Friday, May 20, 2011

Spine Sparing Secrets: Training Not Straining

Santa Monica, California:  Notes from Lee Brandon, CSCS Desk


"Corny as it may sound, "Spine Sparing Secrets" coming from a 2 Time World long Drive Champion in Golf, I feel compelled to share with you some knowledge and research that has been the cornerstone to my duplication of great efforts.  Any one can accidentally have the rare performance that is above average, but can it be duplicated without injury is the million dollar question!  Through 30 years of Training myself and others, and being newer to the game of golf (picked it up in my late 30's), there are recurring themes that I feel compelled to distill and share with you as simply as I can.

 1.  Research regarding Repetitive Micro Trauma is clear!  Do enough of the wrong moves enough time, it breaks the system down over time...  Print out the Contraindicated exercise sheet from 1986 that I recently found in my archives...WOW.  And I wonder why so many of my excessive stretching and dancing clients are buying their pain on the installment plan?   For the same reason that any position that encourages "end range training" will eventually break down the spine.  Is it possible the protocols we are choosing is replicating a mechanism of injury?  The answer has to be a resounding YES with back pain at epidemic proportions!  The take home:  "Avoid end range training at all costs and keep the spine protected by turning on the correct muscles and keep the correct spine angles (not flat or excessively rounded forward or backward) during all movement!
Print this out.  Biomechanists, spine specialists and
research has not changed
it's opinion on these moves!  Be careful!!!



2.  Heard the old adage:  "you are what you eat?"  Well I propose "we look like what we do (or don't do)!  One sided athletes, look like one sided athletes if precision and care aren't taken to undo the imbalances that the one sided sport creates!  For example, see the sequence of photo's below:


3.  Research has clearly documented and tested in a quantitative and measurable way, how different positions put undue forces on the spine.  Minimize these highly compressive moves and you will be sparing your spine!  Print out the chart below and glue it to your bathroom mirror, please, as a kind reminder to be aware!!!  Remember you can minimize the wear and tear on the spine by removing some of these repetitive compressed positions from your life today!
What you see here is the percentage of Intradiscal Pressures represented by a number relative to a position.
For example, sitting slumped over is 250% greater compression to the spine than laying down.

4.  The Solution:  Knowing which positions to avoid and which ones to add becomes critical.  Wheres the instruction manual for "Spine Sparing" information?   Research is ever morphing, and confirming what we know:  Movement is healing...movement in good form is more healing!  Move more precise, learn to move better in great posture and Duplication of great performances are coming your way!

Until next time... stay in strength,

Lee Brandon, CSCS

If you don't have an AB-Inforcer, try this set up!
Once you understand the AB-Inforcer Core training basics
then add these gold standards.  They assume however, that you understand the precise positioning of the posture and correct muscles to be involved doing these more advanced drills!


The AB-Infrorcer takes the Rocket science out of training your core!
National Strength and Conditioning Association National Convention





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