Ask the Strength Coach
By Mark Philippi
Philippi Sports Institute
What gym lifts carry over to everyday life?
I think that many people could prevent a lot of injuries by training for everyday life at the gym, instead of trying to add another ½ inch to the biceps. Lower back problems are a big source of injury. Wearing a protective belt to lift things at home or at work has proven not to be effective. The low back and abs need to be strengthened to prevent lower back disc injuries.
First, if a person is overweight, the weight must be reduced because the extra poundage hanging from the stomach will cause excess pressure on the lumbar spine area. Next, I think a great exercise to do to strengthen the lower back is the stiff leg deadlift. To perform this lift, place your feet underneath a bar approximately armpit width. Grab the bar with your hands shoulder width apart turning one hand over with the palm up. The bar should be behind your toes when looking down at it. Bend at the waist slightly bending your knees. Be sure to keep your abs and back tight. Eyes should be looking forward. Lift the bar keeping it close to the body. Maintain the slight knee bend and flat back. Pull the bar up to the thighs, and finish the lift by standing in an erect vertical position. Lower the bar under control to the ground maintaining the proper body position to perform another repetition. I would start to do 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions.
I also think rotational abdominal strength is also important to preventing daily injuries. A good exercise is a plate rotation. Start with a ten-pound plate. Hold it at arms length. Place the feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent and back in a neutral position. Tighten the abs by pulling your belly button to your spine and hold this position. Rotate the torso 45 degrees to the right, pause, and then back to the start. Do the same for the left side. Focus on keeping the abs tight the whole time. Do ten reps each way. Do this for 2 to 3 sets. Stop and rest if you can’t maintain the ab contraction the whole set.
Which is better for developing strength, the front squat or the back squat?
Both are great for developing lower body strength and mass. At PSI we perform both lifts. Being a former powerlifter I much prefer to do back squats but I think because of the bar position forcing the torso to remain upright, the front squat is a more effective total body-training tool and a little safer. While performing a back squat, there is the possibility of flexibility issues or poor technique preventing proper torso position from being utilized causing an individual to lean forward excessively resulting in a low back injury.
While performing the front squat the bar is resting of the front deltoids being held into position with the hands, pointing the elbows forward. If an individual cannot get into the proper position, engage the abs, and hold the torso upright, the bar will fall off of the shoulders before the lower back is excessively strained or injured. Basically the bar position forces you to perform the exercise properly reducing the chance of injury.