How do I fix my posture?

Long story short IST bros I finally managed to reach <15% bf. However, now my postural deficiencies are more evident than ever. I have:

>forward head
>moderately rounded shoulders
>APT
>mild barrel chest, goes away when fully exhaling.

I've watched countless videos but I have not found yet anything that seems to work. Any relevant experience would be greatly appreciated.

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  1. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I have direct experience as a former kyphosis nerd neck. I was constantly told my posture was bad. I fixed it and it's much easier to stand straight now.

    1. Every single morning when you wake up and evening before you get in bed, lay flat on the floor on your back. Your feet will be flat also, with your knees pointed up at roughly 90°. Make your entire spine from where it exits your skull to where it terminates at your coccyx touch the floor, no exceptions. You will find this impossible. From this position of struggle, use your glutes to push your pelvis up in the air until your neck is flat against the ground and your upper rounded back is partially on the ground. Now slowly roll down your upper back out flat toward your toes. It will be excruciating. Force yourself to stay in the position and keep resetting until your upper back muscles give up and go flat. The process takes 10 minutes. At the end you should perceive your spine as more or less flat on the floor, then you can get up.

    2. Go to the gym and end your session face pulls every single day. Make sure your form is flawless.

    3. On back day, prioritize rows in all their variants. Heavy rows, light rows high reps, wreck your back with all kinds of rows.

    4. Do 2x as many back/bi/pull days as you do chest/tri/push days.

    This is the only answer to your problem. If you cannot accomplish it from here you're simply a b***h.

    • 1 year ago
      OP

      Thank you bro for the insights, truly appreciate them. I have a question though:

      Do you think that too many rows might enhance the hunch even more? Because, when I do back days, I feel like I'm just making only my middle back stronger, since it takes the most toll when rowing.

      BTW, how is your posture now? Is your default state in good posture, or do you simply find it easier to maitain it while thinking about it?

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Your back is weak, there is absolutely no way you're going to overdo it on rows.

        Default state is average posture from horrible posture, and excellent posture when I'm conscious of it (usually am.) Before I did the work, excellent posture was fully physically impossible by a large margin. Yours likely is too.

  2. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Physio here
    Tilt your pelvis posteriorly by gently squeezing your butt and abdominals to get used to your new default posture. Then retract your shoulderblades a little to make a 'proud chest'.
    Then try to notice wether your spine is still in ''neutral'' or it gave way to it's old default anterior tilt position.

    Now try to walk a little,see if your spine still is neutral

    Long term goals should be exercising
    -Glutes (deep squat)
    -Obliques (planks/side planks, notice how these exercises are in a neutral spine position unlike crunches)
    -Scapula retractors (seated cable rows)

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Firstposter here, agree 100% with physio anon about these cues – the constant forward pelvic tilt is very unintuitive at the beginning but it is necessary. For "proud chest" there's another important cue which is to imagine you're using your back muscles to pull your scapulae into your back pockets. This pulls your shoulders into a further stabler position.

    • 1 year ago
      OP

      Thanks a lot physiobro. All noted and will be followed immediately.

      I just focus on sticking my chest out and not sucking my stomach in to much. Sticking your chest out should force your shoulders.back and down. Kind of like you're trying to stand up as tall as possible and there's a string pulling your belly button forward to keep your pelvis aligned. Easiest way to get it is to go against a wall and get your butt, shoulders and head to all be touching the wall but nothing else. Then flatten/relax your stomach until you get a proper arch in your lower back. That's how you want to stand and sit.

      Thanks pal, this aligns with all the rest.

      Firstposter here, agree 100% with physio anon about these cues – the constant forward pelvic tilt is very unintuitive at the beginning but it is necessary. For "proud chest" there's another important cue which is to imagine you're using your back muscles to pull your scapulae into your back pockets. This pulls your shoulders into a further stabler position.

      Thanks for the cue men, I tried it and feels quite useful, noted.

      Your back is weak, there is absolutely no way you're going to overdo it on rows.

      Default state is average posture from horrible posture, and excellent posture when I'm conscious of it (usually am.) Before I did the work, excellent posture was fully physically impossible by a large margin. Yours likely is too.

