Partly brought on by the popularity of kettlebell training 20 years ago and the increased research on the negative side effects of sitting, training the muscles of the superficial back line have become a staple in many training programs. The kettlebell swing, one of, if not the foundational exercise you perform with a kettlebell, is a good choice to effectively train this area. The Superficial back line (SBL) connects
and protects the entire posterior surface of the body like the shell of a turtle, starting from the sole of the foot to the top of the head in two pieces- toes to knees and knees to brow. When the knees are straight, as in standing, the SBL works as one continuous line of integrated myofascial tissue.
So, what is the job of the SBL? In regard to posture, it supports the body when in an upright position and prevents the tendency from curling over into a flexed position. This is the reason for conducting posture assessments when determining which areas to emphasize in someone’s training protocol. Another reason for prioritizing the SBL in your training is because of the excessive time spent sitting throughout the day, these muscles tend to shut down specifically in the gluteus, lumbar
Spine, and mid-back area. These muscles in return become de-conditioned. The all-day postural demands of these muscles have a high demand for slow twitch or endurance muscle fibers in this area. To experience an example of this, simply make note of your posture at the end of the day compared to at the commencement of the day.
I have adopted a recent approach to focus more on stretching the opposing arm line and performing minimal strength exercises when working with the senior population. The challenge is to reverse years of being flexed in one direction. Adding a strength exercise like the bench press can only magnify the problem in this situation.
I’ve written before about how we are born in a flexed position, with our focus being inward. As we begin to develop strength, movement competency, and balance in the SBL, which is linked to our maturity, we transition from a picture of being primarily flexed into a position of being easily upright.
Common postural compensation patterns associated with the SBL include: ankle dorsiflexion (pulling toes towards shins), knee hyperextension (straightening of leg), hamstring shortness, anterior pelvic shift (sway back), rounding of the thoracic spine, and suboccipital limitation leading to upper cervical hyperextension (excessive forward head position). It’s hard to determine which of these will come first, but highly common that if you have one, you probably have signs of the others.
This is another example of why training all the muscles you don’t see when looking in the mirror is important and can change the quality of your life. Get off the seated leg extension and chest press machine and do more deadlifts and rows. You’ll thank me for it later.
I’ll see you at the studio.