Subject: Got back pain from sitting all day?
There IS a way to fix it that doesn't require drugs and/or surgery.
It's a program called "Unlock Your Hip Flexors" from two good friends of mine Rick Kaselj and Mike Westerdal of CriticalBench.com.
What I'm going to do today is give you my honest assessment of the program...what's it's all about and what specifically it can do for you...and whether you even need it. No hype.
Then you can decide for yourself if you think it's a good fit for you.
What Is the Psoas and Why Do I Need to Unlock It?
The Psoas is one of the key muscles in your hips...it's a flexor of the hip, meaning it helps to raise your knee towards your chest. You can't see it (because it's deep under your more visiable six-pack abs), which is a major reason why it often doesn't get the attention it deserves.
It's about the most unglamorous muscle you've got.
So first, I want you to think about the position you find yourself in most of the day...is it sitting?
If so, there's a very good chance your psoas is "locked" or unnaturally shortened.
When your hips are set 90 degrees for hours at a time, you start to become "chair shaped."
Your body becomes it's function and if it's function is to fit onto a chair, it will adapt to that position and become a chair. Your everyday posture has an incredibly powerful impact on the alignment of the structures of your body.
The psoas is only one part of the puzzle...and it is a BIG part of the puzzle.
Having tight psoas muscles can cause a variety of issues in the body as they work to keep your body in the shape of a chair.
- When you stand up, because the psoas is so tight and doesn't lengthen and relax enough, they literally PULL your abdomen forward, making your stomach stick out and making you LOOK fatter than you are...if you've gotten down to low bodyfat (or seen somebody very lean) and find your stomach still bulges out, this could be a MAJOR reason why it happens.
- It inhibits glute activation, meaning your glutes don't fire properly and don't get used properly even when doing exercises like squats and deadlifts. This leads to that coveted "no butt" look...[insert sarcasm here], which everybody loves so much.
- Also, this inhibition of the glutes means you're LOSING A LOT OF POWER on those big exercises...literally (as in the article I posted yesterday), this could be upwards of 20 to 30+ lbs on a max deadlift, which is HUGE.
These are a few of the things that the "Unlock Your Hip Flexors" program specifically addresses.
A Weird Experiment To Try
In addition to the physical issues it can cause, a tight psoas can also have a big impact on your mood and energy.
To show you this, I want you to try a weird little experiment right now where you're sitting.
I want you to set your hands together on the table or desk in front of you, let your shoulders sag down forward and your back slump down.
Oh shoot...were you already in that position? ;)
(That's not the experiment, just a little nudge...)
So now that you've straightened yourself back up (I know you just did), go back into that slumped position and try and smile....even a fake smile is REALLY hard to do when you're in that position.
NOW sit up straight, stretch your arms out wide, lean back, straighten your hips out, expand your chest and take a deep breath in.
Then smile.
MUCH easier this time, wasn't it.
The hunched-forward, slumped body position is a "fear and depression" position. Your mind takes it's cues from your body position. If you're curled up in a fetal position, your body thinks something is wrong...either you're being attacked and you're trying to "cover up" or you're just depressed.
It sounds strange, but getting your psoas unlocked so your body is NOT always stuck in that crunched-up position can actually make you FEEL better mentally.
Who Doesn't Need This?
I'll be honest, most people probably WOULD benefit from working on their psoas.
However, if your hips are relatively mobile, you don't have that "belly bulge" problem, and you don't sit a lot during the day, this is probably something you don't really need. You likely have good psoas function already.
I find for me, though, the older I get, the more I'm starting to tighten up and the more I think I can benefit from doing some of these things...especially since I do spend a good portion of the day sitting.
How Does "Unlock Your Hip Flexors" Fix These Problems?
Rick is one of the best at what he does, which is treat and prevent injuries. In fact, several of his high-level programs have been used for certification credit for physiotherapy courses.
What Rick has done here is take that tremendous base of knowledge and SIMPLIFY IT so that ANYBODY can understand it and put it to work.
He'll show you exactly what to do, via pictures, descriptions and detailed video, so you can actually fix YOURSELF, unlocking your own hip flexors without needing to go to physiotherapy, just using simple stretches, movements and body position techniques in the comfort and privacy of your own home.
The techniques are very simple...you don't need to be strong or coordinated to do them. Heck, you don't even need to understand WHY you're doing them for them to work.
Just do them and you get results.
So What's the Catch?
Well, as with anything good like this, it usually comes down to price. And to me, their price is WAY off the mark.
Because it's not enough.
Not to be rude, but 15 bucks? Seriously? That's like a fast food meal.
The problem is, with a price that cheap, there is the real possibility that you won't see the value of this product and think it's just some random stretches that you could get for free off the Internet.
Not so.
This is a carefully designed sequence that has been used with great success by THOUSANDS of people, just like you, to dramatically improve the quality of their life by getting your psoas functioning properly again.
It's easy stuff to do and immediately effective.
I think you're going to like it.
Nick Nilsson
The Mad Scientist of Muscle
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