Continued from part-3
Q: The way these lifters use their Core/Abs seems unique. They do not appear to actively brace their core at all. It is as if their core is always engaged and "ready". What is the reason behind that?
A: Continuity is inherent in the human body. The various parts of our bodies are connected in ways that Anatomy 101 does not talk about.
To provide a metaphor, your body is "analog", but you have been training in a discontinuous and "digital" fashion.
(Pre-designed cookie-cutter programs, technique, cues, drills etc are at the very base of this "digital" approach)
So what is an "Analog" approach?
Again, training with awareness. Instead of a "head" approach, embracing a "body" approach.
And that is what the Chinese lifters master.
They train with complete internal and external knowledge of the connectedness of components within themselves,
allowing them to develop their own understanding of how deep, what we call "the core", really goes.
And how, once they have sufficient control "down there", active tightening/bracing is not needed.
Bracing just happens.
It is an automatic response of the body as one is about to engage in a strenuous activity.
Q: The back development of Chinese lifters is remarkable. It seems much more "full" and "continuous", right from their lower back to their traps. What is their secret?
A: This, like many, is a simple and too-easily-asked question. But there are many pieces to this puzzle.
The first is that these guys have a lifestyle that allows them to have an integrated foundation and the correct alignment.
The second is a simple notion that what we label the lats, traps, mid-back, lower-back etc are simply that, labels!
The continuity of the back musculature and their co-contraction, along with the frontal musculature during movements happen independently of those labels.
Then again "happening" is one thing and having a deep and personal awareness of that is another.
The more one is aware of this during their training, the more continuous and "relevant" musculature they are able to build.
The third, which is a by-product of the previous, is to be able to "load" the back in a way that is conducive to progressive-overload.
During the lifts, the point of balance and one's existing limitations have a dramatic impact on their ability to load their entire back.
The conventional approach is aimed at "protecting" the lower back. This fails miserably and is obvious in the "discontinuous" back development of most lifters.
Q: I have seen videos of some lifers from China doing rounded deadlifts. Some even do it with really heavy weights. Is it not dangerous to load the spine when it is rounded like that?
A: Other than starting really light and working one's way up,
there are two key training fundamentals that one must realize to understand the rationale of rounded/ flexed spine pulling.
The first key fundamental, which I have mentioned time and again is ...
the ability to train with awareness
Training with awareness means, changing the course, the other way.
Instead of actively training, it is about listening and letting training "happen"
With this approach, one is able to feel everything.
It is only when one feels, that they can tell if the weight is loading the muscles (equally in a distributed manner) or something else (that it should not).
There is only one way to train effectively, all other ways are ineffective and wreak havoc in the long term.
The second key fundamental is the idea of actively using a muscle to make sure that its surroundings receive blood and nourished constantly.
After all, nourishment is the best protection!
When done properly, the body responses by putting on muscle which further boosts protection.
The conventional approach of "protecting the back" by never rounding the spine and "bracing actively" is complete hogwash
to be continued ...