Dysfunctional hips are an epidemic in our western society. I see it everyday. Yesterday, was a great example. I was asked by a runner "how do I use my glutes? My physical therapist told me I have weak glutes." Her condition was easy to identify even before testing her glutes. She did not have much gluteal tone, but as a long-time runner I can see she had very well developed hamstrings. Additionally, she has pulled her hamstrings many times in the past with distance running. She was very aware of her problem and asked if she should do more squats and lunges to help her develop her glutes.
She has developed synergistic dominance of the hamstring muscles over the gluteus maximus as a hip extensor. And she does a lot of hip extending with running. Synergistic dominance is when one muscle or group takes over as the dominant muscle at a joint. This leads to inefficient use of the hamstrings, poor hip joint stability, and over-use of the hamstrings (which is probably why she experienced strained hamstrings). With testing, I found almost no contribution of the glutes during her hip extension; the hamstrings were doing all the work. Squats and lunges were not a good idea, at this time. She may be able to do them, but would simply be compensating with other muscles, not really fixing the problem.
So how do we get the glutes working and contributing like they should during squatting, lunging, or running? Learning how to use the glutes is the first step. Then, they can be progressively strengthened. Ultimately, they will be integrated into the running pattern with appropriate, progressive drills. We used the barbell hip bridge on a roller to get the glutes going. Lying face up, with the upper back on the roller allows you to focus on the glutes and get helpful feedback. In the video below, a (different) client performs the barbell hip bridge on a roller. In order to perform the exercise appropriately, you need a good, thick pad for the pelvis, and a hard roller (which allow you to pivot your upper body upon). The hips are extended by focusing on squeezing the glutes. The set is stopped if there is any arching of the lower back (synergistic dominance of the lower back muscles over the glutes), or if the hamstrings feel like they are overworking (such as burning or cramping). Also, the client in instructed to "push through the heels", and "spread the knees" as she extends the hips. At the top range of motion, encourage the client to try to get even higher and "push the hips to the ceiling." The last part of the range of motion is crucial, as this is where the glutes contribute the most. The contribution of the glutes should be tested by having the client feel their glutes with their fingers for a strong contraction. This touching gives them feedback on each repetition. It is common for a client to find it difficult, at first, just to get a full lock-out with body weight only. You are changing motor recruitment patterns after all. Over time, with correct technique, it should be easier and easier for the client to powerfully lock-out the hips. The hips can then be progressively overloaded with barbell weight. Below, a client performs the barbell hip bridges with 75 pounds. Notice the smooth, powerful, full, lock-out at the top of the repetition. Once a client is able to lift an appreciable amount of weight (>50% of body weight) and gets the feel of using their glutes, progression to deadlifts and split squats would be appropriate. Ultimately, I would add skipping and bounding drills to help this runner get more glute contribution during running.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
A Six-Pack of Tips for Preventing Low-Back Pain
Low-back pain continues to be a highly-prevalent health issue for, well, almost everyone (estimated to be upwards of 80% of the population). Luckily, though, it is more episodic, than chronic, but still very debilitating. Most low-back pain is NOT due to a single, traumatic event, but an accumulation of muscular-skeletal "insults." These 'insults" may appear benign: sitting, driving, sitting, computer work, sitting, watching tv, sitting, eating, sitting, but lead to serious problems. Most of these activities, or lack of activity, negatively affect: muscular tone, fascia fluidity (connective tissue between muscles and bone), muscular activation, flexibility ( too much flexibility is bad), vertebrae alignment, disc integrity, and pressure on the spinal nerves. The result is severe, debilitating low-back pain that seems to be a result of a simple activity, such as putting on your shoes.A thorough assessment by a physical therapist or a knowledgeable trainer can go a long way to help you prevent a debilitating episode(s) of low-back pain. An appropriate mobility, motor learning, and strengthening program can be very effective. However, many common exercises done at the gym can exacerbate low-back pain (such as crunches and sit-ups). Bottom line, invest your time and money in someone who knows how to assess a client for low-back issues (they can help you figure out the mechanism/possible cause with an interview and a physical assessment), and can appropriately design a program that addresses your deficits in mobility, motor control, and muscular strength. In the meantime, here are six things, that are generally safe for everyone (still use common sense; it anything causes more pain don't do it and see a medical professional), that you can do everyday to minimize your risk or low-back pain. 
