Hey Sean sorry to hear about your back. I know it sucks to deal with injuries but it sounds like your going about it the right way. Hopefully things will improve with those stretches domingochavez linked. Good luck with Juggernaut it looks to be a pretty good program, I know JP has done really well with it.
A few more things to add on the back issues for myself which may apply to you.
I wake up super stiff in the lower back, more so when I sleep on my side. I've started to sleep predominately flat on my back, with two towels rolled up underneath my lumbar spine. I wake up a lot less stiff and sore the next morning. I've tried on my side with a pillow between my legs, but I woke up early in the morning with even more pain than usual.
I've also realised I have a greater than normal anterior pelvic tilt, a lot of the population does due to having a sedentary desk job. Check out this video for explanation and how to begin resolving.
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoOayJXqvi0[/url]
Another thing I've realised is that I never properly activate my glute maximus when squatting and deadlifting. As a result my glute medius and minimus have really deep trigger points, and are significantly more overdeveloped than my glute max. Looking at some of your photos you don't seem to have the same imbalance as I do, but worth looking into!
I've started doing single leg squats and single leg deadlifts to bring my glute max up, apparently the two best exercises for that muscle.
I'm also off to the Osteopath on Saturday for some dry point needling and advice on what else I can do, I'll keep you posted with any breakthroughs I make and will keep checking on your progress to see if you've put any more pieces in the puzzle!!
Quick question
How did you injure yourself?
Might be able to provide some input for it as I've suffered from back/hamstring/core issues for a while now.
[QUOTE=Vanguard1965;971437713]Hey Sean sorry to hear about your back. I know it sucks to deal with injuries but it sounds like your going about it the right way. Hopefully things will improve with those stretches domingochavez linked. Good luck with Juggernaut it looks to be a pretty good program, I know JP has done really well with it.[/QUOTE]
Im looking forward to it the Juggernaut. It will be interesting to see how things go with these high rep weeks to kick it off. Defintely not used to doing those 4 core movements at 10+ reps.
[QUOTE=domingochavez;971539543]A few more things to add on the back issues for myself which may apply to you.
I wake up super stiff in the lower back, more so when I sleep on my side. I've started to sleep predominately flat on my back, with two towels rolled up underneath my lumbar spine. I wake up a lot less stiff and sore the next morning. I've tried on my side with a pillow between my legs, but I woke up early in the morning with even more pain than usual.
I've also realised I have a greater than normal anterior pelvic tilt, a lot of the population does due to having a sedentary desk job. Check out this video for explanation and how to begin resolving.
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoOayJXqvi0[/url]
Another thing I've realised is that I never properly activate my glute maximus when squatting and deadlifting. As a result my glute medius and minimus have really deep trigger points, and are significantly more overdeveloped than my glute max. Looking at some of your photos you don't seem to have the same imbalance as I do, but worth looking into!
I've started doing single leg squats and single leg deadlifts to bring my glute max up, apparently the two best exercises for that muscle.
I'm also off to the Osteopath on Saturday for some dry point needling and advice on what else I can do, I'll keep you posted with any breakthroughs I make and will keep checking on your progress to see if you've put any more pieces in the puzzle!![/QUOTE]
Thanks for all the links and vids and advice. I really appreciate. I like the websites you linked to in your previous post. I spent a while reading around the whole site last night and there is lots of good info. Ive tried sleeping on my back and I just cant seem to get used to it. I wake up a lot and inevitably end up on my side. The pillow between my legs has helped me though. I went to the PT yesterday and we spent some time doing the psoas stretch that was in that video.....really pretty coincidentally because I hadnt read the article until I came home. It seems to have helped shifting the pain around. Ive got pain in so many places in my back that I know I have multiple problems. But the psoas/quad-l might be pretty big players.
[QUOTE=Fire8085;971619623]Quick question
How did you injure yourself?
Might be able to provide some input for it as I've suffered from back/hamstring/core issues for a while now.[/QUOTE]
I didnt do anything specific to injure myself.....there wasnt any moment in time when I noticed that my back started to hurt. It was a gradual thing that kind of wavered back and forth for a while. I thought I felt well enough to do some heavy deads and I set a PR one day back about a month ago.....then I woke up the next morning with my normal pain pattern but MUCH worse. Ive rehabbed it back quite a bit from that day, but still not close to 100% and I just fear going back to train super heavy until i know im in good shape. So to answer your question, I am pretty sure its pain developed from overuse/underuse of certain muslces with have rocked my pevis to one degree or another. The queston for me is how to figure out which muscles need to be stretched and loosened....and how to relieve all the triggers that i have going on.