      That's encouraging to hear man, WAGMI.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Firstposter again, one more tip: use foam rollers or sideways gym benches to put all your weight right on the center of the curve in your upper back to literally flatten it out. Your back muscles have to learn the state they're supposed to be in, and forcing them into that position is the only way for that to happen.

        • 1 year ago
          OP

          Thank you bro, will do with the foam roller starting tonight.

          Physio again
          Be careful with advice on the internet, low back extensions for APT is BAD
          For you, avoid exercises that contract the lower back or iliopsoas muscle in a concentric way

          Thank you for the warning, however, do you believe that hanging leg raises/L-sit progressions are bad too? (bc you mentioned iliopsoas muscle concentric contraction is a no-no).

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            Correct, don't do those.
            You can train planks with iliopsoas isometrically, or even minimize it with sideplank and all it's variations

            I think so

            [...]
            >APT is BAD
            that's moronic
            I have it too and I do back extensions with 20kilos

            >that's moronic
            >I have it too and I do back extensions with 20kilos
            >I have it too

            There is your problem, you still have it 😉

            Physio of 20 years also here. I fricking hate physio/chiro's/osteopaths obsession with psoas like it's some kind of magic muscle.

            I'm glad the profession is moving away from diagnosing meme conditions, obsession with 'isolating' muscles and useless interventions such as electrotherapy/manual techniques.

            The reality is we are best placed at screening for issues that actually need medical intervention and providing safe and effective mobility/ strengthening programmes.

            Hello!
            Well chiropractic and osteopathy are meme professions so they have meme obsessions.
            I do not share your opinion on the iliopsoas. When I examine patients with postural problems/pains, for APT I also check for hip extension pROM in supine, 1 leg hanging over the table (which is mostly rectus femoris) and gives me an indication how much relation exists between tight hip flexors and the tilt.
            One could argue wether hyper lordosis/kyphosis (often result of scoliosis) needs intervention

            Sorry for my funky English, I'm Dutch

            • 1 year ago
              Anonymous

              >There is your problem, you still have it 😉
              Because I trained it once for the first time a week ago? Not enough time to actually fix it. But as long as it is pumped my apt gets fixed.
              Larping should be done on discord

              • 1 year ago
                Anonymous

                Then why are you giving online advice when you only have tried this once

              • 1 year ago
                Anonymous

                Then why is it bad moron?
                I'm still sore from those back extensions.
                That shows that my lower back is weak and that I should train, as my abs arent weak, and no muscle in my body is weak enough to not be able to hold my bodyweight

              • 1 year ago
                Anonymous

                because it targets the erector spinae which has the function to arch your back

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Back extension is an upgrade to this

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        bump

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      squats wont work, not enough glute activation if you have tight hams an it will mostly hit quads anyway.
      Glute bridges,
      Birddogs
      Cable kick backs
      lunges
      split squats
      downward dog
      whatever the seal posture one is called

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        People don't have tight hamstrings. This is a meme that needs to stop.

        People have weak hamstrings that are lengthened. Hams work to draw the pelvis posteriorly which in turn elongates the spine and allows increased movement.

        Squats will hit hamstrings. No amount of useless stretching will help

  3. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I just focus on sticking my chest out and not sucking my stomach in to much. Sticking your chest out should force your shoulders.back and down. Kind of like you're trying to stand up as tall as possible and there's a string pulling your belly button forward to keep your pelvis aligned. Easiest way to get it is to go against a wall and get your butt, shoulders and head to all be touching the wall but nothing else. Then flatten/relax your stomach until you get a proper arch in your lower back. That's how you want to stand and sit.

  4. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >Forward head and shoulders
    1)Push your shoulders down, activate your neck and under-jaw muscles.
    >Atp
    2)Low back extensions.
    >barrel chest
    3) read 1. It will push your chest forward, so your arms and your core muscles will be in their optimal positions. If you're not too strong overall this might prove uncomfortable, but as you gain more and more muscle this will be the most comfortable position

    • 1 year ago
      OP

      Thanks man.
      >2)Low back extensions.
      Do you think this would work? I have access only to my small home gym.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Physio again
        Be careful with advice on the internet, low back extensions for APT is BAD
        For you, avoid exercises that contract the lower back or iliopsoas muscle in a concentric way

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          Physio of 20 years also here. I fricking hate physio/chiro's/osteopaths obsession with psoas like it's some kind of magic muscle.

