Earlier this week we sent out an email that discussed achieving a structurally sound position to lift weights from. Of course, every exercise will be a little different for this as far as what it actually looks like, but the concepts are the same.
One of the most important examples, especially from a standpoint of safety, is maintaining a neutral spine that is held in a stable, rigid position when lifting weights. This is especially true when picking up weights from the floor, as in a deadlift or a kettlebell swing.
Imagine you are on a construction site and there is a massive crane that hoists enormous, heavy beams. In order for the crane to work it must be made of incredibly strong, rigid materials. Look at this sample image I found with a quick Google search:
It is critical that the Jib (working arm) does not flex or bend when hoisting heavy loads – in fact, if it did bend, it would create a disaster.
When you are picking up weights from the floor as in a deadlift or kettlebell swing, your spine is playing the role of the jib here. Unfortunately, your spine is not nearly as strong on its own as the steel of the crane. So, to make up for it, you need lots of supporting strength from your muscles in order to sustain the position (your muscles are akin to the supporting cables in the image).
Next time you are picking up something heavy, be sure to A) set your spine into a neutral position before lifting, and B) stiffen the muscles around your spine to support it, just like the cables to do the jib in the example above.
