TheBroBrah's Guide To Correcting Excessive APT.

[BReddy15]

Another way to view what you're getting at is as someone reclines in a chair, if they're still attempting to reach forward e.g. work at a desk, then the combination of reaching forward with the recline is grounds for excessive kyphosis.

However, the mere act of reclining doesn't cause kyphosis. If the entire body reclines, head and shoulders too, then everything is still relatively straight. But if you recline a decent amount, you're going to start bringing your head forward to look at a monitor, etc. (I'm talking about a desk set-up, not laptop.)

After all, if you are reclined, your eyes natural position would be to look up, but most people have their monitor straight ahead, if not a bit down. Meaning the person has to look down some, and the rest of the body tends to follow the eyes. Eyes look down => Upper back starts rounding that direction. (Most people wouldn't have as much kyphosis issues if they were looking up or straight ahead all day.)

So another route you can go, if your chair has some recline, is bring your work station closer to you / bring your chair closer to your work station. This way you're not reaching as much. You could also elevate your monitor.

Lastly, placing a pillow between your upper back and the chair, effectively pushing the upper back forward some, is a way to get some thoracic extension. It's a play on your chair idea.

[KMadigan777]

So if you have APT you have kyphosis also?

[KMadigan777]

Thread is mostly dead, but I have now started focusing on kyphosis (even though I have apt) and it is making a lot of difference. I feel tightness/pain in my midback now that I am working on improving it. A lot better overall, try it if your apt progress isnt happening.

[EatMoBettah]

Any good body weight exercises that I can do while currently in the process of trying to fix my APT?

For example, I'd be fine with doing sit-ups, push-ups and other exercises as long as my back can remain flat or stable and it won't interfere with my APT exercises.

Is it possible for me to do this, or should I just wait for a while after I've already been doing APT exercises before doing any other sorts of exercises?

[bastianek]

Svartberg still active here? Hello man

[bastianek]

So if you have APT you have kyphosis also?

No, but mostly.
Fix for this in shortest way explained:

Strength...
... Your glutes (bridges, hip thrusts)
... Your abs (planks)
... Your (mid) trap and romboids (rows)
... Your (upper part of your) erector spinae (barbell exercises like Front squats)

Mobilize...
... Your chest
... Your (front) dealt area
... Your hip flexor and rectus femoris
... Your spine

I started to fix my posture in 2013 in this thread and it worked but after that i started to squat and deadlift a lot and it made my posture even better. In 2016 i lifted over 200 kg (deadlift). Today my posture feels rock solid. Keep going guys

[svartberg]

Hey bastianek, nice to see you're still kicking ass bro

[bastianek]

Hey bastianek, nice to see you're still kicking ass bro

Yeah man you found out some new stuff in the last years?

[svartberg]

Yeah man you found out some new stuff in the last years?

Nah found nothing new regarding posture man.

What did you post above about mobilization, anything good?
Also did you find any decent alternatives to hip thrusts & planks? been getting pretty repetitive here looking to spice it up :P

[svartberg]

So pretty bored doing the same exercises for so many years, I miss how exciting lifting used to be in the beginning
I've found even switching small things (e.g. switching benchpress db to bb) rejuvenated that exercise, and increase motivation and performance.

But when it comes to isometric exercises for APT (front core, side core, glutes), man it's hard finding alternatives!

For internal obliques am experimenting with this pilates exercise (no homo), it does make me want to die which is good!



There's still a bit of hip-flexor involvement, I imagine the exercise below eliminates it but requires more intricate setup (though should be simple to improvise with my squat rack, aerobic stepper & a belt)



For the front core I've been trying the ab-wheel, not sure if it's a good alternative to front planks as it involves too much shoulders & lats,
As for glutes, not much luck, I guess there's reverse hyper extensions but again requires too much equipment setup.

Any suggestions?

[svartberg]

Aight following the above idea, found a cool alternative for front planks



This is how I set it up atm, probably too risky if I ever add weights, but that's ages away as it's infinitely harder than planks

[bastianek]

Nah found nothing new regarding posture man.

