Autor: markyoung

~ 09/11/09

Recently there has been a lot of talk about the spine and the way it responds to different exercises.  I wanted to share my two cents, but I also wanted to make my points crystal clear.

 

This week I got my hands on a pig spine to illustrate exactly how the spine responds to different forces.  In this 3 part series I’m going to take a look at 3 different exercises and how they impact the spine.

 

 

Okay…so that was a bit serious.  And it is Monday after all so let’s have a little fun shall we.  I created this little video to have a little fun with the current discussions on whether or not we should squat.

 

 

Let me know what you think in the comments section below.

13 Comments »

  1. a little disgusting coming from a vegetarian perspective
    but still very interesting. This is something that we always talk about in Yoga as well when doing spinal twists. No go wash your hands you nasty meat eater:)

    Comment by Steven Ferrell — November 9, 2009 @ 1:50 PM

  2. Good stuff Mark. Anatomy is great and pro-sections are great.

    Squats are good :)

    rock on
    Mike T Nelson PhD(c)
    http://www.ExtremeHumanPerformance.com

    Comment by Mike T Nelson — November 9, 2009 @ 6:58 PM

  3. PURE BRILLIANCE on the Squats video!

    Comment by Brendan Fox — November 9, 2009 @ 8:26 PM

  4. Hey, you gonna eat that? Theres got to be some good meat on it. Great article. Thanks!

    Comment by mark — November 9, 2009 @ 9:02 PM

  5. I was just wondering how well a pigspine funktions like a humans. We don’t have the same movementpattern and so our spines should show some differens.

    Comment by Patrik — November 10, 2009 @ 1:17 AM

  6. THAT IS AWESOME!!! Keep up the good work. Thanks Mark!

    Comment by Pete — November 10, 2009 @ 6:59 AM

  7. Pig spines actually show a striking similarity to human spines. That is why they use them in spine research labs. Granted, they’re not exactly the same, but they’re close enough to illustrate a point.

    Comment by markyoung — November 10, 2009 @ 7:03 AM

  8. Truthfully, it looked like there was more meat on it in the video than there really was.

    Comment by markyoung — November 10, 2009 @ 7:04 AM

  9. Mark,

    Given all the talk about squats/no squats these days, what do you think about the belt squat for those with access to a dedicated machine (although rigging up a set-up at a cable column or using a hip belt is possible, but not as seamless to execute)?

    I saw on Coach Boyle’s blog he claimed these were uncomfortable on the hips, but he didn’t say much more than that. about the issue.

    Would belt squats be a viable option for those wishing to use bilateral squats to work the legs (basically anyone with a goal other than competing in Oly Lifting or powerflifting)?

    Comment by Jack — November 10, 2009 @ 10:13 AM

  10. Just to be clear, I’m not anti-squat per se. I just think there are other viable options and I’m not married to the notion that squats are required to build a great physique or burn fat. If you’re trying to train your legs I’m not totally averse to squatting. I do think they are a great movement for some people. For others, not so much. As long as you program intelligently these could be an option you may choose (although there are tons of options).

    With regards to the belt squat, I don’t have much experience with them as they seem like a giant pain in the ass to set up. However, they appear to be a viable option if you’re so inclined. In my humble opinion, there are so many single leg variations to hit the leg muscles I’m not sure why you’d want to go all the trouble just to include a bilateral movement.

    Comment by markyoung — November 10, 2009 @ 11:45 AM

  11. Mark,

    what is your opinion on frequently “cracking” one’s back throughout the day. To clarify, I’m talking about sitting (or standing) and twisting the torso around until “pops” are felt through the lumbar and possibly lower thoracic spine. It feels good at the time (like a release in tension), but I’m wondering if this is creating some kind of underlying instability or damage to the spine. How would I be able to test for this?

    Comment by Ben — November 10, 2009 @ 9:14 PM

  12. The “cracking” you are hearing is the result of something called cavitation. In the simplest terms, this is basically a release of gas from the joint.

    Technically speaking, when you go to a chiropractor for an adjustment they’re looking specifically for a joint that lacks appropriate mobility and they selectively adjust/mobilize that joint. When you crack your own back by rotating your spine you’ll definitely create “pops”, but in this case you’re more likely to be adjusting the least resistive joints (i.e., the ones that don’t actually need to be mobilized). Theoretically this could cause excessive mobility at these joints while doing nothing to mobilize those that are actually restricted.

    Testing mobility of individual segments is beyond my professional scope, but I would suggest that you leave the testing and adjusting to the experts.

    *Note that I’m a little bit of a hippocrate because I like to adjust my back too. It just feels so darn good.*

    Comment by markyoung — November 10, 2009 @ 9:49 PM

  13. Of course it was a good script, but computer voices just make everything sound even funnier. I think we should just hand over control to them, and stop putting on this facade.

    Comment by olivier dacourt — November 21, 2009 @ 9:37 AM

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