Help With Anterior Pelvic Tilt / Hyperlordosis

[JLay87]

I'm posting in the PT forum because I figured you guys would be able to help me out the most. I have a feeling this would get lost in the shuffle if I posted it in Workout Programs which rarely, if ever, deal specifically with posture correction.

I've worked pretty hard to maintain balance in my lifting program to maintain proper posture and prevent looking like a gymbro gorilla. I was able to incorporate some back/shoulder work and after a couple of months was able to get rid of my internal shoulder rotation and pretty much balance it out (though it's a constant battle I admit haha) but I've been procrastinating on correcting my pelvic tilt because it's so dramatic and I don't want to stop strength training just to work on it and lose the strength gains I've been putting up the past couple weeks/months. I've had it as long as I can remember so I just want to finally get rid of it now. I'm sick of having my belly stick out at 12% bodyfat haha.

Check my bodyspace for a pic, though it looks worse now that I've lost a bunch of weight and leaned out a bit. The weird thing is that I have a huge ass so I don't know how that happens with glute inhibition haha.

I have a pretty balanced lifting prog like I said before, but I was thinking about adding in some body weight exercises on off days, specifically:

1. Prone Cobra 3 sets x 60second hold
2. Supine Bridge 3x25
3. Prone Bridge 2x 60second hold
4. Side Bridge 2x 60 second hold on each side
5. Scapula Push up 1x25
6. Regular Push up 1 set of max reps

I was also going to slightly modify my lifting prog (which is a hypertrophy prog built off the DC model, though I'm not doing DC training) to include more lifts to strengthen my posterior chain (stiff leg dead lifts, pull throughs, some other stuff).

I don't want to post my whole lifting prog here and I guess I'm not really looking for specific advice on that. Regarding strength training I'm just looking to hear what you guys think about what I've thought of overall. I also would be grateful if anyone could provide me with a good list of stretches to do regularly to stretch my hip flexors to better treat this problem.

[SFT]

I'm posting in the PT forum because I figured you guys would be able to help me out the most. I have a feeling this would get lost in the shuffle if I posted it in Workout Programs which rarely, if ever, deal specifically with posture correction.

I've worked pretty hard to maintain balance in my lifting program to maintain proper posture and prevent looking like a gymbro gorilla. I was able to incorporate some back/shoulder work and after a couple of months was able to get rid of my internal shoulder rotation and pretty much balance it out (though it's a constant battle I admit haha) but I've been procrastinating on correcting my pelvic tilt because it's so dramatic and I don't want to stop strength training just to work on it and lose the strength gains I've been putting up the past couple weeks/months. I've had it as long as I can remember so I just want to finally get rid of it now. I'm sick of having my belly stick out at 12% bodyfat haha.

Check my bodyspace for a pic, though it looks worse now that I've lost a bunch of weight and leaned out a bit. The weird thing is that I have a huge ass so I don't know how that happens with glute inhibition haha.

I have a pretty balanced lifting prog like I said before, but I was thinking about adding in some body weight exercises on off days, specifically:

1. Prone Cobra 3 sets x 60second hold
2. Supine Bridge 3x25
3. Prone Bridge 2x 60second hold
4. Side Bridge 2x 60 second hold on each side
5. Scapula Push up 1x25
6. Regular Push up 1 set of max reps

I was also going to slightly modify my lifting prog (which is a hypertrophy prog built off the DC model, though I'm not doing DC training) to include more lifts to strengthen my posterior chain (stiff leg dead lifts, pull throughs, some other stuff).

I don't want to post my whole lifting prog here and I guess I'm not really looking for specific advice on that. Regarding strength training I'm just looking to hear what you guys think about what I've thought of overall. I also would be grateful if anyone could provide me with a good list of stretches to do regularly to stretch my hip flexors to better treat this problem.

I actually came across this article (http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=5311337). Not sure if it will be remove, but it's called "Don't Be Like Donald Duck" on T-Nation. I hypothesized this on my own when attempting to fix my anterior pelvic tilt. Just to be clear, there is probably a range that is a normal. For instance, a little anterior pelvic tilt probably isn't going to kill you. Getting yourself to excessive posterior pelvic tilt is likely not healthy either.

