Displaying items by tag: lower back

 Well, well, well.

Holy Mary as they say.

Holy Moly as came to my mind, hehe.

I realize dthat although I mentioned “lower” back in the last email, I completely forgot to mention anything at all about lower back and anything related in that email!!

Being I already sent it out, here goes in THIS email.

And I will keep the heading short lest I forget again!

So lower back, yes. And muscle memory.

We got into muscle memory in the last post, eh.

But as far as the lower back is concerned, it's a weak, weak area for MANY people - most notably the pumpers and toners at the gym, but also those that “focus mostly on pounding the pavement” - or for those for whom “the bench press is where it's at” - or thos ethat do heavy deadlifts regularly, and so forth.

That deadlift, by the way is responsible for causing more lower back pain in the gym than most other exercises my friend. Because most people just don't do it right, and even if they do, it's a completely unnatural movement the way it's taught and done.

I mean, think about it.

How often do you pick up an object with a grip like that, not to mention “conveniently” shaped like a barbell off the ground in daily life and grunt your way through for reps?

IF it were a beer barrel you were “cleaning”, I'd get it ...

But anyway, point of this.

I've made NO Secret of the fact that the bridge is the best exercise by far both lower back and core strength, and getting rid of lower back and NECK pain quick.

There is a real good reason wrestlers (real ones, not the WWE 'roid monsters) and boxers for one do these all the time, not to mention strongmen (again, real ones) of yore did 'em all the time.

Because the exercise and the way it stretches the entire body is beyond comparison, and the neck and lower back benefits immensely from the bridge and all it's variations.

And being lower back pain is not just “endemic” to most people, but a “pandemic” of sorts I thought I'd say it. Bridging is a course unto itself, but for now, the variations I teach you in 0 Excuses Fitness (from rank beginner no less) are enough to focus upon (and indeed if yiou do it right, it's all you need your entire LIFE).

And handstand pushups are anothe rgreat one for the lower back, though you wouldn't think so would you?

Just like you wouldn't think or believe it's a super, super GRIP exercise until you actually do them and feel them forearms BURNING (and we're not even getting into fingertip handstand pushups, or one handed ones. Hoo boyyyyy!).

And why are handstand pushups so effective at not just building up the entire core and lower back but BANISHING back pain forever?

Well, think about it.

Most niggles and pains are due to weak ligaments and tendons (connective tissues too) - - NOT so much the muscles.

One of the main reasons Hindu squats are so damned effective and a great workout is that they focus on the inside, not the show thigh muscles. They build up the tendons and ligaments from the inside out from whence on the sky, my friend, is literally the limit.

It don't work quite as well the other way around!

Same thing for handstand pushups. In fact just HOLDING yourself in that position, and hell, even getting into it for you overweight folks will noot only get you huffing and puffing nigh quick, but will build overall strength like NOTHING else can.

Not to mention the balance required works the heck out of the tendons etc as well.

Second (or third), another reason for lower back pain is too much fat on the lower abs.

Or “digestive issues”.

Or, “the infamous “bloat”” and let me tell yo uone thing right now.

When you're in an upside down position, all of this and then some disappears QUICK.

Even if you just work on the position for a few seconds.

Thats all it takes for the magic to start working.

And your stomach muscles naturally pull that flabby belly in, and the INTERNAL stomach muscles naturally contract and you'll feel a stretch-cum-contraction all across the lower back in a horizontal manner.

Like someone was “strengthening” the muscle as you did it, literally!

And I felt it today.

Last, but not least, any good core exercise means an AWESOME lower back exercise.

Goes true for leg raises. Holds true for the “vacum” I explain in Corrugated Core. And any other similar exercise.

And that, my friend is that for now. Give these a whirl, and I promise you'll never “go back”!

Best,

Rahul mookerjee

PS – Here is where you can learn how to do handstand pushups the RIGHT way – the way that gets results – real RESULTS – Shoulders like Boulders.