- Do not bend or twist spine, especially when you are carrying anything. Bending and twisting the spine is the exact mechanism spine biomechanists use to induce herniated discs in the lab. The extreme bending and twisting damages the disc, which won't hold up long. Instead, move through your ankle, hip and shoulder joints as much as possible, just like a good squat
- Work on hip, shoulder, and upper (thoracic) spine mobility everyday. One of the biggest reasons why people bend through their spines so much is that they are so inflexible in their hips. The hip joint moves in many motions, work on increasing the range of all those motions every, single day.
- Learn how to maintain a neutral spine and 'tune' torso muscle stability for the specific demands on the spine. Keeping the spine 'neutral,' or in its natural "S" curve, protects the discs, nerve roots, and transverse processes of the vertebrae. The torso muscles act as guy wires that maintain the structural integrity of the spine. Some movements require a mild contraction to maintain the neutral spine, while others require more. Learn to tune how much abdominal bracing you need for a given movement and use this while lifting.
- Don't sit for more than 15 minutes. Get up and walk around frequently. Change sitting postures every five minutes. Sitting is extremely stressful on the discs of the spine, as compression forces on the front of the disc increase exponentially, effectively pushing the disc backwards and weakening the disc to where it is very easy to rupture.
- Move sideways regularly. The muscles on the side of the hip are often stiff and weak. Moving sideways, such as side stepping, or in a similarly challenging way, marching with a pause, help strengthen and loosen up these muscles on the side of the hip.
- Use a split stance or single-leg stance exercise as much as possible to lift things from the the ground. This may sound foreign to you, but these postures are used somewhat in everyday life. Use them more. A split stance exercise like the lunge, makes it easy to keep the back neutral and to use the hips more. A single-leg stance is often used by golfers to pick up their ball out of the hole, as it makes picking up lighter objects off the the ground easier and you can keep a neutral spine.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Improving Movement Efficiency with the Split Squat
The hips are a common area of dysfunction for many people. They play a central role in activities of daily living, sports, and in fitness training. When the legs are not even or in a split stance, this dysfunction is even more evident. Common activities like walking, jogging, running, sprinting, jumping, and some types of lifting involve a split stance. The dysfunction in the hips can increase risk of injury in the spine, knees, and feet. Often, pain, weakness, instability, and decreased range of motion are evident in one of these areas when you have dysfunction in the hips.
While there can be many origins of dysfunction, such as an old injury and compensation, simply sitting causes a shift in hip function. Often, we see shortened hip flexors (front of hip), weak glutes and hamstrings (back of hip). This combination causes the pelvis to destabilize (rotate) at rest or with exertion. This is a common low back, knee, and hip pain in runners. The tilted (or tilting) pelvis can add to instability (bending) of the low back. Also, it can shift much more stress on the front leg during these split stance exercises.
The Split Squat is a great exercise to assess split stance hip function and (when done properly) improve it. Below, in the video, I perform the Split Squat exercise. The first three repetitions are done properly, while the last three repetitions are performed incorrectly (in a manner that is very common, especially when you add a little weight).
During the correct repetitions (first three) my spine remains vertical, the hip flexors (of the back leg) lengthen, while the glutes contract strongly to maintain this motion. The opposite is true during the last three repetitions. The hip flexors (front of the hip) of the back leg contract strongly, pulling the torso forward. The glutes (on that same leg) don't contract strong enough to balance the pull of the hip flexors and keep the knee (of the back leg) behind the hip joint. As a result of this dysfunction, the front knee withstands more force and the spine flexes forward.
The Split Squat is a good exercise to gauge your hip function. Often, hip dysfunction causes movement inefficiency and compensation. This is a great assessment for runners, lifters, and everyone else who wants to move efficiently and stay healthy. Give it a shot and let me know how you do.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
A Testimony of Effort, Consistency, and Sound Training
I know Leslie works extremely hard and is consistent. She is passionate about what she does- I am sure her clients would agree. If I was a runner, looking to reach a new goal, I surely would want her coaching me! Still she had not reached her goal of 200 snatches in 10:00 after many months of training. Luckily, she just needed a little adjustment of her training plan. I gave her some suggestions, essentially cutting back on her running volume (which was probably tough for her given it is part of her job), and cycle in some maximal strength-building workouts (every third snatch workout).
