Movement patterns
On my last post I talked about the importance of technique in performing lifts and people loading up the bar no matter what their form is like.
Have you been assessed before you do any of your main lifts? A common problem we see every day is the back arch, whether that be the thoracic spine (upper) or the lumbar spine (lower) flexing, or out of alignment if you like.
This problem is usually seen in our main lifts, for example, Deadlift variations, Squat variations and even some horizontal row variations.
My last post comes in here when we talk about coming back to basics. If you find you have this problem, keeping your spine in a good neutral alignment, I would recommend you
- re-assess your lift,
- lower the weight,
- make sure your spine is aligned,
- work on completing the full range and
- get a good contraction
Progression isn't all about the weight loaded on the bar and increasing the risk of injury due to the poor movement pattern. It's about varying the exercise, tempo, reps and sets along with adding smaller increments to the bar as long as you don't sacrifice your technique for the load.
Poor movement patterns will lead to problems like poor mobility, flexibility, posture and overall imbalance.
