Lower Back stability VS flexibility

[EE6_TBOIO_MATb]

Some guy on this forum pointed out the other day that flexibility of the lower back shouldn't be encouraged, because what we need as grapplers is actually stability.

I disagree, but it got me thinking.

We obviously need both, to avoid injury.
But does one have to come to the detriment of the other ?

I think you should be able to develop a flexible as well as stable lower back, let's say if you do proper deadlifting and stretch alot as well.

I didn't post in the SP forum, cause they are much less concerned about flexibility than the people here.

What's your 2 cents on this ?


P.S. I pulled something in my lower back while wrestling a week ago, so this is of genuine interest for me now.....

 

[Zankou]

I do not believe a flexible lower back is something you should aim for. You want flexible *muscles*, not flexible joints. Trying to make your joints flexible (like your vertebrae) is almost always a very bad idea.

 

[omgitsrick]

Why is it a bad idea Zankou? I mean doesn't it lower the chance of injuring yourself, especially in the spine, because injuries there are horrible.

 

[Slithers]

you want your back to be strong

 

[Zankou]

Why is it a bad idea Zankou? I mean doesn't it lower the chance of injuring yourself, especially in the spine, because injuries there are horrible.

It increases the risk of injuring yourself. You can't make ligaments and bone "more flexible." They don't stretch, past childhood that is. Increased joint flexibility actually increases the risk of hurting yourself.

When you increase flexibility the right way, you are decreasing your muscles' tightness and tendency to clamp up to protect the joint from overextension. You aren't, or shouldn't be, making the joint itself looser and more flexible. There are muscles along the spine that you can and should stretch out, but they are usually quite flexible anyways.

 

[Gavin Smith]

You need a certain amount but not too much, most of the flexibility should come from the hips.
The more flexible the lower back is the higher chance of joint injury and the stiffer it is the more chance you have of a muscle injury.
I'd take a muscle injury over a joint injury any day of the week

 

[vitor3000]

yoga ftw!

 

[TheHighlander]

It increases the risk of injuring yourself. You can't make ligaments and bone "more flexible." They don't stretch, past childhood that is. Increased joint flexibility actually increases the risk of hurting yourself.

When you increase flexibility the right way, you are decreasing your muscles' tightness and tendency to clamp up to protect the joint from overextension. You aren't, or shouldn't be, making the joint itself looser and more flexible. There are muscles along the spine that you can and should stretch out, but they are usually quite flexible anyways.

Good points. Incorrect stretching leads to joint instability.

I don't know why anybody would think that much flexibility was required in the lower back for jujitsu though. I have an extremely tight lower back and have never had a problem performing jujitsu techniques because of it. In some cases people may be mistakenly seeing a requirement for flexibility when the reality is that they aren't attempting the techniques correctly.

 

[sha]

To play a game like Ryan Hall's inverted guard you probably need a good amount of back flexibility.

But hip muscles flexibility is probably more useful.