That being said, Bret makes a good point in my estimation, that we perform a lot of movements for the right muscles, but we are still in an anterior pelvic tilt. Many trainees don't finish the deadlift or squat by actually following through with the glutes. You also have to consider the other 23 hours a day that you aren't training. Some people adopt certain postures or movements even though there might not be a problem muscularly. For instance, I wasn't excessively tight or weak in any areas that would lead to anterior pelvic tilt. My body just learned that posture. Once I started focusing on walking around with a posterior pelvic tilt to bring me into more of a neutral position, things came together rather quickly.

[SerpentHearted]

there's a few good threads on the forums about this.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=130876763
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=123812871

[JLay87]

I actually came across this article (http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=5311337). Not sure if it will be remove, but it's called "Don't Be Like Donald Duck" on T-Nation. I hypothesized this on my own when attempting to fix my anterior pelvic tilt. Just to be clear, there is probably a range that is a normal. For instance, a little anterior pelvic tilt probably isn't going to kill you. Getting yourself to excessive posterior pelvic tilt is likely not healthy either.

That being said, Bret makes a good point in my estimation, that we perform a lot of movements for the right muscles, but we are still in an anterior pelvic tilt. Many trainees don't finish the deadlift or squat by actually following through with the glutes. You also have to consider the other 23 hours a day that you aren't training. Some people adopt certain postures or movements even though there might not be a problem muscularly. For instance, I wasn't excessively tight or weak in any areas that would lead to anterior pelvic tilt. My body just learned that posture. Once I started focusing on walking around with a posterior pelvic tilt to bring me into more of a neutral position, things came together rather quickly.

Hey thanks for this, I never saw this article. I found this other article on T-nation which goes into it in great detail and am going to be running a variation of the program they outline:

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...no_more_part_i

After making that post and thinking about it last night I figured I might as well commit to this completely for a month to finally get rid of this postural issue once and for all. It's just a month, after all.

My APT is pretty severe. I've never had any health problems from it - no back pain or anything - but it just looks ridiculous. Because of it I have hyperlordosis and more mild kyphosis (not enough for me to call it hyperkyphosis, which is most likely due to the upper back work I do). To be honest I'm upset that throughout my whole life, and all of the doctors I've seen and PT's I've met/know, nobody told me I had this. I thought it was just how my body was shaped until someone on a random forum pointed it out to me based on my progress pics a while ago.

I'm a huge stomach sleeper, and so last night I finally forced myself to sleep on my back. I put a pillow under my ass, too. I think that will help a bit so I'm gonna try to keep that up. I might get rid of a pillow or not use any at all under my head to try to correct the excessive kyphosis and bring my neck back. I don't know if this actually helps but I feel like it will.

I also learned how to do IT Band stretches last night and found out I'm really tight in there, so I'm going to keep these up daily. On off days I'm going to be doing Steve Maxwell's hip mobility series.

I'm going to start next week, so I'll probably start a journal on bb.com here to track progress and keep myself accountable.

there's a few good threads on the forums about this.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=130876763
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=123812871

Thanks!

[lexinak]

I'm posting in the PT forum because I figured you guys would be able to help me out the most. I have a feeling this would get lost in the shuffle if I posted it in Workout Programs which rarely, if ever, deal specifically with posture correction.

I've worked pretty hard to maintain balance in my lifting program to maintain proper posture and prevent looking like a gymbro gorilla. I was able to incorporate some back/shoulder work and after a couple of months was able to get rid of my internal shoulder rotation and pretty much balance it out (though it's a constant battle I admit haha) but I've been procrastinating on correcting my pelvic tilt because it's so dramatic and I don't want to stop strength training just to work on it and lose the strength gains I've been putting up the past couple weeks/months. I've had it as long as I can remember so I just want to finally get rid of it now. I'm sick of having my belly stick out at 12% bodyfat haha.

Check my bodyspace for a pic, though it looks worse now that I've lost a bunch of weight and leaned out a bit. The weird thing is that I have a huge ass so I don't know how that happens with glute inhibition haha.

