Blog #17 Deep Front Lines
We are finally here, the last of the Primary Motion Lines.
I have saved the Deep Front Line for last, for a reason. We use it every day, all day, and it is generally the one that gives us the most trouble. It’s the one that supports a poor posture if we don’t actively balance it with other parts of the body to keep it in check.
In previous emails and blogs, I have given you the exercises necessary to balance out this line, but please don’t make the mistake of thinking there is any joint, muscle or fascia in the body that doesn’t need to be strong and active.
For example, there is a muscle within the Deep Front Line that is incredibly important to movement – squatting, sprinting, jumping, twisting, and bending. It is called the Psoas Major muscle. If you take the time to find it on the internet, I bet you can find at least 20 different ways to stretch it, but you will be hard put finding a good resistance exercise to strengthen it.
As an aside, the psoas major muscle (an important contributor to the Deep Front Line), when strong, is the most important muscle in performing a deep squat, to sprinting fast, to loading the body for a high jump. It makes no sense, whatsoever, that we would constantly stretch it day after day, and expect it to perform as expected when needed. It needs to be STRONG and ACTIVE!!
Please remember this: A strong healthy muscle is more flexible than a constantly stretched muscle.
So now that we know how to actively balance all the motion lines with the Deep Front Line, we can learn to activate and strengthen it.
This is where much of your speed, strength, and power lies for almost all athletic movements, especially if you are bent forward in your athletic event, like in golf, baseball, tennis, etc. Also, as I mentioned above, it is integral to sprinting speed in running, cycling, swimming, and fast power actions, like weightlifting.
*Do this exercise only after you have performed at least the Spiral Line and Functional Back Line exercises. Then perform from 5-8 repetitions per side, one set, maximum twice a day.
The Skeleton View of the Deep Front LineDeep Front Line - Skeleton.mov from Joe LaCaze on Vimeo.
Learning the Exercise with No Tension
Superficial Back - No Tension - Side View.mov from Joe LaCaze on Vimeo.
Learning the Exercise with Handheld Only
Deep Front Line - Handheld Progression.mov from Joe LaCaze on Vimeo.
Doing the Exercise – Deep Front LineDeep Front Line - Combo.mov from Joe LaCaze on Vimeo.
As always, I welcome any questions or feedback.
In Health and Performance,
Dr. Joe LaCaze