Bradley Simpson

I often hear the term ‘straight back’ used to describe the position on the spine in some lifts. Especially the squat and deadlift. But this is not actually correct. The term I much prefer to use is ‘neutral back’ – meaning maintain the natural curves of the spine.

When you are performing movements like these it is simply a case of having someone watching you, or using mirrors. After a (long) while you will get the feel for it and be able to reproduce good exercise form.

When you are lying on your back doing leg movements – for example leg press (abdominal version – I will post about it tomorrow) – you should be maintaining this position also. Here is a nice (somewhat crude) method to find that position without using lots of time and equipment:

Lie on your back with your legs extended. Place your hands under the low of your back so the finger tips are touching, palms down. Now contract your abs so that you lightly compress your fingers. This is the neutral spine position. You can either hold your hands there throughout the exercise or periodically check during the movement. What will typically happen as you fatigue is that the lower part of your back will start to rise off the ground (no longer be applying pressure to your fingers). Contract your abs to avoid this.

This entry was posted on October 9, 2007 at 6:26 am and is filed under Athletics, Bodybuilding, Exercise, Fitness, Gym, Weight Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.