Upper back pain is a common issue among gym enthusiasts, particularly those engaged in weight-lifting and powerlifting. Whether you are a pro or a beginner, dealing with this kind of pain affects your progress and well-being. Dr. Stefi Cohen, a doctor and professional powerlifter with 25 titles under her belt, recently shared a video on her Instagram addressing this issue.

In the video, Cohen breaks down the science behind back pain and sheds light on its practical solutions. Her expertise in physical therapy and strength training helps offer valuable insights into understanding and overcoming this issue.

Stefi Cohen correcting postural imbalances

Dr. Cohen explained how posture plays an important role in causing back pain and dropped a surprising fact: “For every inch of forward head movement that you have, is an additional 10 lbs of tension that you are placing on your neck!” She emphasized that this is because of us being stuck in lazy postures in our day-to-day lives, and we need to open up and improve our rotation abilities to counteract this. Then she demonstrated some of her favorite exercises to overcome back pain.

She started with the quadruped rotation, restoring the range of motion of the thoracic spine specifically, and mentioned this exercise as one of her favorites. This exercise restores motion in your upper back through rotation and extensions. Then she performed an incline shoulder raise, which is an exercise for the muscles that strengthen your proper posture.

To wrap up, she shifted our attention towards the motion of shoulder blades and recommended elbow pushups as a remedy. This exercise targets the muscles around the shoulder blades, helping with stabilization and alignment. By adding all these exercises to the workout, the upper body can be strengthened and it can also help improve the posture.

Prioritizing joint health in fitness

Not long ago, Stefi Cohen also emphasized the importance of training the entire range of motion to strengthen knee joints and surrounding tissues. She said,” If you want to lift an insane amount, you need to have insanely strong joints.” Her advice underscores the importance of prioritizing joint health alongside muscle strength in fitness routines.

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She recommended doing full reps during workouts to make your tissues stronger and reduce the risk of injury. By adopting her recommended techniques of covering full reps, individuals can aspire to increase strength while reducing the chances of injury, aligning with a balanced and injury-preventive training routine.

Cohen’s insights and practical knowledge serve as a valuable resource for gym freaks to overcome common challenges like upper back pain and joint health. She emphasized the importance of proper posture and rotational abilities. By following her techniques, we can avoid major injuries in the gym.

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