Pretty much this is the worst machine ever. I'm not a scientist or super smart like my boy Stuart McGill, a leading back expert in the field of fitness but I know a bad machine when I see it. Most gyms still have these machines along with those great crunching machine that are just waiting to tear up your lower back in time. I'm always reading and learning more about performanace training and love McGills studies. This isn't new to most in the fitness area but I still see these machines in most gyms and even in the so called high performance gyms.
According to McGill who has studied the back for years and written many books he shows multiple studies on continued flexion/Extension exercises that harm the back in time. Some may say I do crunches all the time and back extension and my back feels fine but trust me in time a minor accident will put you over the edge. As a general rule maintain a neutral back when performing lifts to reduce the force and place it on the hips. If your hips aren't able to move properly then your sure to use that back more than you should for certain movements. I'm going to skip around a little and give you some random facts to help you train your core better.
1. Your Latissmus Dorsi is a core muscle? Its invovled in lumbar (low back) extension and stabilization because of its origin @ the lumbar and insertion on the humerus. Its kinda like a weight belt to your spine but the good kind not like the Josh Phillips kind. Lats as you know help in pulling and pushing and lifting.
2. Rectus (six pack muscles) not made to create lots of force over a length change but still most people love the curl ups over a gym ball. You don't generate power with your rectus for movements it comes from other parts of the body. Does a baseball player throw the ball harder because he uses his rectus more?
Look for part 2 and continued information later this week or next. Back to work.
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