It’s important to recognize that a certain level of stiffness is not only acceptable but often beneficial, particularly for athletes. This natural stiffness allows athletes to be more elastic, enabling them to generate maximum power with minimal effort. This quality often distinguishes elite athletes from the average person and is something both coaches and clinicians should be mindful of.
Most clinicians and coaches understand the importance of achieving and maintaining an optimal spine position during exercise and daily life. Appropriate lumbo-pelvic posturing is often the initial focus towards correction however this will often take care of itself (or make correction much easier) when optimal cervical spine posture is achieved. Many rest in upper cervical extension and lower cervical flexion, manifesting as the typical forward head posture often seen. This results in a lack of joint centration or stability throughout the cervical spine, leading to overactive upper cervical extensors/scalenes and sternocleidomastoids, while the intrinsic stabilizers are inhibited, most notably the deep neck flexors.
“My hamstrings are tight.”
This is something clinicians and coaches constantly hear in reference to a variety of muscle groups or areas of the body. Often times the individual with this complaint is scrawny and deconditioned, with little reason for feeling this way.
An injury can be devastating for any lifter or athlete engaging in the never ending quest to become stronger, faster, more athletic, or simply look like a beast. A herniated lumbar disc will stop a powerlifter from squatting, pec tears will interrupt a bodybuilder’s upper body splits and a hamstring pull will keep a football player from improving his 40 yard dash at the NFL combine.
Part 1 of our discussion on pillar strength described what pillar strength is and why it is so essential. Part 2 will give you the tools to implement pillar training into your programs.
Great pillar strength can make a good athlete great, or a great athlete good when it is lacking. This is also what can allow us to break through plateaus in our own training. Those at Athletes’ Performance have coined the term “pillar” to represent what many others refer to as the “core.” I prefer pillar, as it alludes to the true function of the trunk musculature.
