Midline Stability

[Kiknskreem]

Rip, I was wondering a bit about some of your thoughts on core strength.

I'm a powerlifter, and as in your books, while lifting I think about a hard ab contraction, or bracing my abs against a belt if I'm lifting with one.

What do you make of the whole, 'inner/outer core, hoop tension, TVA, hollowing' school of thought?

I just watched Kelly Starrett vids in the Journal where he talks about doing this one the big lifts, and how the big, prime movers do nothing to stabilize the spine.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I do not understand how you derived this analysis from watching these vids. When I teach the voluntary lumbar extension, I have my students relax their lower erectors and then tighten them. Would you conclude from this that I have my lifters relax their lumbar muscles when they lift?

Perhaps Dr. Starrett can clarify this for us.

[TravisRussellDC]

From an article I like to quote to my patients:

TRUNK MUSCLE ACTIVITY DURING STABILITY BALL AND FREE WEIGHT EXERCISES
JAMES L. NUZZO, GRANT O. MCCAULLEY, PRUE CORMIE, MICHAEL J. CAVILL,
AND JEFFREY M. MCBRIDE
Neuromuscular Laboratory, Department of Health, Leisure & Exercise Science, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina


"ABSTRACT
The purpose of this investigation was to compare trunk muscle activity during stability ball and free weight exercises. Nine resistance-trained men participated in one testing session in which squats (SQ) and deadlifts (DL) were completed with loads of approximately 50, 70, 90, and 100% of one-repetition maximum (1RM). Isometric contractions during 3 stability ball exercises (quadruped (QP), pelvic thrust (PT), ball back extension (BE)) were also completed. During all exercises, average integrated electromyography (IEMG) from the rectus abdominus (RA), external oblique (EO), longissimus (L1) and multifidus (L5) was collected and analyzed. Results demonstrate that when expressed relative to 100% DL 1RM, muscle activity was 19.5 6 14.8% for L1 and 30.2 6 19.3% for L5 during QP, 31.4 6 13.4% for L1 and 37.6 6 12.4% for L5 during PT, and 44.26 22.8%for L1 and 45.5 6 21.6%for L5 during BE. IEMG of L1 during SQ and DL at 90 and 100% 1RM, and relative muscle activity of L5 during SQ and DL at 100% 1RM was significantly greater (P # 0.05) than in the stability ball exercises. Furthermore, relative muscle activity of L1 during DL at 50 and 70% 1RM was significantly greater than in QP and PT. No significant differences were observed in RA and EO during any of the exercises. In conclusion, activity of the trunk muscles during SQs and DLs is greater or equal to that which is produced during the stability ball exercises. It appears that stability ball exercises may not provide a sufficient stimulus for increasing muscular strength or hypertrophy; consequently, the role of stability ball exercises in strength and conditioning programs is questioned. SQs and DLs are recommended for increasing strength and hypertrophy of the back extensors."



In short, if you want core strength, you're better off squatting and deadlifting heavy than spending a bunch of time doing crunches on an exercise ball. The effect on the abs is the same and you get the benefit of working the rest of the body as well.

That being said, I like to use my ab wheel for a few sets on squatting and deadlifting days to satisfy the "need" for dedicated ab training. Although, I'm fairly certain that the fact I can take a 800 lb yoke for a 50 foot walk indicates that my core is pretty strong.

[Taylor Ray]

I have also watched the videos and would propose that Dr. Starrett is showing proper activation of the lesser known anterior chain (quads, illiopsoas, abdominals). Hence, the contraction of the abs and lifting of the legs. Once again, this is only speculation.

Some questions...

1. When the PC and AC activate simultaneously, would you say the Valsalva is the last link in the chain to provide optimal stability during any of the barbell movements?

If i'm off base with any of this, let me know.

2. Also, do you have/offer any type of internship program or should I try contacting Dr. Kilgore?

[DGNSC]

I'm not going to pretend I know exactly everything that Kelly was saying,but I'm pretty sure that was a very technical explanation of staying "tight" in the movement.Saying the prime movers don't contribute wasn't the point he was trying to make.I think what he's getting at, is that without locking down your
abs your erectors or the prime movers have to deal with the entire load,which is far from ideal,and will eventually lead to problems.I may be off base,but it wouldn't be the first time.

[Kelly Starrett]

When attempting to stabilize the trunk under load of any significance, the rule of "core" recruitment is simple:
More of everything.
An athlete can no more selectively leave their obliques/rectus/erectors off during peak force production than they can selectively recruit different parts of their quads.

To be clear, teaching "hollowing" during any activity other than "hollow rocking" to achieve peak trunk contraction is a mistake of the first order.
A solid abdominal pre-movement set up will leave the belly flat with the bottom of the rib cage pronounced in most athletes. An athlete that is hollowing cannot maintain that sucked in position and breathe at the same time. Like you tend to do when performing actual work.

Again, we try to get our athletes thinking about active pre-movement stabilization. When athletes aren't conditioned/coached for solid stabilization mechanics (not unlike how Rip and Lon teach active lumbar contraction prior to teaching any other movement) they tend to have their reactive stabilization strategy dictated for them as evident by the psoas/rectus/oblique "catch" that happens when an athlete tries to perform any movement that places a torque on the spine. This is not unlike trying to recapture thoracic extension in the middle of a front squat or dead lift. Or, trying to re-engage the posterior chain during a squat gone bad with muted hips and knees first movement. It can't be done. Once the spine is jammed into shear/extension, optimal spinal positioning can't be reclaimed.

Making your big prime movers perform the big work and all of the small spinal positioning work is a suckers gambit. Get your stabilizers to do their job, don't force your hard working obliques/rectus/erectors/psoas to try and stabilize too. You will get away with it, until you can't.

Besides, thinking in terms of abdominal layers is like thinking of deadlifting in terms of glutes/hams/and quads separately. It's a mistake. Think instead of movements and movement outcomes. Outcome: most stabile spine.

Remember: More of everything.

Kelly

[Kiknskreem]

I do not understand how you derived this analysis from watching these vids.

After coming back to this thread I re-watched the videos. I must have been glazing over them the first time because I did misinterpret several things.

Where I thought he was referring to the prime movers not stabilizing the spine he was specifically talking about the 'emergency stabilizers' when the other inner stabilizers had been overwhelmed.

Also, as I now understand it the belly button to spine bit was illustrating the concept of getting everything tight and locked down... and not so much that when deadlifting one should be focus on pulling their belly button into their spine.