Why We Should Not Arch the Back During Weightlifting

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Anyone who has taken a Pilates or Yoga class has heard the term neutral spine.

Neutral spine is when the spine is in its most natural position:

• Slight Lordotic (inward curve) at the cervical spine (neck);
• Kyphotic curve at the top of the thoracic( upper back/chest); 
• Lordotic curve at the lumbar spine. (lower back); and, finally 
• Kyphotic curve at the sacral spine (hips).

The spine is designed this way to help distribute weight and stress throughout the body.

This means that by arching my back when lifting weights, I am taking away the optimal positioning for my natural support system and adding stress by using extra weight.

The spine may be strong enough to handle some of this extra burden, but as we go up in weight or compensate by arching our backs even further, we increase the chance of injury.

So, the next time you are bench pressing and your back arches off the bench, put the weights down,  rethink your technique — and lower the weight. Your back will thank me later.

The Art of Not Arching

Sorry, folks, I know I've been slow getting articles published, but you won't believe what has been going on.

Chris broke her foot coming back from our honeymoon — and if that's not enough, a couple of weeks later she had emergency surgery for a leaky intestine. (Don't worry, she's on the mend now.)

However, to correct the huge injustice caused by this, I will attempt to write a couple of extra articles to make up for the break in the action. Also, please feel free to chime in and let me know what articles you want to see on this blog. (You can either comment at the end of this blog or e-mail me.)

O.K. 'nuff said. Here we go.

I have used this particular analogy with frequency as of late:

If you place a plank in the ground so the plank is vertical, then place a 50-pound weight on top of the plank, it probably would not break.

However, if you were to bend that plank and place it in the ground to make it vertical, chances are that it would snap.

The human spine is no different than the plank. When we lift, we need to be mindful of neutral spine.

Remember: if you have to use muscles (i.e., arching your back) other than the ones you are targeting, chances are you are using too much weight for that exercise. Good form and safety go hand in hand on the gym floor.

As the weight rises above your head during a shoulder press with dumbbells or a barbell, concentrate on keeping your back straight. Don't put more stress on the spine than necessary.

This also holds true for one-arm tricep extensions. Too often I watch in absolute horror as weightlifters' backs arch while doing this exercise.

Even something as easy and seemingly innocuous as bicep curls (and many others) can be done in a way that causes the back to arch — and introduces the possibility of serious injury.