[QUOTE=AustrianOakJr;972143623]Im looking forward to it the Juggernaut. It will be interesting to see how things go with these high rep weeks to kick it off. Defintely not used to doing those 4 core movements at 10+ reps.
[/QUOTE]
Just did the "realization" week for the 10's wave last night on squats... lungs definitely gave out before my quads lol. I'm digging it so far, a nice change of pace where you have your main movement you want to progress on, and then you can throw in accessory work as you see fit. Very flexible with what seems like endless ways to tweak it to your liking. You should have some fun with it :)
[QUOTE=domingochavez;971539543][url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoOayJXqvi0[/url]
Another thing I've realised is that I never properly activate my glute maximus when squatting and deadlifting. As a result my glute medius and minimus have really deep trigger points, and are significantly more overdeveloped than my glute max. Looking at some of your photos you don't seem to have the same imbalance as I do, but worth looking into!
!![/QUOTE]
Dude....I started watching some of the vids this guy makes and it is GOOOD. Just that first one where he says "if you cant do this you should be doing any of these other exercises".....and he demonstrating anterior and posterior tilt. I have ZERO ability to put my hips in a posterior tilt. Just in the last 5 minutes (here at work, lol) I started squeezing my glutes to try and reach a posterior tilt and im noticing a reduction of pain in my lower back. This might be another big player in my back pain. Gonna keep at it. Thanks again for the links.
hope life is going well bro! hope everything feels better and really interested to follow more logs doing juggernaut!
[QUOTE=adamjohn32;972144973]Just did the "realization" week for the 10's wave last night on squats... lungs definitely gave out before my quads lol. I'm digging it so far, a nice change of pace where you have your main movement you want to progress on, and then you can throw in accessory work as you see fit. Very flexible with what seems like endless ways to tweak it to your liking. You should have some fun with it :)[/QUOTE]
So with the realization phase, you are doing a 5/3/1 warm up and then an all-out-as-many-reps-as-you-can set with what looks to be about 60% of 1RM. I can see how that last set would be interesting. :) Ive only done the one workout in the accumulation phase and the last set is supposed to go past 10 but stop 2 reps shy of failure. Well, I got past 10, but I dont know that I stopped 2 reps shy of failure. I think my 1RM calculations are correct, but im not used to doing so many sets at 10+ reps with bench. Ive always used it as a main power movement so its been in the 3-6 rep range. I think my body will do a little adjusting......which is good.
[QUOTE=NaturalPursuit;972150183]hope life is going well bro! hope everything feels better and really interested to follow more logs doing juggernaut![/QUOTE]
Life is going OK. Still struggling with pain. Today in particular. But its just part of the game.....gotta keep plugging. Thanks for checking in on me and I hope you are progressing nicely.
Definitely sounds like you have some solid leads now on getting to the bottom of your persistent back pain. Hopefully u will soon find lasting relief so u can get back to training like Im sure u want to.
Perseverance will pay dividends!
[QUOTE=AustrianOakJr;972148633]Dude....I started watching some of the vids this guy makes and it is GOOOD. Just that first one where he says "if you cant do this you should be doing any of these other exercises".....and he demonstrating anterior and posterior tilt. I have ZERO ability to put my hips in a posterior tilt. Just in the last 5 minutes (here at work, lol) I started squeezing my glutes to try and reach a posterior tilt and im noticing a reduction of pain in my lower back. This might be another big player in my back pain. Gonna keep at it. Thanks again for the links.[/QUOTE]
Wow you really are tin man then hehe, I don't seem to have any issues rocking my pelvis back and forth, I can just NEVER get my lower back to be free from tightness. I'm waking up significantly less tight than before now I'm sleeping on my back and stomach, the wife will yell at me as I start snoring on my back though!
And I've also noticed I can bend over with straight legs a lot easier than before, getting up first thing in the morning and getting my son out of his cot was excruciating before, now it's just a mild stretch.
