How to maintain a healthy back, if you are a sports power

During training with weights increases the axial load on the back, which can badly affect the spine. Layfhaker offers a selection of exercises for those who prefer the power sports and wants to avoid back problems.

What you need to do to keep your back healthy

Some basic exercises, such as deadlifts and squats, increase the axial load on the spine. The vertebrae are compressed, exerting strong pressure on the intervertebral discs.

Moreover, if after exercise pressure on the disks is not lost (due to hard muscle or maintaining improper posture), you could end protrusion or herniated disc.

To avoid problems with the spine, it is necessary to act in several directions.

1. Make quality and correct workout

Warm-up - it's not just 5 minutes on the treadmill. Qualitative workout lasts a long time and well warms up the target muscles.

2. Activate the muscles in front of the power unit training

Muscles bark keep your spine in a neutral position during strength exercises. If the muscles are not warmed up and bark is not ready for training, exercise with weight can cause compression of the intervertebral discs and their damage.

3. Stretch stiff muscles of the back

No less important is to remove stress from the back after a workout. To do this well help stretching exercises. During these exercises rigid muscles relax and no longer compress the spine.

Let us examine each item in turn and show the exercises to be followed.

qualitative workout

Doctor and coach Oleg Evdokimov argues that a good workout can sometimes last longer than most workouts.

Oleg Evdokimov

A specialist in the field of physical therapy and sports medicine, studio coach, "Health & Fitness".

Begin the warm up with joint exercises and light stretching exercises that will prepare the muscles and ligaments to cardio. Next is the warm-up cardio for 5-7 minutes on the pulse of 100 beats per minute.

It is also necessary to include in the warm-up of the rolling body. This exercise provides two advantages.

1. Stabilizes the lumbar spine. Performing rolling up the power of the workout, you ensure greater stability of the pelvis in relation to the ribs.
2. Provokes an increase in circulating blood volume. During the twisting occurs mild compression of the abdominal organs, including the spleen. This massage releases the reserve volume of blood, stored up in the spleen, which allows our body to better tolerate exercise.

Then follow the preparation, supply and auxiliary exercises. The meaning of these exercises is to prepare the muscles for the main power of the classes.

Activate muscles bark

The guide on development of muscles bark I have finished a training plan for the week, which will help you strengthen the muscles of the core. Here we give a few exercises to help you improve the stability of the lumbar spine before exercise and protect the back from injury.

1. Strap with push-ups

This double burden on the muscles of the cortex, with which they quickly enter the tone before strength training.

• Stand lying in abutment.
• Do push-ups.
• In turn, lower your elbows on the floor.
• Hold bar forearms for 2 seconds.
• Return to laying emphasis on outstretched arms and repeat.

Hold bar within a minute.

2. Dips yield a side bar

• Stand in the emphasis lying, do push-ups.
• Tear off the floor with one hand and exit in the side bar.
• Return to laying emphasis and repeat the wringing.
• Tear off the floor and exit the other arm into a side bar to the other side.

Do this exercise for one minute without rest.

3. Gluteal bridge with one leg

This exercise helps activate the buttock muscles and thereby increase the effectiveness of such exercises as deadlift, Squats, lunges.

• Lie on the floor on your back, bend your knees and place the heel on the floor. Socks pull over.
• Straighten one leg, the other remains bent with a support on the heel.
• Lift the pelvis, the body straightened in line.
• Make two sets of 8 reps with each leg.

4. Breeding feet with expanders lying

This exercise is also aimed at the activation of the gluteal muscles.

• Lie on the floor on his side, put a small expander or folded twice expander "hourglass" on legs above the knees.
• Bend your knees at an angle of 90 degrees, feet connect.
• Dilute knees, overcoming the resistance of the expander.
• Perform two sets of 8 times.

5. Bench Expander from himself

In addition to the press, this exercise warms and activates the chest and shoulder muscles.

• Kneel next to the reception, for which you can catch the expander.
• Secure the expander on a rack on the level of your elbow when you are standing on their knees.
• Step away from the desk, holding a noose expander, stand on one knee sideways to the desk.
• Clamp the gripper between the palms with fingers crossed.
• Keep your arms to your chest.
• Overcoming the resistance, straighten arms forward, hold for 1-2 seconds and again press the breast.
• Perform two sets of 8-12 times.

If this is too difficult, just keep your hands in front of him, straining press and overcoming the resistance of an expander, which tends to lead your hands to the side.

Perform these exercises before training with weights and in between workouts. Strong muscles bark fix your spine in a neutral position, thus protecting it from damage.

We stretch and relax muscles

The final part of strength training Oleg Evdokimov suggests applying cardio and perform stretching exercises.

The fact that the muscles to work intensively in the culmination of the training, require that they back the "correct" geometry. This creates optimal conditions for their recovery.

Oleg Evdokimov

Lovers of strength training are prone to shortening of the following muscles:

• small rib;
• iliopsoas;
• square loin muscle;
• pear-shaped.

Oleg Evdokimov advises stretch these muscle groups, as well as work on improving the elasticity of the deep back muscles in the lower back and neck muscles.

Here are some exercises that will help you stretch your muscles after a workout.

1. Leaned forward to pulling back

It's a good posture of Yoga - Adho Mukha shvanasana or muzzle downward dog pose. In this pose the spine is fully extended and resting.

• Get on all fours, feet shoulder width apart, toes on the floor.
• Raise your pelvis up, going out to a position where the weight is held in the hands and feet. Tighten up the pelvis upwards to remove rounding the back.
• If there is no stretch (like me), bend your knees and lift the heel. The main thing - completely straight back.
• Do not lift your head: it overstrains neck and does not give you a good stretch back.

2. "Cat-Cow" Segment

Exercise "Cat-Cow" often include facilities for healthy back and a warm-up for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Execution of the movement of the segments makes it easier to knead and stretch the back muscles, gradually and gently work out all of the back, with no emphasis on any part of the spine.

• Get on all fours.
• Start to tighten the pelvis, arching slowly up the lumbar spine.
• When bending at the waist to reach the highest point, begin to bend the thoracic spine, reaching a maximum.
• Begin Reverse deflection with thoracic: first maximum thoracic arch your down, and then go on lumbar.
• Perform each exercise slowly and deliberately. Try to catch the feeling that seeks up one vertebra at a time.

This exercise will help relax the back muscles, strained after a workout, and the spine to release from compression.

As for visov on the bar, Oleg Evdokimov advises not to perform them because it is useless.

Unfortunately, the "pull" the spine after intense squats using Visa on the bar will not work: the spine muscles do not relax, if the hand is in tension.

Oleg Evdokimov

Do warm-up and supply high-quality exercises stretch the muscles after exercise and, of course, follow the right technique - and you do not have to treat the back after the regular deadlift.