Core work and back injuries

[JD]

What core exercises do you employ and how much time do coaches and individuals spend doing core work? And what effects do you see on posture, back injuries and technique as a result?

[Grover]

I find a lot of back injuries i have had myself and my athletes have had on the whole were the result of poor hamstring flexibility.

I probably don't have my athletes do more then 1x 40min "core" session a week. I do make them stretch a large amount. I find doing weights like cleans, deadliest, squats etc all provide a lot of core stress / stability.

Though in the core session there are the usual back bridges, planks etc etc

[smiles]

Based on my experience & observation,
the more core work you do the less likely for a back injury.

As Grover suggested...
core strengthening can come from a variety of activities.
I would add on yoga, pilates & even cross training if you make it a point to consciously engage the core.

But core specific exercises such as crunches, reverse abs, obliques, toe touches & modified pilates bicycles
as well as anything with a medicine ball are all great exercises too.

[skinny]

I had a national team physio once tell me (an outside observer, not a NT athlete!) that a lot of back problems were caused by not using the glutes enough during the drive. This causes the back and hamstrings to take a lot of that load, tighten up, and cause injuries.

Between this and a once- or twice-weekly core stabilistation program, haven't had any (non-pre-existing) back injuries in any of my athletes for several years.

[southernrower]

There is a line of thought out there best described by Stuart McGill that states that traditional core work(heavy on sit ups and back extensions) is counterproductive and may even lead to more injuries. I have no clue whether this viewpoint is fair, true or proven.

[smiles]

Now that I've started coaching, I have a whole new visual perceptive view of the stroke.
I think proper blade placement timing can really minimize certain injuries.
One of my girls was struggling with a lot of soreness in her hamstring & gluteus medius area.
Well don't cha know...despite having gorgeous posture & a beautiful early roll-up, she skies & hangs that blade before the catch like it was playing a game of freeze tag.
That split second of being late in the water with the leg drive starting not only obviously isn't optimal for moving the boat, but if the blades are late into the water it puts the hamstrings in a very unstable position since they're not pushing off something solid until the blades are buried.

Another thing that can really minimize back injuries is making sure the kids are getting full reach through sitting up & compression up the slide rather than just bending & reaching forward where their legs then in turn get in their own way of getting up to full slide & they end up WAY overusing the back.
I always try to model it for them because even if it'scompletely true, it's very abstract & seems counter intuitive that if you sit more upright, you'll actually get more reach.

[Steven M-M]

Southern -- I agree and would follow Stuart McGill's well researched advice that crunches and back extensions are (1) not effective core exercise and (2) likely do more harm than good. They belong to the era of Jane Fonda exercise videos.

[1xsculler]

Smiles,would you elaborate on your last paragraph a little, Please? I think you're saying that full compression, i.e shins verticle, etc. is important for lower back protection.

[bloomp]

Smiles,would you elaborate on your last paragraph a little, Please? I think you're saying that full compression, i.e shins verticle, etc. is important for lower back protection.

She's saying that rotating from the hips (erm, flexion might be a better term), is better than arching the back aftward. The back should be relatively flat, but rotated at the hips, not anywhere in the spine.

If you're coming out of the finish and your pelvis is relaxed, you're doing something wrong.

[boston_1x]

If you really want to know what stretching your extensors and hamstrings feels like, hold a broomstick or equivalent straight overhead, and do a set of straight-arm squats. (Thank you, Bob Kaehler)

Absolutely great exercise, particularly for warming-up.

[smiles]

Smiles,would you elaborate on your last paragraph a little, Please? I think you're saying that full compression, i.e shins verticle, etc. is important for lower back protection.

She's saying that rotating from the hips (erm, flexion might be a better term), is better than arching the back aftward. The back should be relatively flat, but rotated at the hips, not anywhere in the spine.

If you're coming out of the finish and your pelvis is relaxed, you're doing something wrong.

YES...
people often try to overcomplicate the stroke.
When it comes to upper body movement...
less really is more & the pivot should originate from the hips rather than the shoulders or back.

There is a line of thought out there best described by Stuart McGill that states that traditional core work(heavy on sit ups and back extensions) is counterproductive and may even lead to more injuries. I have no clue whether this viewpoint is fair, true or proven.

As for "core" work...
I think the most important factor of preventing injury & developing an optimal core is to make sure to develop & work ALL the different muscle groups rather than isolating 1 or 2.
The problem with overdevelopment of 1 particular muscle group is that it places the complimentary muscles in a fragile/vulnerable position. We RARELY hear of a rower with an injured quad muscle???
Same goes for core.
The secret is to develop ALL of the back & abdominal muscles, in particular the obliques.
In other words doing 35 reps of 6 different core muscle group exercises is probably much more beneficial than 100 reps of 2 isolating ones.
Plus the easiest way to get a 6-pack is to just stay well hydrated & ditch the bagels from the diet.

***And Bob Kaehler rocks! He's got a great program for developing hamstring strength on the physio ball too!

[Steven M-M]

Smiles -- I hope you check out Stuart McGill's work on core strength: http://www.backfitpro.com There are a number of good youtube vids of the exercises he recommends and suggests you avoid. I think he would argue that you need to do core work that does not involve flexing the lumbar spine, even if you are working the entire range of core muscles. Also, rather than trying to isolate individual core muscles, it may be better to do exercises that engage the entire core: nipples to knees.

[Steven M-M]

Smiles -- for example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=033ogPH6NNE

[skinny]

I also think there is a BIG difference between core strengthening (i.e. using the core muscles to move a part of the body - think exercises like crunches, back arches, etc.) and core stabilization (i.e. using the core to hold the torso in a strong position to apply power - think exercises like plank, v-sit, etc.)

My experience has been that a "core-work" program where the vast majority of exercises are stabilization-focused rather than strengthening-focused is the one that translates to the best injury-prevention. As Smiles said, in terms of torso movement, less is more. Therefore the core exercises to do are the ones that train the muscles that hold the body up, rather than the muscles that move the body around.

[bloomp]

Another thing that often is neglected (and will lead to lower back injuries) is an imbalance between the pushing and pulling exercises. We think that squats/deadlifts are so crucial for strength in rowing, but without a 2:1 ratio of pulls to pushes, we'll develop a pretty severe problem with our antagonist muscles. For every push exercise, have two pulls. I typically do a set of RDLs for every set of squats/deadlifts, plus a set of band good mornings or hamstring curls (one leg RDL, bar good mornings are good too).

That difference between the force your quadriceps can produce and the force your hamstrings/glutes can support is felt directly in your back. If you can't support a strong impulse from your drive, you will have issues in the lower back as it compensates for what the antagonists in your legs/hips can't handle.

My favorite exercises for "core" work are definitely planks. Front/side/reverse. Then doing 1-leg leg lifts with the reverse plank, forcing the hips up high. You strengthen the core, lower back, hips and hamstrings in one blow.

The 1-leg RDLs are great too - good to throw in some unilateral work alongside our bilateral sport.