I have noticed that I have some anterior pelvic tilt (both my backside and lower stomach poke out) and when I spend a few hours walking or standing, my lower back gets incredibly tight. As I start to progress on the lower body lifts, I am concerned that this lack of mobility could impair my (long term) progress on the big lower body lifts.
I have been following Jim Wendler’s 531 for the last 9 months and I have seen some great gains in the big 4 lifts and would put myself firmly in the ‘intermediate’ category (BW Press, 1.5xBW Bench, 2xBW Squat, 2.5xBW DL). I live a fairly sedentary life style working mainly in an office, hunched over a computer for most of the day.
I wonder whether you (or anybody else) could offer some advice on a program that would fit into the ‘Assistance’ to help correct this imbalance? I would also be open to following a different to 531 if it offers long term improvements. Also, I know that this isn’t the 531 forum, but different can be positive.
I have APT as well as a genetic defect ( a tiny gap somewhere around in my pelvis/spine attachment) and get tightness when i stand/walk too much as well
No matter what i did, couldnt solve my APT really
Would love to hear what would you suggest coach Thib
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
Colbstar… I just have to say that you look very good in your avatar pic… much improved!!! Keep up the good work.[/quote]
Thanks coach! I finally got lean, which helps a ton.
Eliminating conventional milk (I’ll have cottage cheese with nuts on OCCASION) and substituting BROW (mostly oats and wheat) products with rice has really made a huge difference!
[quote]daniel4738 wrote:
Sorry to bump the thread, but I just wanted to say thanks again. I don’t know what I was doing (or pretending to do) but it wasn’t the agile 8!
I went through DeFranco’s videos and did the Limber 11 every day for a week. My hips and lower back haven’t felt this good for ages.
I even managed to hit a new PR on the 5/3/1 squat day this week. 140kg (308#) for 10 reps. Felt awesome.
So thanks again … who would have thought that doing the basics correctly would be beneficial :D[/quote]
That’s great! I wish I had the discipline to do it everyday… awesome job.
I too have some APT issues and would like to hear what CT says about it. It seems every guy in my family has it slightly but once I start lifting it really exaggerates.
I’ve read lots of articles about it and many of them suggest doing things like dead bugs or leg lowering etc. I find these very easy to do while keeping my lower back planted, and yet as soon as I stand up it goes to shit.
What I have been doing to try and combat it:
-KB swings
-Lunges
-RKC planks
-Lots of hip flexor stretching
-foam roll hip flexors
-Isometric TVA holds (got that from an article recently here… The Best Exercise for a Smaller Waist ). It seems doing this reinforces proper posture as well.
-Some band pull aparts as I believe that proper shoulder posture will help influence proper pelvic posture.
-Massage therapist inflicting nauseating pain in hip flexors and spinal erectors
I see slight improvements sometimes, but today for example, it’s just shitty. I haven’t done anything other than sit for the past two days though due to my job.
Unfortunately it seems squats are APT in a can and I am really enjoying squatting these days. I may have to shelve it to maintenance status until this gets under control. I have a big enough ass as it is I don’t enjoy it sticking out so much, haha.
I would like to add that I am 4 workouts into Dan John’s 10,000 KB swing challenge and it has helped immensely. This is a ridiculously beneficial program for me as it absolutely hammers all my weak points right now: Grip, conditioning, glutes, hamstrings, abs, lats. During rest I stretch my hip flexors and do some of the exercises from Defranco’s Limber 11 and try not to pass out.
The main point I want to get across though is to definitely try it out if you have problems with APT. I decided to do it with the 2 days of pullups and 2 days of presses, thereby shelving the squat for a while, which is also helping the pelvic angle.
Plan to do 915 after I’m done this, regular strength workouts are going to feel like a walk in the park (I’ve always found it easy to lift heavy often, but conditioning… damn, not since I was in hockey in high school)
edit: also would like to share that foam rolling has made a big difference too with the APT. IT band, hip flexors, quads, glutes… groin area. I bought a rumble roller, it friggin HURTS.
A stretch that I use a lot is as follows: Hold a fixture about navel high, back away from it until your ears are between your elbows, keep stretching as it there were a door handle behind you that you were trying to butt grab. If you have a friend/wife have them stands behind you and gently pull backwards on your hips. This is a really good stretch.
