[Prophylaxis]

(06-12-2013 07:43 PM)T and A Man Wrote:  

From the PM about APT.

I work on mine every two days, typically as part of my warm down after weights. Typically after I foam roam my quads, hipflexors and traps, and a torsional stretch of the back, i then do the following 4 routines.;

Glute Bridge - raise for 2 deep inhales/exhales, lower to ground, but never touch ground.. x 10
Planking - on my elbows, alternate lifting each leg, each leg raises for 3 deep inhales/exhales, x 8 each leg.
Lunge stretch for hip flexors, then lift the arm on the side of the hip flexor being stretched and rotate - hold for 8 seconds - x5 each side.

The last was my previous message - in regards to treating my spinae erectors, I am currently doing a yoga table, then alternative inhale (dog), exhale (cat) 5 each.

I do this circuit 3 times.

So I am looking for

i) an optimal stretch, not strengthening, for my erectors

ii) what part of the APT corrective process should a foam roller (I also use a hockey ball on my hip flexors occasionally) be applied and where

iii) I described the acute soreness, not pain, in my lower back... more akin to DOMS, say the type I get in my trceips after I do 100 pushups. Is muscle soreness to be expected?

Great, thanks for clarifying that.

i) An optimal stretch for the erector spinae (ES) would be the posterior pelvic tilt - (just try a post tilt now and feel how the ES become much softer). I would also cease the planks until the muscle soreness resolves in the ES.

ii) I would use the foam roller for the quad muscle groups and hip flexors (as you have been doing) (don't bother foam rolling your back)

iii) As you know, muscle soreness occurs from over-recruiting a particular muscle group. In your case, you are most likely over-recruiting your ES (a muscle we don't want to get switched on!). I would cease the planks and really focus on post tilting the pelvis while continuing stretching the hip flexors to unload these.

If you strengthen and switch on the surrounding musculature of the back, the ES will generally begin to switch off and relax.

A lot of people I see in my clinic so way too heavy on 'core' exercise, and end up with hypertonic (overactive) abdominal muscles, ES, and as a consequence often develop this nasty ATP. Just relaxing these muscles initially seems to alleviate much of their symptoms.

As long as the yoga stretches are pain-free, they should be fine.