Hopefully another 4 - 6 weeks and all will be well, and we can both get back to smashing some heavy ass weight!
[QUOTE=demonwareltd;972203773]Definitely sounds like you have some solid leads now on getting to the bottom of your persistent back pain. Hopefully u will soon find lasting relief so u can get back to training like Im sure u want to.
Perseverance will pay dividends![/QUOTE]
"Leads" are pretty much all they are at this point. Ive been stretching my hip flexors and working on glute activation for the past few days. I notice rapid pain relief when I stretch correctly but the frustrating thing is that once I cool down from my workout, the pain comes right back to where it was. I guess the good news is that I think I can train. The bad news is that its gonna hurt the next day.
[QUOTE=domingochavez;972359753]Wow you really are tin man then hehe, I don't seem to have any issues rocking my pelvis back and forth, I can just NEVER get my lower back to be free from tightness. I'm waking up significantly less tight than before now I'm sleeping on my back and stomach, the wife will yell at me as I start snoring on my back though!
And I've also noticed I can bend over with straight legs a lot easier than before, getting up first thing in the morning and getting my son out of his cot was excruciating before, now it's just a mild stretch.
Hopefully another 4 - 6 weeks and all will be well, and we can both get back to smashing some heavy ass weight![/QUOTE]
Well, ill be keeping an eye on you to see how you do. I hope you get it. I seem to be on the right track, I just need to keep plugging away at the rehab/prehab.
Sean, I was unable to put myself into a Posterior Pelvic tilt for a very long time. I can currently do it, but I'm sure if I don't do mobility religiously, I'll be unable to do it within a few days.
That's why I was suggesting wearing flat shoes (I wear my Chuck's all day). When I run the softball on the hips and do some ART, then stretch the Psoas out, it puts my low back in that "unloaded" position so it doesn't seize up during the day. I also make a conscious effort to correct myself about 5,000 times a day, flexing my glutes and abs simultaneously.
My PT and I decided to try using some super strong athletic tape to tape my upper abs to my hips. When my abs stretched out and my low back curved, I'd feel a massive tug on the tape. A couple days of doing that gave me the mental cues to self correct while not using the tape.
You might also want to find ways to stretch your low back. It's not an easy task, but that could help a bit too. Musculature that's too tight in the low back could impede progress that you're making in the hip flexors.
Another thought is doing some trigger point work on the quads. Short quads and that upper quad area could also be part of the problem too.
Just trying to throw out some thoughts as they come to me...
[QUOTE=jked4life;973410593]Sean, I was unable to put myself into a Posterior Pelvic tilt for a very long time. I can currently do it, but I'm sure if I don't do mobility religiously, I'll be unable to do it within a few days.
That's why I was suggesting wearing flat shoes (I wear my Chuck's all day). When I run the softball on the hips and do some ART, then stretch the Psoas out, it puts my low back in that "unloaded" position so it doesn't seize up during the day. I also make a conscious effort to correct myself about 5,000 times a day, flexing my glutes and abs simultaneously.
My PT and I decided to try using some super strong athletic tape to tape my upper abs to my hips. When my abs stretched out and my low back curved, I'd feel a massive tug on the tape. A couple days of doing that gave me the mental cues to self correct while not using the tape.
You might also want to find ways to stretch your low back. It's not an easy task, but that could help a bit too. Musculature that's too tight in the low back could impede progress that you're making in the hip flexors.
Another thought is doing some trigger point work on the quads. Short quads and that upper quad area could also be part of the problem too.
Just trying to throw out some thoughts as they come to me...[/QUOTE]
Some great tips here thanks I'll incorporate some of these too.
I had some dry needling done yesterday, as well as some deep tissue massage on my QL. My glutes had some very tender and deep trigger points which she needled out, and my lower back as expected was very tight and required a fair bit of work to loosen up.
Felt great afterwards, but after a crummy nights sleep my lower back is stiff today (Sunday morning)
She also suggested taking magnesium to keep the muscle spasms at bay.
Good info going on in this thread.
A main issue I had is that when I developed my back pain and had a lordosis, I over corrected it and lost my curve completely.
In that process I started to develop intense lower ab pain and now it radiates to my adductors. There is definitely a fine line between correcting imbalances and overtraining muscle groups.
good luck with rehabbing bro! hope things are going well!!!