About six weeks later, Leslie posted this message the HTS facebook page:
'I would like to thank Dan Hubbard of Hubbard Training Systems for all the great advice, coaching, and support through my goal of completing the Secret Service Snatch Test!!... A goal that I almost gave up on several months ago, not knowing how to progress to get there. Thank you Dan for all your smart progression strategies and confidence you had in them. They worked!!! Thanks so much."
She (and her husband) reached her goal of 200 kettlebell snatches in 10:00 with the 16kg kettlebell! What a great accomplishment and inspiration for other females who strength train and lift kettlebells. Great Job, Leslie. Next goal, the Secret Service Snatch Test with the 20kg???
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Flexibility Training After Low-Back Surgery
I received and email from blog reader, Jeremy, who had a (L4-L5) lumbar spinal fusion surgery in May this year. For those of you who are not familiar with the surgery, two (or more) vertebrae are surgically connected together so they no longer have mobility. Usually the jelly-like intervertebral disc is removed and replaced with a rigid plastic or metal spacer. This surgery is performed for a variety of reasons, including: scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, herniated disc, and more.
Jeremy has completed physical therapy and is now cleared by his physician to resume light exercise. His question is, what exercise is appropriate for him now? He does have a lot of muscle tightness in his lower back (as expected).
First, an important fact to remember is that the spine does not tolerate bending, twisting or compression well and these movements should be avoided as much as possible. Second, just about all of our spines are somewhat out of alignment and often in a flexed posture (bent forward) due to sitting and gravity. Third, the spine is stiffest early in the morning due to the discs fully hydrating while lying down. As the day goes on, the discs lose hydration and the vertebrae move more easily. That is why most back pain occurs early in the morning or after sitting for a while.
Early exercise should focus on restoring spine alignment and improving hip and shoulder flexibility/mobility. Even though the lower back muscles feel tight, you should not bend, twist, or contort the spine to attempt to stretch out the tight lower back muscles. A neutral (natural, not flexed, twisted, or hyper-extended) spine should be maintained with all exercises as you gradually work on the hip and shoulder muscles. Additionally, self-myofascial release (foam rolling) can be used to loosen the low back muscles, hips and legs.
Below, in the video, is a series of exercises that can be done to loosen up the back (and hip and shoulder muscles that have myofascial connections to the spine) improve flexibility, and prepare for more challenging exercises. After these exercises improve spinal alignment and flexibility, then 'core' stability with a variety of movement patterns (lunging, squatting, lifting,carrying, etc.) can be trained. Always maintaining a neutral spine. This series of exercises can be done a couple times per day (0:15 each session), even early in the morning when the spine and all the muscle are stiffest.
Jeremy has completed physical therapy and is now cleared by his physician to resume light exercise. His question is, what exercise is appropriate for him now? He does have a lot of muscle tightness in his lower back (as expected).
First, an important fact to remember is that the spine does not tolerate bending, twisting or compression well and these movements should be avoided as much as possible. Second, just about all of our spines are somewhat out of alignment and often in a flexed posture (bent forward) due to sitting and gravity. Third, the spine is stiffest early in the morning due to the discs fully hydrating while lying down. As the day goes on, the discs lose hydration and the vertebrae move more easily. That is why most back pain occurs early in the morning or after sitting for a while.
Early exercise should focus on restoring spine alignment and improving hip and shoulder flexibility/mobility. Even though the lower back muscles feel tight, you should not bend, twist, or contort the spine to attempt to stretch out the tight lower back muscles. A neutral (natural, not flexed, twisted, or hyper-extended) spine should be maintained with all exercises as you gradually work on the hip and shoulder muscles. Additionally, self-myofascial release (foam rolling) can be used to loosen the low back muscles, hips and legs.
