GRADUATE FROM THE COMMON CORE

Use the McGill Big 3 for optimal spine-safe performance.

- ERIN CALDERONE

In the short term, you may be aiming for higher max lifts, lower body fat or better personal records, but over the course of the next 20 or 30 years, you really just want to keep moving and doing the things that you love. And when it comes to physical, active longevity, a resilient core is imperative.

Building your core may or may not result in a visible six-pack, but it will allow you to handle just about any lift; maximize every throw, kick or punch; and improve any and all life activities. This is where the McGill Big 3 come in.

Mc-Who?

When it comes to research on the core and lower-back rehabilitation protocols, no one is more well-known than Stuart McGill, Ph.D. McGill has spent the past 30-plus years at the University of Waterloo studying spinal biomechanics, and he is now sharing his methods with others. “Having a stable spine with core stiffness and muscle endurance will help protect against low-back pain and enhance performance,” says Nicola Folino, the first McGill Method certified trainer based in Ontario, Canada.

McGill preformed hundreds of clinical studies and narrowed down the endless list of core exercises into the three that consistently proved superior for developing core stiffness and endurance 360 degrees around: the curl-up, the side bridge and Bird Dog. The McGill Big 3 demonstrated the ability to spare the spine from damaging forces while also building muscular stability and control, ingraining proper neuromuscular patterns and stiffening the body in preparation to lift heavy, jump high or go the distance.

“The Big 3 create a ‘hoop’ of stiffness around the spine that reduces and prevents painful micro-movements, and the effects last as long as two hours after these exercises have been performed,” Folino says.

Core Control Center