Lower back and ab work

joehempel
joehempel Posts: 1,543 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm trying to decide if I've got a slight anterior pelvic tilt. When I did my stuff through the NASM all the examples were pretty exaggerated.

The reason I'm trying to decide is because whenever I do ab work laying on the ground my lower back comes so far off the ground it's like my spine is trying to come through the front. I've modifying a bit by bending my knees and that helps some. So anyway, here's a front/back/side picture from day 1 and day 30 of Insanity Max 30 (just finished week 1 of month 2), and hopefully someone can give me an objective direction.

uybk3ykxqs6b.jpg

Replies

  • zipa78
    zipa78 Posts: 354 Member
    There's no way to tell, especially not when your actual pelvic region is covered in baggy shorts. And even if it wasn't, there is still no way to tell it by looking at a picture. One would have to exercise your range of motion through that area.

    A relatively easy way to test it yourself is to stand up straight and relaxed and try to actually tilt your pelvis backwards and forwards. If you find that you are pretty much at one end of the range already to begin with, well, you have your answer right there.
  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,543 Member
    edited February 2015
    You can actually tell from pictures because the tell tale signs are not in the actual pelvis itself, but how the back looks and how the shorts hang on the body. To me, it looks like I so have a slight tilt, but, I'm pretty close to the subject. For instance here's an idea from pictures of an anterior pelvic tilt.

    I just want to be able to do ab work without lower back pain.

    pg5y17f4q2mm.png
  • tequilastuntman
    tequilastuntman Posts: 37 Member
    when you squat down in front of a mirror with your hands behind your head, how deep can you go? does it look like your butt tucks under?
  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,543 Member
    I can go pretty low when I squat, all the weight in my heels etc.....I looks like I have a bit more of a forward lean from my hips....think this picture, on the far right, but without the bar:

    ngwp3ib4j30x.jpeg


  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,543 Member
    I should also say, as far as form goes, I do my best to keep my lower back on the floor, shoulders off the floor when I do these ab exercises.....and I can definitely feel my abs working.
  • zipa78
    zipa78 Posts: 354 Member
    joehempel wrote: »
    I should also say, as far as form goes, I do my best to keep my lower back on the floor, shoulders off the floor when I do these ab exercises.....and I can definitely feel my abs working.

    What does this mean? You should maintain a natural lordosis of your spine as much as possible. For a situp, that would theoretically mean that in the down position you should have your feet, butt and shoulders touching the floor, everything else should be "hovering". In practice you will obviously have a larger base on the ground, but you should not be forcing your spine out of lordosis.

    Then again, situps, crunches and the lot are considered as poor or even unsafe exercises. Especially situps can actually aggravate lower back pain if you have muscular unbalance between your abs, pelvic muscles and hip flexors.
  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,543 Member
    Yeah, I don't do crunches or sit ups....the exercises....for instance right arm raised, left leg raised, then reciprocate, those are the types of things that I'm doing. Shoulders are off the floor and legs stay around 4-6" off the ground when not in the air.

    I'm debating on if I need to put a towel for more support while I do a crap ton of hip flexor stretching during the day....I'm messing around with a bit and who knows, maybe my hip flexors are tight as heck and causing it too.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Judging from the pics, it looks like you do. During hollow body hold you want your lower back to be against the floor. Go to gymnastics bodies.com and check some of their videos out that deal with pelvic tilt
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    joehempel wrote: »
    I just want to be able to do ab work without lower back pain.

    Are you saying you get back pain? You didn't say that in your first post.

    Anyway, post a video of yourself doing an overhead squat, NASM style. Put the camera at hip level on the side. Also post a vid of you doing the ab exercise, with camera at floor level.

  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,543 Member
    I will do that!

    Yeah, my back arches so much during these that its painful sometimes. I will get a video up later tonight with an Overhead Squat and the exercises on the floor
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