I have a pretty balanced lifting prog like I said before, but I was thinking about adding in some body weight exercises on off days, specifically:

1. Prone Cobra 3 sets x 60second hold
2. Supine Bridge 3x25
3. Prone Bridge 2x 60second hold
4. Side Bridge 2x 60 second hold on each side
5. Scapula Push up 1x25
6. Regular Push up 1 set of max reps

I was also going to slightly modify my lifting prog (which is a hypertrophy prog built off the DC model, though I'm not doing DC training) to include more lifts to strengthen my posterior chain (stiff leg dead lifts, pull throughs, some other stuff).

I don't want to post my whole lifting prog here and I guess I'm not really looking for specific advice on that. Regarding strength training I'm just looking to hear what you guys think about what I've thought of overall. I also would be grateful if anyone could provide me with a good list of stretches to do regularly to stretch my hip flexors to better treat this problem.

I'd say ditch all those exercises. Open chain hip extension is a pretty huge demand for someone with tight hip flexors, too easy to get the form wrong and defeat the purpose. Instead:

TRX hamstrings


Roll over stretch


Bed stretch


If you're an anterior tilter that means you are too tight in the hip flexors and lumbar erectors, and not strong enough in the rectus, obliques, glutes and hamstrings.

[JLay87]

I'd say ditch all those exercises. Open chain hip extension is a pretty huge demand for someone with tight hip flexors, too easy to get the form wrong and defeat the purpose. Instead:

TRX hamstrings


Roll over stretch


Bed stretch


If you're an anterior tilter that means you are too tight in the hip flexors and lumbar erectors, and not strong enough in the rectus, obliques, glutes and hamstrings.

Thanks for the tips. What's the advantage to the TRX ham curl over just doing ham curls on a machine at the gym? I don't think I could even come close to that roll over stretch haha, and the bed stretch just looks like a variation of an IT Band stretch which I'm already doing. My plan is going to be based around stretching, rolling and lengthening my hip extenders and strength training my posterior chain, as well as watching my posture and changing my sleep posture.

[ericmackcarter]

If you're an anterior tilter that means you are too tight in the hip flexors and lumbar erectors, and not strong enough in the rectus, obliques, glutes and hamstrings.

The only thing we can KNOW from observing excessive anterior pelvic tilt (which is subjective) is that the individual has excessive anterior pelvic tilt. This statement is so broad that it has absolutely no pratical application.

How do we know that the degree of pelvic tilt is not in fact appropriate for the individual?
How do we know specifically which muscles are weak and which are inappropriately tight, especially considering your list of muscles approach fifty different divisions?
More importantly, how do we know the reason for weakness or tightness?

You cannot know these things by simply observing anterior pelvic tilt. These general exercise prescriptions are potentially ineffective and non-specfic at best, and dangerous or inappropriate at worst.

[virtuefitcpt]

The only thing we can KNOW from observing excessive anterior pelvic tilt (which is subjective) is that the individual has excessive anterior pelvic tilt. This statement is so broad that it has absolutely no practical application.... ....You cannot know these things by simply observing anterior pelvic tilt. These general exercise prescriptions are potentially ineffective and non-specfic at best, and dangerous or inappropriate at worst.

What he's trying to say is that you need to be properly assessed by someone who's qualified to do it.

But generally, you can think of anterior/posterior pelvic tilt like this...

There is a four person tug of war. Try to picture a square box with a rope leading from each corner. When everything is balanced, the box (pelvic girdle) is in the proper place. When it loses balances, it begins to rotate. Those ropes are your muscle groups. You have your anterior core, posterior core, quads, and ham/glutes.
Note that lateral pelvic tilt and femur issues are a completely different issue.
Muscle tightness and imbalance can certainly contribute to this issue, and with great magnitude. But without a proper assessment from an independent, qualified, knowledgeable source nothing can be determined.

[JLay87]

Haha yeah, I know, it's always best to go see a professional who is specifically qualified in the area which you are trying to work. But to be honest I'm always skeptical of seeing trainers just because I've seen how terrible the ones at my gym are (bro curls in the squat rack? 1/5 ROM toe squats?) and I don't feel like hunting around trying to find a good one when I believe I'm knowledgeable enough to self-diagnose. Which is the same reason, for example, why I don't see a nutritionist when putting together a diet. That would definitely change if I needed to, say, put together a PT prog for treating an injury, or if I ever get to the point where I want to actually start powerlifting or OLY lifting, or start competing somehow. Right now, I'm doing pretty good on my own, and if I can't correct this issue on my own then I will start seeking outside help (just not at my gym, lol).

