# Anterior Pelvic Tilt



## Stewart14 (May 27, 2009)

ok, so I've got this.  I know what exercises and stretches to do to help it, but my question is what exercises that I do could be helping to contribute to the problem?  Is it my squatting form?  deadlifting form?


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## Yanick (May 27, 2009)

I would assume possibly hyperextending your spine during the squat/DL/row etc. I see this all the time, people really exaggerate the arch which can be just as problematic as letting your back round (well maybe not just as problematic but its not good). The key is to develop an awareness of a neutral pelvis/spine and not let it get overly flexed or extended.

As far as I know though the biggest contributor to the Anterior Tilt is sedentary work which tends to shorten the hip flexors and weaken/lengthen the glutes/hip extensors. Once you get up your muscles resting length has been altered and you get the pelvic deviations.


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## Stewart14 (May 28, 2009)

Yanick said:


> *I would assume possibly hyperextending your spine during the squat/DL/row etc.* I see this all the time, people really exaggerate the arch which can be just as problematic as letting your back round (well maybe not just as problematic but its not good). The key is to develop an awareness of a neutral pelvis/spine and not let it get overly flexed or extended.
> 
> As far as I know though the biggest contributor to the Anterior Tilt is sedentary work which tends to shorten the hip flexors and weaken/lengthen the glutes/hip extensors. Once you get up your muscles resting length has been altered and you get the pelvic deviations.



You know, I see myself doing this when I squat, and I always think to myself that it isn't good, and yet I keep letting it happen.  I would guess the only way to correct this would be to bite the bullet, and drop the weight and practice doing the movement with a straighter spine?  Or perhaps drop the back squats totally and go with a front squat or a zercher squat for a while?


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## Yanick (May 28, 2009)

For me, developing that awareness and consciously keeping a straight, but not hyperextended, spine and neutral pelvis worked wonders. I kept getting little tweaks and pulls of one muscle or another when squatting/DL'ing heavy and fixing that one problem helped me tremendously.

I'd say, yes, dropping the weight a bit and working on maintaining a tight core but not hyperextending would help. Don't forget that this type of posture occurs in tons of exercises, RDL's, Rows etc. So I don't know if you'd want to drop the weight in all of those, but working on it would definitely help (some light warm up sets to get a feel for it and being consciously aware of it would probably work wonders).

I say, even if you want to drop weight on squats and such to practice posture, you should probably get an exercise in there to really load up the hips/knees with some weight to avoid deconditioning/atrophy (maybe some unilateral stuff, zerchers/front squats etc).


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## Stewart14 (May 28, 2009)

Well, I always will keep trap bar deadlifts in my programs, and I load those up pretty well, so it shouldn't be an issue.  I am toying with the idea of replacing back squats with some barbell lunges for a while to see if that makes a difference.  I figure the combination of those two, plus something like a glute ham raise should be sufficient.

EDIT:  I guess what we should learn is a neutral spine is more important than an upright spine?  What I mean is, is it better to keep your spine neutral even if it means you are bent forward quite a bit as opposed to trying to remain more upright where your spine may naturally or unnaturally get that inward curve in it?


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## Dale Mabry (May 28, 2009)

Yanick said:


> As far as I know though the biggest contributor to the Anterior Tilt is sedentary work which tends to shorten the hip flexors and weaken/lengthen the glutes/hip extensors. Once you get up your muscles resting length has been altered and you get the pelvic deviations.



Bingo!  While it is true that exercise form is crucial, I typically find that your every day posture affects your squat form more than your squat form affects your every day posture.  The hip flexors are a big culprit, but lumbar spine hypermobility in extension usually contributes as well.  This could definitely be due to overextending in the DL, not typical in squatting, but possible as well.  Your issue can also be due to a lack of Thoracic spine mobility, which would explain why you have hypermobility in your lumbar spine.  If your T-spine is not mobile and you perform movements that require it,  you get get unnecessary mobility from your lumbar spine, but you would need an assessment to determine that.

Think tall when you carry yourself and sit throughout the day, and take care not to overextend the hip in DLing and Squatting.  Find someone to give you a Functional Movement Screen.


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## Dale Mabry (May 28, 2009)

Stewart14 said:


> EDIT:  I guess what we should learn is a neutral spine is more important than an upright spine?  What I mean is, is it better to keep your spine neutral even if it means you are bent forward quite a bit as opposed to trying to remain more upright where your spine may naturally or unnaturally get that inward curve in it?



If you are bent forward then you don't have proper alignment.  Find the white elephant and remove it.


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