Anterior Pelvic Tilt - Problems during training

R

rushy_23

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Hi all, Im new to the forum so big hello :)

Have been reading around the threads on the forum the last few days and have found some great informaton/links. So huge thank you!


Just to set the scene of my issue, Im an acitive 25 year old male. 6ft 1 and weight only 10 stone! Very very slim/tall but with nice muscle definition. Id say my cardio levels are good, mainly due to myself always being involved in soccer and bike riding/occasional running.


I started in the gym properly about 7 days ago now (for the first time), my main aim to increase my food/protien intake slightly and generally enhance my figure with the use of the facilities.


My arms and legs are already showing great improvements, I still have the skinny frame, but the muscles are slowly becoming more defined which is great!
However, I feel I've made a mess of my lower ab area!

I used to own a completely flat stomach, with definition around both the upper and lower ab reigon and nice Obliques BEFORE using the gym.
I began doing supported leg raised in the gym, and feel this is where I have gone wrong.
My lower abs now protrude greatly and its really getting me down.


Ive been reading up on the topic, and it seems Im suffering from Anterior Pelvic Tilt, however, I find it odd that before using the gym my posture was good.
After reading up, Ive found that technique is key in leg raises, so Ive attempted "repairing the damage" by doing them properly, but I only seem to be worsening things even more.
Ive tried various core building forms, all of which I can hold for long periods of time fine, but again it seems to be worsening the bulge. Under the bulge my abs feel brilliant, but my posture now looks like the picture on the right below:

best-lower-abs-exercise-tilt.jpg



Again after reading further, I suspect I have tight hip flexors. So my main question is, how can I "loosen" the hip flexors and loose this horrible bulge.


Thanks in advance,
Rushy
 
to lossen the hip flexors you would perform a standing lunge, and place your hind knee on the ground. Then rotate forward from the hips, and you should feel the stretch in your lower abdomen on the side of your rear leg. Be sure to keep your hips facing forward at all times.
However, it seems odd that after only 7 days at the gym (where you should have done the leg raises a maximum of twice being new to a gym) that you would develop anterior pelvic tilt. Seems more to me that you might very well have tight hip flexors and a weak lumbar region. Remember to tighten your abs when performing any exercise!
 
Leg raises use your hip flexors, which should come as no surprise because the action IS hip flexion. First things first, stop doing them (for now, at least). Then start doing hip flexor stretches. I think the above poster (blackanddom) was describing one of the common hip flexor stretches above, but at first read, it appeared as though he was instructing you to do lunges. So, just to make sure it's clarified, the stretch isn't a lunge itself. Lunges put a lot of tension on rectus femoris, which is both a quadriceps muscle and a hip flexor, and will therefore tighten the muscle. But the stretch is in a lunge position, with the back knee relaxed on the floor to take the tension off the rec fem. Hold the stretch for 30sec each side. Do this stretch 3 x daily (breakfast, lunch and dinner) if possible, and at the end of every workout.

You should also stretch your lower back. Anterior tilt is caused by tight lower back pulling the back of the pelvis up, and tight hip flexors pulling the front of the pelvis down. My preferred lower back stretch is sitting down, hugging your knees to your chest, and leaning forward. I find that to feel this stretch, you need to push your torso as far forward as it'll go and make sure that your thighs are always against your torso. Again, 3x daily for 30 seconds and after every workout.

Do these stretches for a few weeks and see how things go.
 
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sorry for the confusion. I was referring to the stretch, not the lunge, as Goldfish has clarified for me. I guess i should elaborate next time. However, a beginner's hip flexor stretch is today's exercise of the day! coincidence?
 
Cheers for the insight guys! Its great to have knowledge of this topic as I can imagine there are so many people whom arent aware. So probably good its exercise of the day!


Also, I use a leg press for my calves and thighs muscles, should I be wary of using this machine in respect to my hip flexors? Oh and also the rowing machine.
 
I wouldn't be tto weary of it in terms of hip flexor tightness. But I'd suggest doing the stretch before using the leg press, and doing dynamic leg swings between sets. There's a few different hip flexor muscles, and rectus femoris is the only one that I imagine would have much use at all during a leg press, because even though you go into hip flexion, you do so eccentrically, and it should actually be loading the hip extensors (which you want to activate anyway).

As for the rowing machine, you're more likely to use your hip flexors in the end position to deccelerate. That said, you'll use hip flexors in any cardio workout. So again, I'd make sure you stretch, and focus on using your gluts and hamstrings so that you're activating antagonist muscles.

Speaking of which, once you've done a few weeks of stretching, you should look into some exercises to focus on gluts and hamstrings. Deadlifts are your best friend in this instance, and full range squats are your next-best friend. Contrary to popular belief, lunges are not.
 
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