Below, in the video, is a series of exercises that can be done to loosen up the back (and hip and shoulder muscles that have myofascial connections to the spine) improve flexibility, and prepare for more challenging exercises. After these exercises improve spinal alignment and flexibility, then 'core' stability with a variety of movement patterns (lunging, squatting, lifting,carrying, etc.) can be trained. Always maintaining a neutral spine. This series of exercises can be done a couple times per day (0:15 each session), even early in the morning when the spine and all the muscle are stiffest.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
More Support for Bacon, Saturated Fat Is Not Associated With Heart Disease
More support for my stance that saturated fat does not raise your risk of heart disease or stroke and is an important part of your diet was recently published in an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition article. The authors followed over 58,000 Japanese men and women aged 40-79 for 14 years. They found no association between saturated fat intake and heart disease and an inverse relationship between saturated fat intake and stroke. That is, the lower the dietary saturated fat intake, the higher your risk of stroke!
I was explaining to a client that a diet higher in carbohydrate, especially refined carbohydrates and sugars, negatively affects your blood cholesterol profile (raises tryglycerides, and lowers HDL). While more dietary fat raises your total cholesterol numbers somewhat (your level is more so determined genetically), total cholesterol does not raise your risk of heart attack or death (it even says this in the fine print in the statin ads).
Enjoy your bacon, but pass on the bagel!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Cleaning Up Movement Faults and The First Rule
One of the most important traits I emphasize with clients is to develop quality movement patterns. This important trait is so often overlooked and undervalued. However, it keeps coming up again and again with everyone. If you don't move well, you are putting yourself at risk of an overuse injury (plantar fasciitis) or traumatic (rotator cuff strain, or tear). Or just limiting your potential and progression.
We all have some movement faults, some more prevalent or significant than others. Our bodies adapt to the demands we impose on them. For most of us, that includes 8-12 hours of sitting per day. Simply jumping on a machine to workout does nothing to improve your movement faults. Nor does running or grabbing a weight to lift. Most people don't know that they have movement faults, therefore don't know how to fix them. An experienced trainer or therapist can pick up on even very subtle movement faults and compensations. Several 'screening' exercises can be done. Personally, I like the Turkish Get-Up and Windmill exercises (I use many others, too) to assess full-body movement quality. It can be done with just body weight for beginners, then the resistance can be increased to discriminate with more advanced clients. These two exercises provide a great amount of information. Below, I perform the Turkish Get-Up and Windmill with a 70lb (32kg) kettlebell. Again, it is not just about doing the exercise, it about how you do the exercises.
A very simple way to gauge whether you are doing any movement correct is to apply my
First Rule: Stay Out of the Fetal Position.
The fetal position is a very weak, submissive, and tired posture both metaphorically and physically. Due to the effects of gravity on our bodies and the extensive amounts of time we spend sitting, our bodies gradually end up in a fetal position unless there is an intervention (an appropriate exercise training program to reverse these effects).
 |
| You don't see many people in the gym with this hip mobility |
We all have some movement faults, some more prevalent or significant than others. Our bodies adapt to the demands we impose on them. For most of us, that includes 8-12 hours of sitting per day. Simply jumping on a machine to workout does nothing to improve your movement faults. Nor does running or grabbing a weight to lift. Most people don't know that they have movement faults, therefore don't know how to fix them. An experienced trainer or therapist can pick up on even very subtle movement faults and compensations. Several 'screening' exercises can be done. Personally, I like the Turkish Get-Up and Windmill exercises (I use many others, too) to assess full-body movement quality. It can be done with just body weight for beginners, then the resistance can be increased to discriminate with more advanced clients. These two exercises provide a great amount of information. Below, I perform the Turkish Get-Up and Windmill with a 70lb (32kg) kettlebell. Again, it is not just about doing the exercise, it about how you do the exercises.
A very simple way to gauge whether you are doing any movement correct is to apply my
First Rule: Stay Out of the Fetal Position.
 |
| A submissive, weak, and tired, posture |
When the physical demands are increased on our bodies (the exercise intensity or duration increases) we default back to the fetal position. We can't continue with the appropriate technique, so we devolve into these compensation patterns. The compensation patterns (fetal position) are characterized by: internally rotated arms, a rounded back, and flexed hips. These joint positions are not ideal for handling physical stress and usually are associated with shoulder, lower back, and knee pains. See picture below. Why would you want to reinforce these faulty movement patterns? Your training program should correct these faults, not add to them.
 |
| Notice the devolution into the fetal position (head forward, arms rotated inward, spine flexing) as she fatigues. |
Monday, August 9, 2010
So Good, You Have To Hear It, Too!