I'm not certified, but I was studying for NASM certification for some time before deciding it wasn't something I wanted to get into, and follow research fairly closely. I think I'll be okay enough to do this.

Right now I'm stretching hip flexors, IT band and quads three times daily, foam rolling daily and I put together a prog similar to the Neanderthal No More prog. I'm also doing the hip mobility series that I mentioned above on off days. I think all of this, combined with practicing proper posture throughout the day, will get me where I want to go fairly quickly.

Since starting I noticed my IT band and hip flexors were extremely tight; rolling the flexors is excrutiating right now but getting better haha. I'm pretty sure tightness in these muscles is a significant contributor to my pelvic tilt. This probably started when I started skateboarding in 6th grade, as when you're skating you're up on your toes all the time which most likely either caused or significantly contributed to my pelvis tilting.

[JLay87]

So I bought The Grid foam roller and I've been using it daily on my quads, hip flexors and IT bands. I'm also doing quad/hip flexor/IT band stretches daily. Should I be stretching or strengthening my lower back?

I've been doing a modified version of the Neanderthal No More lifting prog and am noticing that on snatch grip deadlifts I'm not really utilizing my hamstrings/glutes, feel it mostly in my lower back. I'm wondering if this is due to flexibility issues in my posterior chain? I don't want to stretch those though because that seems counterproductive. Thinking about switching to snatch grip rack pulls instead.

Also noticing on squat variations that I'm hitting my quads a lot more than hams/glutes. I'm not sure how to correct this; I try pushing with my hams/glutes but it doesn't really feel like I'm working them out as much. Maybe I'm leaning forward too much? I'm focusing on pushing through my heels, though. Would putting a plate under my toes help?

Finally, hip flexor lunge stretches are really hitting my quads and I'm not sure why. I try to keep my pelvis straight and squeeze my glutes but it still feels like it's hitting the quads too much. Any easier way to stretch the hip flexor without hitting quads so much? I wonder if my quads are just super tight.

[jaliu]

Hey thanks for this, I never saw this article. I found this other article on T-nation which goes into it in great detail and am going to be running a variation of the program they outline:

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...no_more_part_i

After making that post and thinking about it last night I figured I might as well commit to this completely for a month to finally get rid of this postural issue once and for all. It's just a month, after all.

My APT is pretty severe. I've never had any health problems from it - no back pain or anything - but it just looks ridiculous. Because of it I have hyperlordosis and more mild kyphosis (not enough for me to call it hyperkyphosis, which is most likely due to the upper back work I do). To be honest I'm upset that throughout my whole life, and all of the doctors I've seen and PT's I've met/know, nobody told me I had this. I thought it was just how my body was shaped until someone on a random forum pointed it out to me based on my progress pics a while ago.

I'm a huge stomach sleeper, and so last night I finally forced myself to sleep on my back. I put a pillow under my ass, too. I think that will help a bit so I'm gonna try to keep that up. I might get rid of a pillow or not use any at all under my head to try to correct the excessive kyphosis and bring my neck back. I don't know if this actually helps but I feel like it will.

I also learned how to do IT Band stretches last night and found out I'm really tight in there, so I'm going to keep these up daily. On off days I'm going to be doing Steve Maxwell's hip mobility series.

I'm going to start next week, so I'll probably start a journal on bb.com here to track progress and keep myself accountable.




Thanks!

Wow man I literally found out I had this too like a couple days ago. I always knew something was really weird about my body but I guess never researched it or knew it could be fixed. Ever since I was young I had the protruded stomach even though skinny (with angled waistline) and my back hurt from walking around. I did think it had something to do with sleeping on my stomach too haha and started sleeping on my back starting a couple days ago. So uncomfortable and my back hurt the next day. Been researching a lot and started stretching. I want to start foam rolling but I'm not exactly sure how to use one -- wouldn't rolling over the curved area just push it further forward? Glad to see this post since most posts here are from 10 years ago. Keep up the good work and would appreciate the updates!