[QUOTE=domingochavez;973767443]Some great tips here thanks I'll incorporate some of these too.
I had some dry needling done yesterday, as well as some deep tissue massage on my QL. My glutes had some very tender and deep trigger points which she needled out, and my lower back as expected was very tight and required a fair bit of work to loosen up.
Felt great afterwards, but after a crummy nights sleep my lower back is stiff today (Sunday morning)
She also suggested taking magnesium to keep the muscle spasms at bay.[/QUOTE]
Yea, Matt (jked4life) and I hung out on saturday and we talked a lot about mobility work. Probably the biggest thing that stuck with me about our conversations was his suggestion to do some rolling/myo/ART work first thing in the morning out of the shower. Been doing that for the last few days and ive noticed some improvement this morning. (And no, Matt, I dont think the wide stance squats helped......my external rotators were screaming at me the next day....and I was actually more stiff Sunday morning).
[QUOTE=Fire8085;974542933]Good info going on in this thread.
A main issue I had is that when I developed my back pain and had a lordosis, I over corrected it and lost my curve completely.
In that process I started to develop intense lower ab pain and now it radiates to my adductors. There is definitely a fine line between correcting imbalances and overtraining muscle groups.[/QUOTE]
Wow...you actually went the other way? Went from a anterior pelvic tilt to a posterior tilt? Never heard of that before....geez. What did you do to move in that direction?
[QUOTE=NaturalPursuit;974598473]good luck with rehabbing bro! hope things are going well!!![/QUOTE]
Thanks man! Yes, things are currently going well! We will see how I feel tomorrow after todays leg session. :)
Well Matt (jked4life) and I went to the NYS Natural on saturday. Had a pretty good time. Prejudging was pretty packed in the audience and there was some very good competition there. We wandered back stage for a while and smelled the hot stuff, chatted a bit, etc. After pre j, Matt and I checked out a Golds gym near by. Both of us had completed our training for the week so we pretty much just messed around....worked on some form, some mobility stuff, etc. It was fun to train with a partner again. Im pretty much a lone wolf at my home gym. After the gym, we hit up Wegmans and got some chow.....wraps and sushi. Good PWO. We went back to the night show and it was a DISASTER. They oversold the venue and we wound up sitting on the floor in the isle. WTF? And if that wasnt bad enough, after about an hour, they asked us all to leave because we were breaking fire code. OK? Hmmm...maybe, you should only sell the number of tickets that is equivalent to the number of seats. Geez. So we left, and got our money back. I was looking forward to seeing Ben Esgro and Terry Doer battle it out in the finals....but I got the ******** update. So, heres one of the shots I took of the light heavy class. Ben Esgro is in the middle and my friend Eric Lindeneau is to his direct left. Ben was freaky shredded. Terry, the overall winner, simply had better structure and a good bit more mass. But Ben definitely won the conditioning category.
[IMG]http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg123/AustrianOakJr/IMAG0820.jpg[/IMG]
TRAINING: DAY 4 JUGGERNAUT
TRAP BAR DEADS
270 X 10
270 X 10
270 X 10
270 X 10
270 X 12
STATIONARY LUNGES
135 X 16
135 X 16
135 X 14
STANDING CALF RAISE
120 X 10
150 X 10
150 X 10
7 min cardio, stretch, roll, etc. Done and Done.
This was quite a bit more volume that I am used to coming out of 531. By the time I was done with 52 deadlifts and 45 lunges, I was smoked. Calves rounded it out nicely. Hopefully tomorrow my spine remains in the proper spot and I can walk. We shall see!
Those were some big boys up there! Bens conditioning was sick!
Glad you're enjoying juggernaut, it's a great program. Although the volume is def tough when coming out of a power lifting type program like 5/3/1. Time to man up! :D
[QUOTE=jpfaherty;974840433]Those were some big boys up there! Bens conditioning was sick!
