The Great Back Fixer - The McGill Big 3
We’ve been testing a lot of the material which we have acquired a few months ago at the Dr Andrew Lock, Lower Back and Shoulder Rehab workshop
Whilst not all things work for all people
It seems, the focus on quality Core and Glute work, really seems to be paying off
Today I’m covering 3 important exercises which are used to rehabilitate lower back injury
This series of exercises were developed by spine specialist, Dr Stuart McGill
They are in fact known well as “The McGill Big 3”
I’ve put together 3 videos, which will show you how to perform them safely and of course effectively.
I wouldn’t just consider using these exercises as rehab, but as possibly warm up before training. In actual fact, we use these exercises plus 5 others to warm and activate the glutes, before getting clients to Deadlift.
So anyhow, here is the first exercise which is the McGill Curl Up
With this exercise, I’d recommend holding the top position for about 10 seconds, and whilst holding (and bracing), ensure that you can maintain a proper breathing pattern too. I reckon doing anywhere between 5-10 reps for 3 x sets is plenty. I’d also say, daily practise is something worth considering with all of these 3 exercises
The McGill Curl Up
So the next exercise is the Side Plank. There is more detail in the video, but hopefully you’ll see that you can actually do them in a rep like fashion. Be mindful of the quality of your rep and look at holding the plank for about 10 seconds. Then descend down and repeat for a few reps, before swapping sides. If you can perform 5-10 reps per side, for about 3 sets, then you’ve done well.
There are LOTS of ways to progress this exercise, but sometimes keeping things simple is the best way
The Side Plank
Last but not least is… The Bird Dog
I’ve performed and taught the Bird Dog, many times over the years. It is a great core stability exercise. It was actually an exercise that my trainer at the time, had programmed as a superset with my Single Leg Deadlifts. To this day, I still get my clients to do the same, because it works well
The thing I like about this video, is it breaks down how to do the Bird Dog, just that little bit better. People tend to hike the rear leg up too high, and in general… just “blast” through it. This video will demonstrate a different way of elevating your leg, without putting your back into a painful position
I think I talk about rep ranges in the video, nevertheless, try 6-10 reps in total for about 3 sets
The Bird Dog
So there you have it, the McGill Big 3 with some very detailed videos which you can watch and then implement
Speaking of implementation…
If you need ANY help with the Big 3, or anything else Health And Fitness related, all you need to do is fill out the form below and I’ll get back to you
Thank you for reading!
P.T. Scott