What did you post above about mobilization, anything good?
Also did you find any decent alternatives to hip thrusts & planks? been getting pretty repetitive here looking to spice it up :P

Just basic mobilization... Nothing special...


I recommend you starting with deadlifts. Nothing made my core and glutes stronger. Deadlifts did A LOT for me. But rest the bar after every rep on the ground and start every rep from the same position. It decreases the chances of bad posture.

in my opinion and experience:

Training with Complex movements like deadlifts, Front-, overhead-, back squats etc. and using a moderate "heavy" weight, gives you the best results. If you can handle these lifts with a GOOD POSTURE and some good amount of weight, you will get a better posture in your daily activities. :-)

[svartberg]

Ah fair enough, ya man can't beat deads & squats ey!

At the end of the day, for someone who sits as much as me (almost entire day), I think there's a limit to how much exercises can help with posture aesthetics.
I've fully accepted my posture will be at ~70% of its potential, but my enthusiasm into future innovations is always there.

Btw had great success with the new exercises I'm doing (side/front core extensions), can easily do those with a decent roman chair, and damn they make planks feel like kindergarten

[Sinan09400]

in for later

[Adam201]

To answer your questions:

1) Foam rollers come in different densities. The more dense they are the harder and less likely to warp. As I live in UK i cannot recommend any websites suitable for you however I did find the more you spend, generally the better the quality.

2) APT is not directly linked to lower back weakness, however one of the symtoms is the lower back getting very tight. Strengthening it will not have an impact however, you should be working on strengthening your glutes and hamstrings more to help hold your pelvis in the correct position naturally. Feeling deadlifts on your lower back usually means your are not working your glutes as much as you should, hence it isnt helping overall. Drop the weights and concentrate purely contracting the glutes in the final stage of the deadlift.

3) No you will not be taller however with your natural posture improving throughout your body you may well feel like you are (ie chest up, shoulders back). Balance and body control will be affected in a positive way, your core will be stronger and you will feel more body power, however this will take time as you are correcting a problem that has been in the making for a majority of your life


To all the other people who are asking whether these exercises "work" or who has "cured" their APT, it simply doesnt happen like that. APT is a problem with your posture, the only cure is yourself. If you are not consistent with your work and practice good posture constantly you will always keep slipping back into bad habits. It takes time and dedication. If you are anything like me, then it is probably something you will have to keep up for a long long time.

You mention "no you will not gain height from it" but that is completely false, I am a true attest to that, I am in the process of fixing my APT/ hyper lordosis and have a mild hyper kyphotic curve and I have already gained/regained a 1/4 inch, I measure 1/4 of an inch taller in the night than I did before treatment, also not a measurement error as it was done using a stadiometer and the same one also at the same times, I also measured on multiple occasions to make sure the measurement wasn't an anomaly, which it wasn't. I also measured against a wall and I can confirm I can now stand 1/4 of an inch taller than I could before I started seeing my phsyio and doing corrective exercises.

It's simple common sense, what is longer a curved spine or a straight erect spine? ( baring every healthy spine will have mild lordosis and kyphosis it's only when they are excessive when it becomes an issue).

So yes fixing hyper lordosis can indeed increase your measurable height depending on how excessive it is, you are not "getting taller" but you are standing at your tallest potential height.

[Adam201]

Ah fair enough, ya man can't beat deads & squats ey!

At the end of the day, for someone who sits as much as me (almost entire day), I think there's a limit to how much exercises can help with posture aesthetics.
I've fully accepted my posture will be at ~70% of its potential, but my enthusiasm into future innovations is always there.

Btw had great success with the new exercises I'm doing (side/front core extensions), can easily do those with a decent roman chair, and damn they make planks feel like kindergarten

great progress by the way bro, let me show you my progress

I hate to use the word progress so much but my posture is still a work in progress

I've been going to a physio and I've been doing corrective exercises , do you recommend any other certain stretches I'll show you my APT/Kyphosis below

[Adam201]

These any better?