          I'm glad the profession is moving away from diagnosing meme conditions, obsession with 'isolating' muscles and useless interventions such as electrotherapy/manual techniques.

          The reality is we are best placed at screening for issues that actually need medical intervention and providing safe and effective mobility/ strengthening programmes.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        I think so

        Physio again
        Be careful with advice on the internet, low back extensions for APT is BAD
        For you, avoid exercises that contract the lower back or iliopsoas muscle in a concentric way

        >APT is BAD
        that's moronic
        I have it too and I do back extensions with 20kilos

  5. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >I've watched countless videos but I have not found yet anything that seems to work.
    You know watching the videos isn't enough?

  6. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I went years trying to correct "imbalances" or whatever the frick you want to call them.

    The reality is I had a functional leg length discrepancy which basically fricked up everything. It resulted in back problems, shoulder and neck problems... The lot.

    isolated "postural" exercises like scapula setting, neck retractions, TA isolation, pelvic tilts and such will do jack shit as often the problem is related to huge muscle groups like core, glutes, hamstrings and their interactions between each other.

    Revisit squatting, Make sure you you can perform a bodyweight narrow squat and a sumo squat effectively. If you can't I would work on that.

    • 1 year ago
      OP

      Thanks man, trying to stay real stricts with my reps and I get your points. Hope your problems will go away soon

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      did you fix the FLLD?
      How did you do it?
      I swear I have this, I know there's an imbalance in my muscles on left/right sides of legs/back/core

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        I'm a physio by trade so had some background knowledge.

        Typically a LLD will result In a leg that is measurably shorter than the other. You can work out whether this is a true discrepancy or apparent with just a tape measure. Google has some pictures

        Other signs would be a feeling of weakness on one side, a feeling of being 'wonky', one shoulder being higher than the other as well as having issues with back, neck pain, knee pain, hip pain and even headaches.

        In my 20 years of practice, I've tried everything from isolating glute med and other problem muscles,stretching the shit out of everything...
        Compound exercises were the only thing that made any difference. Sumo squats with increasing width sorted the unilateral weakness and nearly all my pains and problems

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous
  7. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    medical intervention*

    > I fricking hate physio/chiro's/osteopaths obsession with psoas like it's some kind of magic muscle
    I said for HIM/HER specifically I wouldn't recommend it. not in general.

  8. 1 year ago
    Anonymous
  9. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Also your opinion isn't more valuable than any other poster just because you affirm you're a physio on a basket weaving forum

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      what can i do for you to proof i am legit buddy

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        Nothing because I dont want to interact further with you
        Now I'm angry

  10. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    how are your pics the same height when it looks like the same model in two different postures?

  11. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I picked up a posture shirt from PTP, pic related. A word of advice is to not wear it while working out straight away, I didn't realise how bad my posture was during lifts and it nearly sent me to snap city, I think because it was engaging muscles differently to what I was used to or they were pre-fatigued from being activated all day

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      are these much stronger than 'normal' compression shirts? do they actually work?

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        it's not actually a compression shirt, the fit is loose. There is a secondary, tighter fabric at the back, under the shirt and between the shoulders that are to remind you to keep your shoulders back.

        I can't tell you if it works since I've only worn it for two weeks, i can definitely notice when i'm wearing it, but I did read some good reviews which is why I spent the money on it.

  12. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Deadlifts, pullups, and rows. Get going.

  13. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    When my physio showed me how to pull my hips back in line and then my back up, it feels like my toes are barely touching the ground and like I'm going to fall backwards, it's so uncomfortable that I can barely hold that posture, standing, for more than 30 seconds
    He said I have really weak quads and glutes + tight hamstrings

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Got a link to this, anon? My hips are always out of alignment due to chronic condition, with similar muscular tightness as you.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        I don't have a link, it's just what the physio told me

  14. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    APT fix

  15. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Anyone able to offer advice regarding training with AS?
    Typical posterior tilt, lack of hip hinge, grade 3/4 wear in lumbar and degeneration in SI joint. Glute, hammy tightness, tight hip flexors. In good shape and good musculature, but had to stop barbell work due to load on spine. Regardless, I still train 5-6 days per week. It's a slog some days but I'm not letting it get me down.

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