{"id":13729,"date":"2025-03-21T20:34:23","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T13:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=13729"},"modified":"2025-03-21T20:34:23","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T13:34:23","slug":"the-post-where-i-tell-you-its-okay-to-move-your-spine-tony-gentilcore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=13729","title":{"rendered":"The Post Where I Tell You It\u2019s Okay to Move Your Spine \u2013 Tony Gentilcore"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Back pain can be tricky. First off, anyone who\u2019s ever dealt with it (pretty much everyone) knows it\u2019s no fun. Second, there\u2019s no overwhelming agreement as to what actually <em>causes<\/em> it. One person says weak glutes, another says tight hip flexors or hamstrings, and yet another may point to a bad hair day (<strong>NOTE:<\/strong>\u00a0read this footnote, it\u2019s a doozy \u2014&gt;).<\/p>\n<p>Third, if the stock photo I chose is any indication, back pain can also put a real damper on what can only be described as an Old Spice or Abercrombie &amp; Fitch ad shoot.<\/p>\n<p>In my career as a personal trainer and strength coach I\u2019ve worked with hundreds of athletes and clients battling low back pain. It comes with a territory as a fitness professional. I\u2019ve tried my best to arm myself with the best skill-sets possible (within my scope of practice) to help my clients work through their low back shenanigans. I can assess \u2013 <em>not diagnose<\/em> \u2013 and try to come up with the best game plan possible to address things.<\/p>\n<p>And, to be honest, addressing one\u2019s lower back issues <em>can<\/em> be mind-numbingly simple.<\/p>\n<p>In short:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cFind what movements hurt or exacerbate symptoms, don\u2019t do those movements, and then find movements that allow for a degree of success or pain free training.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I\u2019d be remiss not to mention Dr. Stuart McGill\u2019s work here. Not only is he one of the world\u2019s Godfathers of spine research, but he\u2019s also one of the world\u2019s best mustache havers.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter \" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/profile_images\/498179257441349633\/nwJ18bXR_400x400.jpeg\" width=\"328\" height=\"328\"\/><\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s co-authored hundreds of studies and written several books on the topic of low-back pain \u2013 with <em>Ultimate Back Fitness &amp; Performance<\/em> (now in it\u2019s 6th Edition) and <em>Low Back Disorders<\/em> being his flagship pieces of work.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of <em>Ultimate Back Fitness &amp; Performance<\/em>, look who makes a cameo appearance on pg. 289 in the latest edition.<\/p>\n<p>HINT: It\u2019s a bald strength coach whose name rhymes with Macaroni Flentilzore<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>For the Record: TG Life Bucket List<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><del>Get to a point in my career where Dr. Stuart McGill not only knows who I am, but emails me out of the blue and asks permission to use a picture of me in his latest book update.<\/del><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Appear in a <em>Star Wars<\/em> movie.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">Become BFFs with Matt Damon<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><del>My bedtime becomes 8 pm.<\/del><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>I\u2019d have to say, however, that his most \u201cuser friendly\u201d book is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.backfitpro.com\/Back-Mechanic-Fix-Your-Back-Pain.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em><strong>Back Mechanic<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a>. In it, he breaks down his entire method for \u201cfixing\u201d low back pain covering everything from spinal hygiene, assessment, corrective exercise, and strength training.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter \" src=\"https:\/\/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/31to3MnJyTL._BO1,204,203,200_.jpg\" width=\"223\" height=\"223\"\/><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not going to belabor anything, you can purchase the book and peel back the onion on his protocols (seriously, the assessment portion is gold).<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve noticed a trend in recent years, though. Dr. McGill has done so much for the industry and his work is so ingrained in our thoughts as fitness professionals that I feel the whole idea of \u201cavoiding spinal flexion (sometimes at all costs)\u201d has bitten us in the ass.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, avoiding spinal flexion is a thing, especially if someone is symptomatic and flexion intolerant.. It\u2019s that point, though, \u201cavoiding spinal flexion\u201d that has gotten the best of us for the past decade or so.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve done such an immaculate job at coaching people to know what \u201cspinal neutral is\u201d via prone planks, side planks, and birddogs, and then used strength training to engrain that motor pattern, that (some, not all) people transitioned into more extension-based back pain because they lost their ability to move their spine into (pain free) flexion.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/themovementfix.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Dr. Ryan DeBell<\/strong><\/span><\/a> discussed this phenomenon recently where he discussed his own back pain history. He started as flexion intolerant, trained himself into \u201cspinal neutral,\u201d (which is what you should do), started to avoid <em>all<\/em> flexion like an episode of <em>Emily in Paris<\/em>, and after awhile, extension-based movements &amp; positions started to hurt\u2026because he was locked into extension.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7419\/11995182185_650f6279b3_n.jpg\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\"\/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter \" src=\"http:\/\/deansomerset.