“Most athletes just want to work hard, which is a great ethic to have, but
can lead to problems if this enthusiasm is applied with exercises or
loads that are counterproductive,” comments Dr. Calvin Morriss,
National Fitness Coach for the Rugby Football Union in Twickenham,
England.“I see athletes do a huge amount of sit-ups but generally
never work any frontal plane movements of their spine (the plane where
the spine is at its most vulnerable). Sit-ups do nothing to strengthen
the torso. I see athletes involved in power or strength-related sports
that rarely do any training that emphasizes strength of the torso
muscles. I also see athletes that can handle very large loads for a
couple of reps in heavy exercises, such as squats and dead lifts, but
who suffer from bad posture and chronic back complaints. The exercises
that these athletes are performing are not the problem (unless they
have terrible lifting techniques), it’s probably that they do little
else to help correct their postural issues and lack the ability to
recruit the smaller postural stabilizing muscles. These athletes need a
basic torso-stability program so they can get the most out of their
training.”
As Morriss points out, movement results from the production of
force. It follows then that the more powerful the movement, the more
forceful the muscular contractions.
He describes the body as a system of linked segments, all of
which must be strong in order to facilitate its most forceful output.
To have quickness, for example, athletes not only require
strong legs, they also need strong torsos to handle the ground reaction
forces that travel through their bodies with each stride.
“Many coaches believe that improving the strength and control
of the torso will directly help sporting performance,” says Morriss.
“By improving torso strength, endurance and control, the minimum
benefit that an athlete should receive is decreased injury-risk to the
spine. Notably the spinal cord also feeds the neural drive to the
muscles of the legs. It has been shown that the source of injuries such
as Achilles tendon rupture might well exist as spinal control problems.
Put another way, pressure exerted by intervertebral disks on the spinal
cord can have consequences for pain and movement at sites other than
where the pressure is being exerted. Athletes should look to improve
the overall fitness of their torso to avoid any of these kinds of
problems.”
According to Morriss the spine handles compression well,
especially when in its natural position (often called the neutral
position). It’s when shear and rotational forces are applied through
the spine that it’s most at risk.
Any exercise that involves an athlete voluntarily holding
their spine in a neutral position while body weight is shifted from
side-to-side, is recommended.
Twist and Shout
For good result, Morriss recommends the plate twist, barbell
twist, cable twist, and cable and barbell rotations. All are easy to
perform and improve both strength and flexibility:
- Plate Twist: Stand with feet shoulder
width apart. Hold a barbell weight in front of your chest and begin
rotating your upper body from side to side, pausing between each twist.
Maintain a neutral spine and rotate in a controlled fashion, briefly
holding your sideways position.
- Barbell Twist: Assume a seated position.
Place a barbell across the back of your shoulders and turn at the
waist, moving to the left and then the right. Turn slowly and hold. Be
mindful of your posture. Lengthen your spine and lift your chin.
- Cable Twist: From a standing position,
fold your arms across your chest, grasp a cable with one hand, and then
shift your torso in the opposite direction. Repeat using the other hand.
- Cable and Dumbbell Rotations: In this
version, one hand holds the cable, while the other lifts a dumbbell
above your head. Rotate your body as you draw the cable to your chest,
keeping the dumbbell in the air. Change hands and repeat.
- For more go to: www.rfu.com/pdfs/technical_journal/trunkstability.pdf.
“Make sure you obtain a good evaluation of your
strengths and weaknesses in respect to torso fitness,” advises Morriss.
“You might be strong but lack endurance; you might have good endurance
but be weak. You might have good strength in certain movements but not
others, or you might have good global stability under load, but
experience pain owing to a specific lack of stability. Any of these
shortcomings can lead to spinal-function problems, pain or injury.” |