I talked about what the beginning exerciser needs in this post. Unfortunately, there are many uneducated, clueless personal trainers out there playing on client's fears and their desire for quick results. So, instead of taking the time to teach clients the basics of exercise physiology, nutrition, and exercise technique, these trainers are taking the lazy way. They are telling the clients what they want to hear, guilting them into doing some random series of exercises to tire them out, and then sell them some sort of 'supplement'. While I am not going to say I know it all (the more I learn, the more I find I don't know), I do spend 6-10 hours per week of reading, researching, and learning. Plus, I train more than 30 clients per week. I have spend six years in college studying Exercise Science and the last 13 years working "in the trenches" with clients/patients.
So, It was upsetting that the "Best Trainer in Boston" was spouting off advice like this:
...your safety is your #1 priority, and definitely DO NOT be persuaded by advice from magazines and uninformed trainers to do squats that WE ALL KNOW make your thighs huge!This exercise over-develops the outer part of your quadriceps, and possibly will lead to an imbalance in your knees, and even worse - flabby inner thighs.
I was happy to hear Tony Gentilcore (An actual really good trainer in the Boston area) respond in this post.
Here is an excerpt from Tony's post:
"It boggles my mind that she’s calling out “uninformed trainers,” but she’s insinuating that doing some squats here and there is just going to magically pack on muscle mass. Maybe I missed the memo, but I’d really love to know where this gene exists that allows women to develop thighs the size of Kansas in a matter of weeks. This is akin to me saying, “you know what, I don’t want to win the gold medal in the 100m dash next week, so I’m not going to sprint today.” It’s just not going to happen."
Then, the pile-on came. Here is another excellent trainer from Arizona, Bret Contreras, responding to the original absurd claims about squatting here.
Bret is known for writing epic, quality, thorough posts and articles, so it is of no surprise he tore her argument apart, piece by piece. Here are some highlights:
"I would venture to say that teaching people to squat properly could “undo” a lot of the musculoskeletal damages that we currently see in America. A proper full squat demonstrates that the individual has proper ankle dorsiflexion, hip flexion, thoracic extension, and glute activation. Weak glutes alone are implicated in low back pain, anterior knee pain, anterior hip pain, hamstring strains, lumbar erector spinae strains, and groin strains."
"I will confess that I have indeed seen some women get overly-muscular in the thighs, but only when women get really, really strong. Most women (and even men) will never, ever get to a point where they are strong enough at squatting to get “too big” in the thighs. Getting strong requires knowledge of proper form, patience, consistency, dedication, and knowledge of program design, progressive overload schemes, and periodization."
"Just like we know that spot reduction is largely a myth, “spot increase” is a myth too. It’s so absurd that I had to make up the phrase as until now I’ve never heard someone assume that an exercise could place fat on a specific area of the body.
I’m willing to entertain the fact that certain activities can indeed lead to flabby inner thighs, as some women do in fact tend to store fat in that area. Eating too many potato chips while lying around on the couch all day would be something that could lead to flabby inner thighs, not squatting!"
Amen!
So, It was upsetting that the "Best Trainer in Boston" was spouting off advice like this:
I was happy to hear Tony Gentilcore (An actual really good trainer in the Boston area) respond in this post.
Here is an excerpt from Tony's post:
"It boggles my mind that she’s calling out “uninformed trainers,” but she’s insinuating that doing some squats here and there is just going to magically pack on muscle mass. Maybe I missed the memo, but I’d really love to know where this gene exists that allows women to develop thighs the size of Kansas in a matter of weeks. This is akin to me saying, “you know what, I don’t want to win the gold medal in the 100m dash next week, so I’m not going to sprint today.” It’s just not going to happen."
Then, the pile-on came. Here is another excellent trainer from Arizona, Bret Contreras, responding to the original absurd claims about squatting here.
