Podcast Episode #17: Dr. Stu McGill

StrongFirst Podcast Episode #17

Summary

Dr. Stu McGill discusses optimal back health and its importance when strength training.

Show Notes

00:55 — Craig introduces Dr. Stu McGill.

4:46 — Dr. McGill discusses animal models and how the cervical spine of a pig is similar to the human spine.

09:17 — Discussion of Pavel’s core strength measured in the lab.

13:30 — Dr. McGill and Pavel’s collaborations.

14:40 — Optimized lifts and the deadlift.

16:37 — The best time of day to do a deadlift.

23:40 — How you can build more strength in your bones after a fracture.

26:55 — Dr. McGill´s thoughts on yoga.

27:59 — Controlled stiffness´s impact on athleticism.

28:30 — Mobility for mobility sake is a kiss of death.

28:50 — Why we need to know our goals and design our training program.

30:24 — Genetics´ impact on what we are able to do.

37:58 — The power of the kettlebell swing in strength training.

44:22 — Weightlifting belts.

48:22 — Why creating proximal stiffness enhances distal speed.

51:44 — Power breaths make a difference in weight training.

2 Key Points:

  1. When you are designing your training regimen, it helps to know your goals. On a deeper level, it also helps to know what you want to get out of each exercise.
  2. Deadlifts are not for everyone. All exercises are not for everyone. Know your capabilities and physical limitations and design your workout based on you.

Tweetable Quotes

Proximal stiffness enhances distal speed. – Dr. Stu McGill Click To Tweet
Every exercise is simply a tool to achieve a goal. We need to know the goal for each exercise. – Dr. Stu McGill Click To Tweet

Resources Mentioned

Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance-Sixth Edition
Back Mechanic by Dr. Stuart McGill (2015-09-30)
Gift of Injury
Video of McGill’s Big 3
StrongFirst Accredited Gyms

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Craig Marker
Craig Marker, Ph.D. CSCS, StrongFirst Certified Senior Instructor Emeritus, is a fitness enthusiast who has spent his life trying to help people improve their lives. As a professor, he works with students on how best to understand research and place it into context. He has published over fifty articles, chapters, and textbooks on psychology and research methods.

As a researcher, he understands the cutting edge of strength, sports performance, body composition, and nutrition. As a psychologist, he has focused on research and treatment of anxiety disorders, which positions him to understand the motivation and the fear of making life changes.

Craig’s upcoming book, the The Antifragile Self, takes on the topic of building a stronger person in the mental and physical domains.

As a StrongFirst Certified Elite Instructor, Craig views kettlebells as one tool in the trade of forging a better person.

Visit his intentional community in Atlanta: Strength.University.
Craig Marker on Twitter

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