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/T-L-junction-extension.jpg\" width=\"417\" height=\"313\"\/><\/p>\n<p>As a corollary, I see this quite often myself: someone comes in to see me and <strong><em>both<\/em><\/strong> flexion and extension based movements hurt. It\u2019s so frustrating for the person and I can understand why.<\/p>\n<p>My job, then, as the coach is to garner confidence and self-efficacy with my client\/athlete and work with him\/her on what I know tends to work\u2026.<strong><em>find movements that do not hurt and work from there<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. McGill has his own version of the \u201cBig 3,\u201d or his go to exercises when first starting with a low-back person:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Curl-Up (I.e., not a sit-up)<\/li>\n<li>Side Bridge or Plank<\/li>\n<li>Birddog<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Even when we master those movements, which are often very challenging for people when performed right, I\u2019ll stick with them for a couple of weeks and just up the ante with appropriate progressions.<\/p>\n<p>Lets take the birddog for example.<\/p>\n<h4>Birddog w\/ RNT<\/h4>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"TonyGentilcore.com Bird Dog with Band RNT\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/J7ph4iVY8iA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The band adds an additional kinesthetic component where increased stiffness or engagement occurs in the anterior core and glutes. Truthfully, it\u2019s not uncommon for me to <strong><em>START<\/em><\/strong> with this variation so the person can feel what their limbs are doing in space.<\/p>\n<h4>Birddog \u2013 Off Bench<\/h4>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"TonyGentilcore.com Birddog Off Bench\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TABkuGgcD8Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Doing the birddog off the bench takes away a component of stability (feet off the floor) and forces people to slow the eff down and learn to control the movement. If they don\u2019t, they fall of the bench. And I laugh.<\/p>\n<h3>Your Spine, Move It!<\/h3>\n<p>Going back to the assessment for a quick second, it\u2019s not uncommon for me to assess someone and to find that their spine doesn\u2019t move. Whether it\u2019s because of a faulty pattern or they were coached to avoid flexion at all costs (even when asymptomatic) it\u2019s as if their spine is Han Solo frozen in carbonite.<\/p>\n<p>One screen I like to use is a the toe touch drill. When someone bends over to touch their toes there should be a consistent curvature\/roundness of the spine. Often, what I\u2019ll see is more of a \u201cV\u201d pattern where they\u2019ll bend over, but instead of seeing a nice curve I\u2019ll see their lower back stay flat throughout the movement; as in zero movement.<\/p>\n<p>This can be just as detrimental as anything else. It may or may not be a root cause of their low-back pain, but I know it\u2019s a red flag I\u2019d like to address.<\/p>\n<h3>Segmental Cat-Cow<\/h3>\n<p>Below is a drill I\u2019ve been using more and more with my low-back clients. We\u2019re all familiar with the Cat-Cow exercise, where you round and arch your spine moving through a full-ROM.<\/p>\n<p>Cool, great. The human body is great a compensating, and unless you have a keen eye for detail it\u2019s easy to assume that if someone can round and arch their back they\u2019re good to go. But<\/p>\n<p>But are they? Often, if you SLOW PEOPLE DOWN it\u2019ll become abundantly clear that they may move well in certain areas of their spine (thoracic), but not in others (often lumbar).<\/p>\n<p>Coaching them through the movement \u2013 point by point, segmentally \u2013 is a fantastic way to hammer this point home and to help nudge them to move their spine in a slow and controlled fashion.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"TonyGentilcore.com Segemental Cat Cow\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/150iZDJW2Qg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Give this one a try with some of your clients. <strong><em>COACH THEM<\/em><\/strong>. This drill doesn\u2019t require more than two passes (up and down) per set, for a total of 3-4 sets. Helping them understand that they are allowed to move their spine \u2013 assuming it\u2019s pain free \u2013 is a sure fire way to set them up for long-term healthy spine success.<\/p>\n<h3>Final Note (Because, #douchebagswillbedouchebags)<\/h3>\n<p>To appease the hoity toity internet warriors, couch coaches, and fitness influencers who have never coached an actual person (let alone a ham sandwich) out there. All of this DOES NOT insinuate that I am not ALSO using regular ol\u2019 strength and conditioning to address things. All of the drills showcased above are just entry-level ideas or starting points.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m actually a massive fan of introducing unloaded rotational and\/or spinal flexion\/extension movements into the mix as well as loaded exercises such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YGlAdtSKQaU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jefferson Curls<\/a> to help build more resiliency within the spine and the musculature that supports it. In addition I\u2019ll introduce things like tempo deadlift and squatting variations, various hip\/low back dissociation exercises (I.e., other hinging alternatives), as well as a consortium of single leg exercises to help build overall strength.<\/p>\n<p>As I always like to say\u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>You need to lift shit to fix shit.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s usually not a one or the other scenario. Both sides of the spectrum (motor control strategies and lifting heavy shit) need (and should) be considered.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/2025\/03\/post-tell-okay-move-spine\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Back pain can be tricky. First off, anyone who\u2019s ever dealt with it (pretty much everyone) knows it\u2019s no fun. Second, there\u2019s no overwhelming agreement as to what actually causes it. One person says weak glutes, another says tight hip flexors or hamstrings, and yet another may point to a bad hair day (NOTE:\u00a0read this &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13729\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}