The one on its own is what I look like now if I squeeze my glutes hard

amazing progress! especially for 5 weeks!!! your back looks healthy now

what exercises did you focus on to correct it?

[findlay89]

Hey, stumbled across this forum whilst trying to diagnose the cause of my lower back pain (seemingly brought on by squats and rom deadlifts). Started properly training about 2 years back but ended up calling it quits for a while due to the constant low level pain right at bottom of my back. Fast forward to today and im about 8 weeks in to a 4 day per week training routine and its happening again to the point it can be pretty uncomfortable just sitting. Anyway, I initially thought it may be APT causing it, but after having a look through some of the pics in previous posts I'm not so sure (Own pics attached). Also crossed my mind that it could be sciatica but im just guessing based on google searches. Either way, any advice would be appreciated.

[ImproveFitDaily]

It is amazing how much great information is within this thread. I hope everyone has received a great deal of pain relief (or full recovery) from the information within these posts!

[svartberg]

Found an easy setup for side extensions, this isometric exercise really isolates the obliques nicely, and imo vastly superior to side planks for veteran lifters

See image from January for how this exercise sorta looks like, but no need to extend the arm like he does.

• 15kg on each side, 20kg behind to secure it
• Your entire body faces the side (i.e. facing right works your left oblique)
• Outer leg secured under the squat pad, inner leg where ever
• inner leg thigh rests on bench, i use a towel.

[svartberg]

Aight after 8 years of experimentations, I've accidentally found a way to fix APT even if I sit all day.
This happened as I sleep on a very thin futon (like 1-2"), and prop the hips up a bit. took few weeks of adjusting.
It's quite the hack, abs showing better, and now when I run I feel my glutes/hams fully activate and do most of the work.

Thing is it doesn't seem to help my kyphosis (my actual goal), and tbh I don't really care about fixing my APT any further lol.
Anyway not gonna complain, but my goal for the last 8 years is still to fix kyphosis.

[Szyszak]

One advice from me guys, dont forget about big player in ATP which is lats ... If it's tight it can literally tilt your pelvis forward. But one of the main reason why people who lifting end up with ATP is becuase they are always tought to "extend extend extend". What it does, it creating a lot of tightness in your low back, that's the reason people have ATP, u always have to choose exericse which flex the spine (the lower portion) not the upper though. Great exercise for that is leg raises which stretching out the lower erector spiane or reverse hyper extension (that's the best if u got access)

[dandogg]

Great content bro!!!

[bastianek]

Hey, stumbled across this forum whilst trying to diagnose the cause of my lower back pain (seemingly brought on by squats and rom deadlifts). Started properly training about 2 years back but ended up calling it quits for a while due to the constant low level pain right at bottom of my back. Fast forward to today and im about 8 weeks in to a 4 day per week training routine and its happening again to the point it can be pretty uncomfortable just sitting. Anyway, I initially thought it may be APT causing it, but after having a look through some of the pics in previous posts I'm not so sure (Own pics attached). Also crossed my mind that it could be sciatica but im just guessing based on google searches. Either way, any advice would be appreciated.

Posture looks fine for me imo. If youre still active, post a clip of your deadlift/squat.

Svartberg whats up man 😱

[bastianek]

Aight after 8 years of experimentations, I've accidentally found a way to fix APT even if I sit all day.
This happened as I sleep on a very thin futon (like 1-2"), and prop the hips up a bit. took few weeks of adjusting.
It's quite the hack, abs showing better, and now when I run I feel my glutes/hams fully activate and do most of the work.

Thing is it doesn't seem to help my kyphosis (my actual goal), and tbh I don't really care about fixing my APT any further lol.
Anyway not gonna complain, but my goal for the last 8 years is still to fix kyphosis.

Getting stronger in deadlifts, squats and front squats was key for me. Everything what hits spinal erector pretty hard. Perfect form is key here. Kyphosis is also a big mental & neurological thing. There can be many reasons behind it.