Glad you're enjoying juggernaut, it's a great program. Although the volume is def tough when coming out of a power lifting type program like 5/3/1. Time to man up! :D[/QUOTE]
YEa, i was all "manned up" when I was hunched over the squat rack picking my lungs up off the floor today....lol. :D
[QUOTE=AustrianOakJr;974831993]Well Matt (jked4life) and I went to the NYS Natural on saturday. Had a pretty good time. Prejudging was pretty packed in the audience and there was some very good competition there. We wandered back stage for a while and smelled the hot stuff, chatted a bit, etc. After pre j, Matt and I checked out a Golds gym near by. Both of us had completed our training for the week so we pretty much just messed around....worked on some form, some mobility stuff, etc. It was fun to train with a partner again. Im pretty much a lone wolf at my home gym. After the gym, we hit up Wegmans and got some chow.....wraps and sushi. Good PWO. We went back to the night show and it was a DISASTER. They oversold the venue and we wound up sitting on the floor in the isle. WTF? And if that wasnt bad enough, after about an hour, they asked us all to leave because we were breaking fire code. OK? Hmmm...maybe, you should only sell the number of tickets that is equivalent to the number of seats. Geez. So we left, and got our money back. I was looking forward to seeing Ben Esgro and Terry Doer battle it out in the finals....but I got the ******** update. So, heres one of the shots I took of the light heavy class. Ben Esgro is in the middle and my friend Eric Lindeneau is to his direct left. Ben was freaky shredded. Terry, the overall winner, simply had better structure and a good bit more mass. But Ben definitely won the conditioning category.
[IMG]http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg123/AustrianOakJr/IMAG0820.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]
Didn't even see you there or would have said whats up, other then the INBF worlds this was one of the best shows as far as depth of competitors for sure, sorry you couldn't stick around for the finals man. Ben was freak shredded as was TErry. really good show for sure
Good Stuff Sean. I think I am going to jump into Juggernaut post contest and build up some strength so I can get into some powerlifting. My training partner started it a few weeks ago and has enjoyed it so I know there are some benefits. I would really like to hear your thoughts after you have been doing it a few weeks.
[QUOTE=jaredmus;975096193]Didn't even see you there or would have said whats up, other then the INBF worlds this was one of the best shows as far as depth of competitors for sure, sorry you couldn't stick around for the finals man. Ben was freak shredded as was TErry. really good show for sure[/QUOTE]
Sorry i missed you. I was one of the guys sitting on the damn floor waaay in the back...lol. :) Definitely a good show, for sure. A lot of top quality athletes. Probably not quite where the worlds is as far as depth but definitely one of the best local pro-q's ive seen.
[QUOTE=fltallpaul;975100963]Good Stuff Sean. I think I am going to jump into Juggernaut post contest and build up some strength so I can get into some powerlifting. My training partner started it a few weeks ago and has enjoyed it so I know there are some benefits. I would really like to hear your thoughts after you have been doing it a few weeks.[/QUOTE]
Ill definitely keep the log updated for sure. So far so good. I did deadlifts last night and i was huffing and puffing like crazy. The higher reps/volume is a wake up call for me! Pretty dang sore today also. Fun stuff!
Well I am happy to say that my back continues to get better!! I am pretty darn sore from all the deads and lunges yesterday but my back remains in decent shape. I went out and bought a nice 4" PVC pipe for rolling so ill be adding that to my morning routine to keep the mobility work in shape. Im coming back! Again. :D
[QUOTE=AustrianOakJr;975395373]Well I am happy to say that my back continues to get better!! I am pretty darn sore from all the deads and lunges yesterday but my back remains in decent shape. I went out and bought a nice 4" PVC pipe for rolling so ill be adding that to my morning routine to keep the mobility work in shape. Im coming back! Again. :D[/QUOTE]
Great to hear buddy, anything in particular do you think that's helped it?
[QUOTE=AustrianOakJr;975395373]Well I am happy to say that my back continues to get better!! I am pretty darn sore from all the deads and lunges yesterday but my back remains in decent shape. I went out and bought a nice 4" PVC pipe for rolling so ill be adding that to my morning routine to keep the mobility work in shape. Im coming back! Again. :D[/QUOTE]
This is some great news Sean. Seems the older we get, the more prehab is needed to keep in top form.
