Lower Abdominal Engagement: Weightlifting and Powerlifting Athletes
Lower Abdominal Engagement: Weightlifting and Powerlifting Athletes
Weightlifting and powerlifting athletes require good lower abdominal control for optimum force transfer between lower and upper body. Breakdown in kinetic chain force transfer can occur when midline stability cannot be maintained. Efficiency in Olympic lifting hinges on lower abdominal development in order to handle the large forces being transferred through the body. Development and control of pelvic position through large ranges of motion is key for improved force loading.
Lower Abdominal Exercises for Weightlifting and Powerlifting Athletes:
Lower abdominal activation for powerlifting and weightlifting athletes requires good core control with large movements from the periphery. Progressions of these exercises, teach pelvic stability for large power movements to encourage improved force transfer from lower to upper body. This improves efficiency in lifts and allows the body to generate larger force output. The ability to stabilise the pelvis prevents poor loading through the lumbar spine and allows heavier loading without increasing lower back stiffness.
Double leg lowers is a perfect exercise to improve lower abdominal control. It encourages pelvic control with long levers moving through aggressive hip flexion and extension.
Dead bugs is a progression that integrates upper and lower peripheral movement with core control. Encouraging greater resistance to rotation and training alternating myofascial chains, dead bugs is key in improving Olympic lifting movements.
Common considerations with poor lower abdominal control:
Weightlifters and Powerlifters:
• Lack of depth due to anterior pelvic tilt;
• Posterior pelvic tilt at the bottom of the squat to increase depth;
• Increased and prolonged stiffness in lower back following training;
• Instability and pelvic rotation at the bottom of the squat;
• Inability to accelerate the bar in Olympic lifting due to poor force transfer.
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