Booty, Abs, And Pelvic Floor…
Pelvic floor issues are very common, even amongst the super fit functional training crowd - and not just in women with kids either, everyone, even young athletic men can suffer too…
Before we begin, it will be helpful if you can wrap your head around this little concept…
You can’t understand the whole without knowing the parts…
And you can’t understand the parts without knowing the whole…
Kegel exercises are used to strengthen your pelvic floor, but what everyone needs to understand is that the pelvic floor does not exist in a vacuum, isolated and alone…
Kegel exercises will strengthen your pelvic floor only if we view the pelvic floor in isolation…
So instead of asking “how can we strengthen the pelvic floor?”, instead, we should try asking “what can cause a weak pelvic floor in the first place?” and then take things from there…
Reason 1 - Weak Glutes…
The pelvic floor muscles run between the sacrum and the pubic bone.
Pelvic floor issues are very common, even amongst the super fit functional training crowd - and not just in women with kids either, everyone, even young athletic men can suffer too…
Before we begin, it will be helpful if you can wrap your head around this little concept…
You can’t understand the whole without knowing the parts…
And you can’t understand the parts without knowing the whole…
Kegel exercises are used to strengthen your pelvic floor, but what everyone needs to understand is that the pelvic floor does not exist in a vacuum, isolated and alone…
Kegel exercises will strengthen your pelvic floor only if we view the pelvic floor in isolation…
So instead of asking “how can we strengthen the pelvic floor?”, instead, we should try asking “what can cause a weak pelvic floor in the first place?” and then take things from there…
Reason 1 - Weak Glutes…
The pelvic floor muscles run between the sacrum and the pubic bone.
Don't worry: Focus on the sacrum - the boney bit; the levator ani - the "cranial layer" of the pelvic floor; and the pubic symphysis - the pubic bone...
You want your pelvic floor to be “long, supple and taught” to generate long-term forces that hold up your organs as well as have enough motor skill to control your bathroom muscles as needed.
If your sacrum moves towards the pubic bone, it puts slack in the pelvic floor and creates weakness.
Because anatomy pictures can be intimidating [like the one above] I drew these... They get the job done...
You want your pelvic floor to be “long, supple and taught” to generate long-term forces that hold up your organs as well as have enough motor skill to control your bathroom muscles as needed.
If your sacrum moves towards the pubic bone, it puts slack in the pelvic floor and creates weakness.
Because anatomy pictures can be intimidating [like the one above] I drew these... They get the job done...
Sacrum has collapsed towards the pubic bone = weak and slack pelvic floor...
|
Sacrum has not collapsed towards the pubic bone = strong and taught pelvic floor...
|
Great drawings, aren't they? Basically, you need to stop your sacrum from collapsing towards your pubic bone. Your glute muscles [your bottom] keep your sacrum from collapsing inwards, which in turn, keeps your pelvic floor in check…
How can you effectively train your glutes? We’ll talk about effective training after reason 2…
Reason 2 - Weak Abs…
For simplicity, we’re going to divide the core into two units: we’ll call them inner and outer units.
Your inner unit consists of certain muscle groups that work as a system, not in isolation… I’ll list them, but you don’t really need to know them… You have:
- The multifidus, the deep muscles running along the spine
- The pelvic floor, a layer of muscles that support your bladder, bowel [and uterus in women]
- The transverse abdominis [TVA], a muscle layer of the front and side of the abdominal wall
- The diaphragm, your breathing muscle
- I’m adding lower abdominals into this mix, too… You'll see why later...
When this natural girdle - and in particular your TVA - becomes defective or comparatively weak, it can no longer support the internal organs. If the abdominal wall is no longer able to provide support, the colon, liver and stomach begin to droop - so think a drooping, sagging paunch belly - this puts abnormal pressure on the rest of the digestive tract, bladder and uterus, leading to incontinence and prostate related problems…
How can you effectively train your glutes? We’ll talk about effective training after reason 2…
Reason 2 - Weak Abs…
For simplicity, we’re going to divide the core into two units: we’ll call them inner and outer units.