[QUOTE=domingochavez;975664303]Great to hear buddy, anything in particular do you think that's helped it?[/QUOTE]
Well, all I know is what I changed the last few days prior to feeling better. But for all I know things could have just snapped back into place in my sleep. I started really focusing on my hip flexor flexibility specifically using a couple of the stretches you posted. Not that I wasnt stretching hip flexors before....I was.....in fact, I had stretched them to the point that they were really flared up nasty on my right side. So I continued to work through some of the flare up. I also started rolling first thing in the morning....at least for the last 4-5 days. I think that helps to line things up for the day ahead. In that time, I spend a good chunk of it with a softball on my pirmorfis (sp?).....the upper part of my glutes.....and TFL. So, ill keep this up and hopefully I stay together in one piece. Right now, im massively sore in my legs but it doesnt seem to be effecting my back, so thats a good sign.
[QUOTE=adamjohn32;975686143]This is some great news Sean. Seems the older we get, the more prehab is needed to keep in top form.[/QUOTE]
Yea, I think its partly age....but I also think its partly pushing the limits of what I am lifting. Im as strong as I have ever been and I am pushing hard on those all out sets. I just think that when we get to the point of genetic limitations....or the point of diminishing returns, our bodies tend to "thank" us in funny ways.
[QUOTE=AustrianOakJr;975766843]Well, all I know is what I changed the last few days prior to feeling better. But for all I know things could have just snapped back into place in my sleep. I started really focusing on my hip flexor flexibility specifically using a couple of the stretches you posted. Not that I wasnt stretching hip flexors before....I was.....in fact, I had stretched them to the point that they were really flared up nasty on my right side. So I continued to work through some of the flare up. I also started rolling first thing in the morning....at least for the last 4-5 days. I think that helps to line things up for the day ahead. In that time, I spend a good chunk of it with a softball on my pirmorfis (sp?).....the upper part of my glutes.....and TFL. So, ill keep this up and hopefully I stay together in one piece. Right now, im massively sore in my legs but it doesnt seem to be effecting my back, so thats a good sign.
Yea, I think its partly age....but I also think its partly pushing the limits of what I am lifting. Im as strong as I have ever been and I am pushing hard on those all out sets. I just think that when we get to the point of genetic limitations....or the point of diminishing returns, our bodies tend to "thank" us in funny ways.[/QUOTE]
Glad to hear that you're on the up and up. I know all that stuff helped me a lot when I was all jacked up. I think the morning work really helps me be limber and in a better position all day (which reduces further damage). I like the softball for the pirifomis and hips too. Good deal.
Sounds like Juggernaut is fun... in a painful kind of way. Might be checking that out sometime after westside.
Show was awesome too. Had a great time checking it out, despite the seating debacle. Lots of huge and lean competitors. I was really impressed. Felt really small though :(.
[QUOTE=jked4life;976498873]Glad to hear that you're on the up and up. I know all that stuff helped me a lot when I was all jacked up. I think the morning work really helps me be limber and in a better position all day (which reduces further damage). I like the softball for the pirifomis and hips too. Good deal..[/QUOTE]
THanks...yea, im still feeling pretty good. I ratcheted it up a notch on legs today. Felt awesome.
[QUOTE=jked4life;976498873]
Sounds like Juggernaut is fun... in a painful kind of way. Might be checking that out sometime after westside..[/QUOTE].
Let me know when you start and I can send you some stuff.
[QUOTE=jked4life;976498873]
Show was awesome too. Had a great time checking it out, despite the seating debacle. Lots of huge and lean competitors. I was really impressed. Felt really small though :(.[/QUOTE]
I felt more fat than anything..:D
JUGGERNAUT - HACK SQUATS - TO 90* BOX
240 X 5
270 X 5
295 X 10
295 X 10
295 X 25 (apparently i need to recalculate the hack numbers....lol)
GLUTE BRIDGE (shoulders down on floor)
225 X 10
225 X 10
GLUTE THRUSTS (from low cable)
STACK X 10
STACK X 10
SEATED CALF RAISE
3 plates+10 X 10
3 plated+10 X 10
3 plates+10 X 7
ABDOMINAL PLANKS
X 1 min
X 1 min
X 45 sec
Well, my low back seems to continue to improve. Ive been hitting the roller every morning and at the gym, before and after my workout. Still stretching, etc. Im really happy about that. Next week, ill have to redo the numbers for my hack squat bc I dont think I should be getting 25 reps on the last set. And in reality I think my lungs gave up before my legs. I also switched up my glute bridges from my back being on a short box to putting my back against the floor. I seem to be weaker this way so I am hoping its helping to engage the glutes more rather than allowing my hams to overpower the movement.