Bret is known for writing epic, quality, thorough posts and articles, so it is of no surprise he tore her argument apart, piece by piece. Here are some highlights:
"I would venture to say that teaching people to squat properly could “undo” a lot of the musculoskeletal damages that we currently see in America. A proper full squat demonstrates that the individual has proper ankle dorsiflexion, hip flexion, thoracic extension, and glute activation. Weak glutes alone are implicated in low back pain, anterior knee pain, anterior hip pain, hamstring strains, lumbar erector spinae strains, and groin strains."
"I will confess that I have indeed seen some women get overly-muscular in the thighs, but only when women get really, really strong. Most women (and even men) will never, ever get to a point where they are strong enough at squatting to get “too big” in the thighs. Getting strong requires knowledge of proper form, patience, consistency, dedication, and knowledge of program design, progressive overload schemes, and periodization."
"Just like we know that spot reduction is largely a myth, “spot increase” is a myth too. It’s so absurd that I had to make up the phrase as until now I’ve never heard someone assume that an exercise could place fat on a specific area of the body.
I’m willing to entertain the fact that certain activities can indeed lead to flabby inner thighs, as some women do in fact tend to store fat in that area. Eating too many potato chips while lying around on the couch all day would be something that could lead to flabby inner thighs, not squatting!"
Amen!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
New 'Breakfast Of Champions': Cinnamon, Raisin, Walnut Quinoa
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| Dig In! Quinoa is a high-protein seed, not a grain. But, it can be used in a variety of ways to add protein and nutrition to your diet, including replacing oats, rice, or wheat. Quinoa is higher in protein (and is a complete protein, that is provides all the essential amino acids) than grains and is gluten-free. Here is my breakfast from this morning: Cinnamon, Raisin,Walnut Quinoa. I made this up after reviewing a quinoa pudding (similar to rice pudding) recipe, but realizing I didn't have any rum! How You Make It: Cook quinoa in a sauce pan by bringing water to a boil, add quinoa (1/2 cup in 8oz water), turn temperature down to low. Let quinoa sit in water for about 15:00 so it soaks up almost all the water. Next, place the quinoa in a bowl and add a few ounces of milk. Add a tsp of cinnamon, a Tbsp of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of raisins, and 1/4 cup of walnuts. Finally, add coffee! Try it out and let me know how you like it. Expect to be full for about 8 hours afterwards! |
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Why Deadlift?
Last week, on the HTS Facebook page, I was asked why are all my clients always deadlifting?
I am a big fan of the deadlift (done properly- often it isn't). If you come to one of my group training sessions or train with me, just about everyone will learn how to perform a PROPER deadlift (I have a few clients that don't because certain situations or injuries). First of all, lets see a deadlift, so we all know what I am talking about. In the video below, I am sumo (a type of deadlift where feet are wider than the hands) deadlifting. Note: the lack of shoes makes it easier, grunting is optional.
405 x 3 Deadlift from Dan Hubbard on Vimeo.
Deadlifting is simply lifting something up from a position (commonly the ground) in front of you. It is a pretty basic human movement and performed on a daily basis. But, here is where it gets interesting, training the deadlift does two important things. First, it strengthens the "anti-gravity" muscles that atrophy, stretch, and weaken as a consequence of living in our modern, sedentary environment. Secondly, It teaches you how to "move properly." I will explain that more. Lets just say that most people don't move properly and its a function of sitting a lot, and just not knowing how to move properly.
Dissecting the Deadlift.
While there are several variations of the deadlift, such as: the Conventional, Sumo, Romanian, Stiff-Legged, Snatch-Grip, Single-Legged deadlift. They all have some common elements:
1. Spine remains neutral (does not bend). You need to stabilize the spine with a strong co contraction of the torso muscles, creating a muscular and fascia scaffolding. It is popular to 'work the core' with 'core'-specific isolation exercises, but the deadlift actually does a better job of strengthening all of the muscles that stabilize the torso. Researchers comparing deadlifts and Squats with "core exercises" such as the Superman and Side Bridge concluded:
"Individuals performing upright, resisted, dynamic exercises can achieve high trunk muscle activation and thus may not need to add instability device exercises to augment core stability training. " (Hamlyn N, Behm DG, Young WB., 2007)
4. Several types of weighted implements can be used, including: barbells, dumbells, and kettlebells.
Learning How To Move Well
It is common to find tight hip flexors and hamstrings, and weak glute, abdominal, and oblique muscles when assessing a client. All of these would negatively affect hip extension strength, and often results in compensation patterns where the lower back and knees take on more stress. Lengthening the hamstrings and hip flexors, and strengthening the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes are important to "restore" hip function and protect the lower back and knees. The epidemic of low back and knee injuries would be less if everyone had stronger hips.
