Way too often I work with clients that train abdominals over and over again for the purpose of abs (that won’t work by the way…diet first) or to strengthen their lower back area while completely neglecting the actual cause of their ailments. Coincidentally my clients that practice this ritual of excessive ab work have more back issues than most.

Training the actual back muscles and glute area is the best way to protect our spine and avoid lower back issues altogether rather than just training the abdominals. An over abundance of ab training puts our abdominals in a shortened position (think flexed abs) pulling the front of our pelvis upwards (i.e. posterior pelvic tilt) which in turn will cause our lower back muscles to unnaturally lengthen and round out putting unnecessary strain in the lumbar area of our spine…which is why I’m a stickler for Posterior Chain exercises such as Hip Thrusts, Deadlifts, and my trusty GHD machine for a variety of movements.

If you want sexy abs, focus on diet first. For lower back issues, don’t neglect the entire core and our butt area…and quit it with the high rep crunches and sit ups. It can cause more harm than good if your training program isn’t strategic by working on the ENTIRE body as a system (i.e. Kinetic Chain) rather than pieces or specific areas.

That being said – a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

This is your #BootyMission info minute for the day.