Initially, this fear may look sensible: lifting several hundred pounds off the floor — levying all the pressure on the back, especially
on the erector spinae and low - back muscles — would result in a lumbar and thoracic disaster.
Exploring the effect of stability
on erector spinae muscle activity, Saeterbakken et al. (2013) compared the bench press performed with loads equal to the 6RM on a stable bench, a balance cushion and a swiss ball.
Exploring the kettlebell swing, Andersen et al. (2015) compared the kettlebell swing performed with 1 or 2 hands
on erector spinae muscle activity.
At comparable relative loads, stability has no effect
on erector spinae muscle activity.
Studies have shown that using a weight belt either has little effect at
all on the erector spinae muscles (lower back muscles) or an increase of their engagement by up to 25 %.
Not exact matches
Your quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings all get in
on the act, as do your abductors, adductors and your
erector spinea.
Kettlebell training also tends to place an emphasis
on the posterior chain — specifically the
erector spinae, glutes and hamstrings.
They base their results
on testing the muscle activity of rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques and spinal
erectors while the subjects performed crunches at 4 different speeds — 4 seconds, 2 seconds, 1.5 seconds and 1 second.
The deadlift works more muscles than any other exercise
on the planet (including the squat) and it's another quintessential weightlifting exercises that can help you build a great amount of mass in all parts of the back including the spinal
erectors, lats, traps and core, while also contributing to immense overall functional strength gains.
Simply put, sumo deadlifts are harder
on your quads, while conventional deadlifts are harder
on your hams and spinal
erectors.
On the other hand, the way most people do conventional deadlifts (the hips are way back and the torso is inclined more than it should) makes it a much better exercise for building the posterior chain, i.e. glutes, hams and spinal
erectors.
The deadlift is one of the few movements that work all major muscle groups in the body — depending
on the stance and variation, it will help you strengthen your lower back, hams, glutes, hips, calves, quads, upper back, arms, traps, spinal
erectors, etc..
For those with scoliosis, some sections of the multifidus and
erector spinae, supportive muscles running along the spine, will need strengthening (particularly
on the side that's convex) in order to hold this new, more neutral alignment.
The
erector muscles, running alongside my spine, always feel tighter and achier
on one side.
Back extensions
on a Roman chair are a good exercise for lower back (
erector spinae), glutes, and hamstrings.
Doing so makes it more difficult to keep the chest and head in proper alignment, which leads to undue stress
on the spinal
erectors.
I have a video
on my youtube, but you get way more glute activation doing it the way I prescribe and way less
erector activation.
Based
on changes in muscle activity with load, bar speed, and ROM, the prime movers in the back squat include the quadriceps, gluteus maximus and
erector spinae.
This study compared 70 % of 1 - rep max of the back squat to 70 % of 1 - rep max of the front squat and showed that EMG activity
on the quadriceps, hamstrings,
erectors, even the eye lids were overall the same.3
This dynamic stretch focuses
on glutes and
erector spinae muscle.
Hyperextensions This and the lower back machine where you sit back against a padded arm, are the best exercises for working the
erector muscles without undue strain
on the spinal structure.
It might make sense to focus
on strengthening, rather then stretching in your yoga practice, especially when it comes to the structures that support your lower back and sacrum —
erectors, rotators, glutes, hip flexors, etc..
Because it's hard to make a magic 3 that will work for everyone, I find that a mix of either of these three: apanasana, chakra bhakasana and vajrasana, together with either something that helps open the chest / strengthen
erectors, and / or something that creates motion of arm and neck (trikonasana viniyoga style) are usually my «magic 3» depending
on the person...
Front squats — this a more quadriceps - dominant lift with decreased emphasis
on the spinal
erectors, though increased emphasis
on the hips given increased depth and position of the bar
To start, functional core training will put emphasis
on most, if not all, of the muscles surrounding the core: the abdominals, the obliques, the spinal
erectors, the rhomboids and traps, and the gluteals.
The only problem that I can see would be if there are edges
on the front of the vertabrae the would pinch the front edges of the disks if they are not kept separate by engaging the
erectors.
The dorsal raise uses the lower back (
erector spinae) and works the extensor muscles
on either side of the spine.
In forward bend your
erectors are stretched, you contract them to return into the neutral lumbar curve where your discs have much more even, distributed pressure
on them.
Exploring stability at the hand, Maeo et al. (2014) compared
erector spinae muscle activity when performing push ups
on the ground or utilising a suspension system.
Comparing the effect external resistance type, Saeterbakken et al. (2014) explored
erector spinae muscle activity during the back squat with 6RM loads using either a barbell or a combination of a barbell and elastic resistance (where elastic resistance comprised between 25 — 40 % total load, depending
on the phase of the lift).
Comparing compound and stability exercises, Comfort et al. (2011) explored lower
erector spinae muscle activity during the back squat, front squat, the standing barbell press, plank and superman
on a swiss ball.
They reported that the
erector spinae muscle was greater when the back squat was performed
on the floor with loads of 90 and 100 % of 1RM but there were no significant differences between conditions at 70 or 80 % of 1RM.
Nuzzo et al. (2008) compared the upper (at L1) and lower (at L5)
erector spinae muscle activity during the birddog, hip bridge with feet
on swiss ball, and back extension from a swiss ball.
Assessing the effect of surface stability during back squats, Bressel et al. (2009) explored
erector spinae muscle activity during the barbell back squat with 50 % of 1RM both when standing
on the floor and when standing
on a BOSU ball.
Comparing the effect of exercise variation, Fenwick et al. (2009) compared rowing exercises with varying degrees of spinal loading
on upper and lower
erector spinae muscle activity.
Assessing the effects of stability during split squats, Andersen et al. (2014) explored
erector spinae muscle activity in the split squat with the foot placed
on the floor or
on a foam cushion, using 6RM.
Assessing the effect of surface stability, Bressel et al. (2009) explored
erector spinae muscle activity when performing the conventional deadlift at 50 % of 1RM, either standing
on the floor or standing
on a BOSU ball.
They reported that
erector spinae muscle activity was similar
on the stable and unstable surfaces.
They reported that
erector spinae muscle activity was not different when performing the bench press
on a stable bench or
on a balance cushion, while performing the bench press
on a Swiss ball significantly reduced
erector spinae muscle activity.
On inspection, the most inferior area of the
erector spinae appears as one common muscle belly.
Several studies have investigated the effect of relative load
on muscle activity in the
erector spinae.
A barbell row is my staple back workout since it works
on everything — right from the traps to the
erector spinae.
Indeed, many of us go
on first our first techno - rush as kids playing with
erector sets, Legos, and the Radio Shack electronic kits.