When learning how to deadliftt, a client learns how to simultaneously brace the torso and hinge through the hips. Once that pattern is established, then they learn how to 'load their hips' properly. That is, keep the stress on the hip muscles as you lift the weight. This allows you to properly strengthen these muslces.
As the resistance increases, the torso-stabilizing muscles must also be able to maintain the neutral spine. If the deadlift is progressed properly, it will develop all of the torso-stabilizing muscles, in addition to the hips.
Below, one of my female clients performs a set of deadlifts during a group training session.
Claudia 101lbx5 Deadlift from Dan Hubbard on Vimeo.
Claudia sets a new personal record on the deadlift.
I am a big fan of the deadlift (done properly- often it isn't). If you come to one of my group training sessions or train with me, just about everyone will learn how to perform a PROPER deadlift (I have a few clients that don't because certain situations or injuries). First of all, lets see a deadlift, so we all know what I am talking about. In the video below, I am sumo (a type of deadlift where feet are wider than the hands) deadlifting. Note: the lack of shoes makes it easier, grunting is optional.
405 x 3 Deadlift from Dan Hubbard on Vimeo.
Deadlifting is simply lifting something up from a position (commonly the ground) in front of you. It is a pretty basic human movement and performed on a daily basis. But, here is where it gets interesting, training the deadlift does two important things. First, it strengthens the "anti-gravity" muscles that atrophy, stretch, and weaken as a consequence of living in our modern, sedentary environment. Secondly, It teaches you how to "move properly." I will explain that more. Lets just say that most people don't move properly and its a function of sitting a lot, and just not knowing how to move properly.
Dissecting the Deadlift.
While there are several variations of the deadlift, such as: the Conventional, Sumo, Romanian, Stiff-Legged, Snatch-Grip, Single-Legged deadlift. They all have some common elements:
 |
| Maintain a "neutral" spine. |
"Individuals performing upright, resisted, dynamic exercises can achieve high trunk muscle activation and thus may not need to add instability device exercises to augment core stability training. " (Hamlyn N, Behm DG, Young WB., 2007)
2. The primary movement is a 'hinging' of the hips and is taught by telling a client to 'sit back' into the deadlift. The muscles that extend the hips (glutes and hamstrings) are usually weak. The deadlift builds the strength of these muscles.
 |
| Sit back into the deadlift. |
3. Bar stays close to the body and moves from the upper thigh level down to various levels (depending on the type of deadlift), most commonly until the weight plates touch the ground, then back up.
Learning How To Move Well
 |
| Some of the "anti-gravity" muscles |
When learning how to deadliftt, a client learns how to simultaneously brace the torso and hinge through the hips. Once that pattern is established, then they learn how to 'load their hips' properly. That is, keep the stress on the hip muscles as you lift the weight. This allows you to properly strengthen these muslces.
As the resistance increases, the torso-stabilizing muscles must also be able to maintain the neutral spine. If the deadlift is progressed properly, it will develop all of the torso-stabilizing muscles, in addition to the hips.
Below, one of my female clients performs a set of deadlifts during a group training session.
Claudia 101lbx5 Deadlift from Dan Hubbard on Vimeo.
Claudia sets a new personal record on the deadlift.
Deadlifting is a very effective and practical movement that, done correctly, is very safe and a highly effective method of developing torso, grip, and hip strength. Unfortunately, the deadlift is not utilized often because proper technique is essential and needs to be learned. But, in the process of training the deadlift, you will strengthen the "anti-gravity" muscles and learn to move well.
 |
| Nia is pretty strong |
If you are a female who has never deadlifted before, check out Why Women Should Deadlift, by Nia Shanks.
If you are interested in learning more about proper deadlifting technique, here is a great article by Mark Rippetoe.
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