take on the road with him this season in the minors.[/quote]
Thanks, I was curious if anybody else still used it. One of the most underrated and underutilized pieces of equipment around in my opinion.
[quote]ajweins wrote:
Hey Eric,
Fist of all I would like to say thanks for all the great tips you have given so far and for greatly increasing my hip mobility through Magnificent Mobility. Sadly, I still have terrible Ankle mobility, and I think that it is what prevents me from keeping my heels on the floor when I squat. I have been trying to increase flexibility for about a month now, and nothing seems to work. I feel like my ankle just hits a certain point when I try to stretch and it is like I hit a wall. My body seems physiologically incapable of increasing the ROM.
I kept thinking it was my hips that were causing the problem but I have enough flexibility in them now to where I think it has to be my ankles. Do you have any new tips on how to increase my ankle mobility. I happen to have extremely high arches…kinda freakishly high, could that explain some of my problems, or wouldn’t that affect ankle mobility?
Thanks, and anyone’s advice is greatly appreciated.[/quote]
Check out Mike Boyle’s Joint-by-Joint Approach to Training DVD:
http://www.performbetter.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=259&img=84&kbid=1186
Very good resource.
I think as long as you vary your exercises between back and front squats along with adding in lunges every now and then, I don’t see the harm with squats at all unless the weight is taking over the form.
The key to staying injury free is working on your flexibility(dynamic, static, foam roller) and using your full range of motion and not stopping short of that!!!