Today’s training tip is gonna help you stay away from back pain and it might just save you from surgery.  If you expect a new exercise, a new stretch or a new magical tool….well, think again.  It is as simple as it gets:

NEVER PICK UP WEIGHTS WITH A  ROUNDED BACK!

It amazes me to see so many people lifting to get stronger, reinforce good movement patterns  and prevent injuries, but will still pick up weights with a rounded back.  Let’s put it this way: picking up weights with a rounded back is one of the worst things you can do in a weight room to injure your back.  Bending over to pick up dumbbells involves putting your lumbar spine in a maximally flexed position which by itself, reproduces the mechanism of hernia (in fact, every movement that inlvoves maximal range of motion at the lumbar spine, whether it is in flexion, rotation or extension will put you at great risk).  Add the fact that you’re lifting a load at the end range of motion, and you’re just asking for trouble.

My advice would be to keep your back flat at all times.  While we’re there, why don’t you just put your weights or dumbbells on a bench or on the dumbbell rack; you’re gonna decrease the chances of having to bend over too low to pick them up.

This is seriously one of the most important things you can do right now in the weight room to greatly decrease your risk of having back issues in the future.

You can thank me later!