Your inner unit consists of certain muscle groups that work as a system, not in isolation… I’ll list them, but you don’t really need to know them… You have:
- The multifidus, the deep muscles running along the spine
- The pelvic floor, a layer of muscles that support your bladder, bowel [and uterus in women]
- The transverse abdominis [TVA], a muscle layer of the front and side of the abdominal wall
- The diaphragm, your breathing muscle
- I’m adding lower abdominals into this mix, too… You'll see why later...
When this natural girdle - and in particular your TVA - becomes defective or comparatively weak, it can no longer support the internal organs. If the abdominal wall is no longer able to provide support, the colon, liver and stomach begin to droop - so think a drooping, sagging paunch belly - this puts abnormal pressure on the rest of the digestive tract, bladder and uterus, leading to incontinence and prostate related problems…
|
|
|
No support for the organs...
|
Support for the organs...
|
Fixing It…
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll have noticed that I have outlined two common causes for pelvic floor issues - weak glutes and a weak “inner unit”… We ‘COULD’ go a little deeper and talk surgeries: cutting through the abdominal wall, sewing it back together, scarring, adhesions and dysfunction… We ‘COULD’ talk about pregnancies: muscles and even nerves can become damaged from the stretch pressure due to expanding womb or from episiotomy… We ‘COULD’ discuss diet: food and drink that you are intolerant to can [will] affect your abdominal function…
So before we go any further, let’s get sensible… Get checked by a professional.
Now, on to fixing the two common causes outlined above…
Your lower abs - the ones below your belly button - are part of a system that includes your “inner unit”. The way we teach people to brace and to hinge trains this very effectively.
Here is how we teach people to brace…
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll have noticed that I have outlined two common causes for pelvic floor issues - weak glutes and a weak “inner unit”… We ‘COULD’ go a little deeper and talk surgeries: cutting through the abdominal wall, sewing it back together, scarring, adhesions and dysfunction… We ‘COULD’ talk about pregnancies: muscles and even nerves can become damaged from the stretch pressure due to expanding womb or from episiotomy… We ‘COULD’ discuss diet: food and drink that you are intolerant to can [will] affect your abdominal function…
So before we go any further, let’s get sensible… Get checked by a professional.
Now, on to fixing the two common causes outlined above…
Your lower abs - the ones below your belly button - are part of a system that includes your “inner unit”. The way we teach people to brace and to hinge trains this very effectively.
Here is how we teach people to brace…
Perform this exercise for 2 rounds of 60 seconds. Perform it 6 times a week for 6 weeks to see a significant change in the strength of your pelvic floor.
Remember: be sensible… Don’t just grab the heaviest thing you can find and drop it on your compromised abdominals / organs…
Your brace and hinge pattern are exactly the same. Your lower abs and inner unit work with your inside hamstrings and glute max - your hinge pattern. To effectively and naturally train your hinge pattern [and grow some booty] Russian kettlebell swings [performed correctly] are an excellent option.
To effectively and naturally train your hinge [with an extra emphasis on the brace] sandbag carries [performed correctly] are an excellent option…
Now, if you’ve trained these movements before, you might be starting to put 2 and 2 together… But for extra clarity:
- Do deadlifts and kettlebell swings burn your lower back?
- Do you seem to always need a wee when you skip?
- Do you have an anterior pelvic tilt that won’t go away?
- Do you struggle with glute dominant exercises?
- Do you suck at sandbag carries?
- Do you suck at L-sits?
- Is you lower back always tight?
I won’t go on… If you answered yes to one or more of those questions, you will likely benefit enormously from the oblique opener… The best variation for you would be this one:
Remember: be sensible… Don’t just grab the heaviest thing you can find and drop it on your compromised abdominals / organs…
Your brace and hinge pattern are exactly the same. Your lower abs and inner unit work with your inside hamstrings and glute max - your hinge pattern. To effectively and naturally train your hinge pattern [and grow some booty] Russian kettlebell swings [performed correctly] are an excellent option.
