The Order of Things

Gray Cook is one of those professionals in the fitness industry that continually seems to challenge my understanding of things and get me thinking about the “why”. Why are we training what we’re training in the manner we’re training it? There ought to be a reason and you should know what it is. One  topic that really stuck with me the first time I read it years ago is the idea that mobility should come before stability.

You’ll often hear that we should be stable first and, until I was forced to actually think about it, I would have agreed with this statement. It makes sense to want to be stable, but in terms of order look at it this way: as an infant we are super mobile and have to learn to stabilize all of that mobility in order to crawl, then cruise, then walk. So while our bodies obviously develop and change, taking some of this insane mobility with it, we should (barring injury) still possess full range of joint motion. 

Cook laid it out as “mobility before stability and stability before movement”. So he isn’t going against having stability early; he just adds the prerequisite of mobility first. Certain strength exercises especially compound lifts require adequate mobility to set up; once we start to perform said lift then stability is needed. To set up properly for a deadlift you have to have the hip and ankle mobility to get into the right position first. Without this you see compensations, which sets people up for injury because they are starting a resisted movement from a bad position mechanically.

If your hips lack mobility your body will find a way if forced to... even if it looks like this

 However, these types of compensations apply to movements outside the weight room as well. Over-pronation of the foot is not an uncommon compensation and can be the result of restricted ankle range of motion. If ankle dorsiflexion (bringing the toes up toward the shin) is restricted, the body compensates by pronating which is the combination of foot eversion (foot rolling toward the big toe while lifting the lateral side), foot abduction (foot turning out away from midline) and ankle dorsiflexion (toe moving up toward the shin). The lack of proper ankle mobility causes the body to compensate, which it will, to continue movement. 

All of this is to say that a proper exercise program should be training mobility, stability, strength and power. However, order does matter and starting with strength and power before adequate mobility and stability is a mistake that can easily lead to dysfunction and injury. As one’s training age advances and background adaptations, neuromuscular and connective, have improved along with joint mobility and stability, then strength and power can be consciously pursued.

-KO

Alleviating Low Back Pain

While a hugely vast topic, we can focus on some of the prime offenders that cause low back pain. Outside of specific injury, much of the low back pain or tension people experience is caused by soft tissue and fascia. I’ve talked about the lower crossed syndrome in previous posts and how that imbalance can create low back pain, but today we’ll deal with the posterior musculature.

Thoracolumbar fascia (diamond shaped, low back center)

At the base of the back is a large, multi-layered area of fascia called the thoracolumbar fascia. This is an attachment point for many muscles like the lats, glutes and transverse abdominus to highlight just a few major ones. You’ll notice that this means there are back muscles coming into the fascia superiorly, leg/hip muscles coming in inferiorly and core muscles coming around laterally from the front. Basically this area is a primary connector of the upper and lower body and therefore gets a lot of use. As you can imagine this means that excessive tension in any of these muscles can have an adverse affect on how the low back feels. This is where stretching and foam rolling for the back and hips comes into play.

Don't forget the lats when foam rolling

Starting at the top, when rolling the back out on a foam roller (like I’m sure you’re already doing right?) spend a little time tipping to one side of the back and giving it 10 – 15 good passes before going to the other side. This will target the lats, which can not only cause tension but also limit overhead range of motion. Side note: If you stand with your back against a wall and can’t rotate your arms all the way up overhead and touch, you’re presenting limited range of motion and this is a good place to start.

Using a lacrosse ball for myofascial release of the glutes...

  

...and the hip external rotators. If this is extremely painful start leaning up against a wall so you can moderate the pressure better.

Next we’ll focus on the lower half. Foam rolling, or better yet using a lacrosse ball, on the glutes and hip external rotators can really do amazing things. The glutes obviously get a tremendous amount of use and can therefore get pretty “junky” if you don’t give them some attention. With the lacrosse ball I generally spend a minimum of 30 seconds in each area searching for "hot spots" and really working the affected areas. If you're using a foam roller the same 10 - 15 passes is a good place to start, but you may want to add more in the long run. The lacrosse ball, while definitely more intense, can get into the muscle better and really loosen the hips and glutes up so give it a chance even if it's tough at first.

Interestingly, the glutes and lats have a common line of pull through the thoracolumbar fascia meaning they work together, especially during locomotion. This is why the left arm pulls back at the same time the right leg does when running. The left lat pulls the left arm back while the right glute pulls the right leg back, drawing a diagonal line of pull through the thoracolumbar fascia. 

The common line of pull between the lats and glutes.

While these techniques can really work wonders we must remember that loosening tight tissue is only half the battle; strengthening weak areas is a must for lasting improvement. 

-KO