Standing pike vs jeff curl

Hey there,

Just curious on how this two exercises reconcile.

Looking at standing pike technique video, one should maintain apt as long as possible and not start rounding upper back to avoid stress on lumbar discs.

Looking at jeff curl, completely opposite. Curl (round) as much as you can. ppt from the beginning, rounding of upperback and only at the bottom position the two exercises look similar.

Is jeff curl stressing my discs? Why dont we start standing pike by rounding upper back and ppt if so?

thanks

Feli

Rounding back will put stress on your spine, thats why GB coaches recommend to start with very light weight (1-2 kg) and advance very slowly only when exercise becomes easy, about 2-3 kg every 2-3 weeks. The primary purpose of JC is to strengthen spine and also improve hamstring flexibility.

Standing pike or a similar exercise that requires APT (ex. deadlift), serves a different purpose. Standing pike is focused on increasing hamstring flexibility and pike compression which will allow you to do advance moves such as manna and press handstands. Rounding back will make progression towards these exercises less effective. Also think what would happen if you were to do a heavy deadlift with PPT, thats quite dangerous!

Hi @Felipe Garcia Rosa,

Affan summed it up. These mobility exercises should not be rushed and each one has its own purpose. After mastering these mobility exercises, a single set of 10 for warmup or maintenance would be sufficient. 

Hey Affan and Leo,

Thanks for your responses.

To sum it up, primary purpose of JC is to improve back flexibility and allows some stress on lower back. Standing pike is focused on hamstring flexibility only.

Is that right?

Hi Felipe,

Jefferson curl also stretches your hamstrings and calves. It's a weighted mobility exercise. It also both stretches and strengthen your spine. By gradually increasing the load on Jefferson curls up to 1/2 or even body weight your low back will gain a lot of strength, which will reduce the risk of injuries when it comes to other activities such as weightlifting (especially deadlifts) and yoga. 

Got it. Thanks for your answer Pauline!