To effectively and naturally train your hinge [with an extra emphasis on the brace] sandbag carries [performed correctly] are an excellent option…
Now, if you’ve trained these movements before, you might be starting to put 2 and 2 together… But for extra clarity:
- Do deadlifts and kettlebell swings burn your lower back?
- Do you seem to always need a wee when you skip?
- Do you have an anterior pelvic tilt that won’t go away?
- Do you struggle with glute dominant exercises?
- Do you suck at sandbag carries?
- Do you suck at L-sits?
- Is you lower back always tight?
I won’t go on… If you answered yes to one or more of those questions, you will likely benefit enormously from the oblique opener… The best variation for you would be this one:
To conclude… I’m not saying don’t do kegel exercises, you know, where you cut off urination mid-flow… But I am saying that the pelvic floor is part of a system, and it’s a system that can easily become weak… It can also easily become strong again with the right exercises, programming and coaching… [And the right attitude - just throwing that in there…]
Cutting off urination mid-flow will not fix your atrophied inner unit or glutes... Correct training will...
“Sit the f*** down and have a beer…”
~ Coach Collins
Copyright 2018
Cutting off urination mid-flow will not fix your atrophied inner unit or glutes... Correct training will...
“Sit the f*** down and have a beer…”
~ Coach Collins
Copyright 2018
|
"Totally surprised and well chuffed to be named member of the month at my CrossFit gym. Especially today because: Exactly one year ago today I started experiencing unusual abdominal pains. Within 24 hours I was in an ambulance, blue lights flashing, in the kind of pain I didn't even know existed. It soon transpired that I had a perforated appendix. Two operations and one month in hospital later I found myself at home recovering, two stone lighter and very very frail and weak. |
|
During my time in hospital after the 2nd operation I couldn't walk to the toilet without help. My once fit and healthy body didn't work very well anymore. I became acutely aware of what a miracle the human body is and that most of us (me included) take the awesome things it can do for granted. It was at that moment I promised myself I would get strong again. So, in May this year I joined CrossFit Blackbrook. I was a little fearful at first as I knew my abdomen was so weak (it had been split down the middle ffs)....Might I risk a hernia? Would I do further damage to myself or end up back in hospital again? Is embarking on a high intensity, strength and conditioning program a good idea in "my condition"? Will they even let me train?
My amazing CrossFit coaches Neil Collins and Julie Pope not only "let me train", they gave me so much support, encouragement and individual coaching, adapting the workouts to enable me to participate fully in classes from the start.
I found myself gaining in strength and in confidence fairly quickly and after a few weeks I decided to up my training from 3 days a week to 4 or 5. I have rediscovered my love of strength and conditioning and am now stronger and fitter than I was before my operations (although my abs still have some way to go) after only 3 and a half months.
So, why am I sharing this? 1. As shout out to how amazing the guys at CrossFit Blackbrook are and 2. To inspire maybe one person to move their body more. You don't need to wait for a life threatening situation to make you appreciate the amazing gift we all have; a human body. Appreciate those gifts and use them even if you have perceived limitations. It's so totally worth it 😊
If you got this far on my very long post. Thanks for reading. One love"
Kirstin Lyons, 47 - Self Employed
My amazing CrossFit coaches Neil Collins and Julie Pope not only "let me train", they gave me so much support, encouragement and individual coaching, adapting the workouts to enable me to participate fully in classes from the start.
I found myself gaining in strength and in confidence fairly quickly and after a few weeks I decided to up my training from 3 days a week to 4 or 5. I have rediscovered my love of strength and conditioning and am now stronger and fitter than I was before my operations (although my abs still have some way to go) after only 3 and a half months.
So, why am I sharing this? 1. As shout out to how amazing the guys at CrossFit Blackbrook are and 2. To inspire maybe one person to move their body more. You don't need to wait for a life threatening situation to make you appreciate the amazing gift we all have; a human body. Appreciate those gifts and use them even if you have perceived limitations. It's so totally worth it 😊
If you got this far on my very long post. Thanks for reading. One love"
Kirstin Lyons, 47 - Self Employed
