Comments on: You Want a Healthy Lower Back? Stop Stretching It

By: Mehdi

Mehdi — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:23:55 +0000

@Barry Check out Stuart McGill's research on lower back health. Read also this post. And yes the spine has a natural lordotic posture, anterior pelvic tilt was meant.

By: Barry

Barry — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:08:29 +0000

Hi Medhi,

My wife is a chiropractor and she thinks you are totally wrong here. She says there’s nothing wrong with stretching the lower back and that you will not make it unstable by doing so.

She also says on your Lordosis post that everyone has lordosis. Hyper-lordosis is what can be a problem.

By: yemu

yemu — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:22:55 +0000

i have one question: does it mean that i shouldn’t do stretches like the one pictured in the article? i have issues with lower back pain (due to sedentary work i suppose) and i started streching my whole body, before I start 5×5 program. I use some general stretch excersices, mostly static, and some dynamic from your site. I was also planning to try egoscue method.

I’ve been working out for about 1.5 year now (mostly some split programs in the gym, never streched enough ), lately i tried some full body workout (5,10,15, maybe you’ve heard about it) and it gave me very nice gains both in mass and in strength.

now i’ve found your site and decided to give 5×5 a try. but first i have to get rid of my back pain.

By: Mehdi

Mehdi — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:06:59 +0000

Stretching the hamstrings, keeping the chest up, supermans, etc. If your back rounds on the deadlift it probably rounds on the Squat too. Try the tips here.

By: Gubernatrix

Gubernatrix — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:19:46 +0000

If you don’t recommend stretching the lower back, what do you recommend for improving form on deadlift, if the back is rounding?

By: Mehdi

Mehdi — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 14:12:26 +0000

Check my training log in the forums Vassili. The goal of smolov is indeed pure strength. But the intensity of the program is such, you get very hungry & need more sleep. I'm in week4, starting week 5 now. Third week was mentally hard but I gained probably 10kg on my Front Squat in only 3 weeks. Will test max in a few hours.

By: Vassili

Vassili — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 14:02:29 +0000

I’d thought Smolov was a pure strenght program.
4 Squat sessions per week looks like extreme…its it going fine?
Don’t you fill like tired or over-trained?

By: Mehdi

Mehdi — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 08:52:14 +0000

I like the runner stretch for the hamstrings. Goodmorning style stretch are also good but you quickly get tired in the lower back.

By: Mehdi

Mehdi — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 08:51:19 +0000

Never read it, but I’m familiar with the concepts. Squat & Milk always work. I’m doing a Smolov Squat routine, which had me doing 4 squat session a week. Several people have told me I’ve gained weight this week (in the good sense).

By: Mehdi

Mehdi — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 08:49:33 +0000

I didn’t know what press-ups were. I often do press-ups but standing. And as galapogos wrote somewhere in this post: while squeezing the glutes. I like press-ups, kind of relax the lower back.

But press-ups are totally different from hyperextension of the lower back as done in yoga or gymnastics for example. That’s what you should avoid. Thanks for the pdf link Kurt.