Session 35

Some soreness during exercise is normal. Sharp, escalating pain is not.

1. 

   Exercise 1

   Seated good morning

   2 × 10+

   Arms crossed on chest: strict brace

   How to do it

   1. 1Sit tall on a flat bench or the edge of a firm chair with your feet wide apart and knees bent so that your heels are roughly beneath your knees.
   2. 2Breathe in and brace your core.
   3. 3Hinge forward slowly while maintaining your brace and a neutral spine.
   4. 4Fight to keep a straight back and stop the movement when you feel that your back may begin to round.
   5. 5Drive down through your feet and push your hips forward into the bench to return to the starting position.

   Why this exercise

   A seated position increases stability and lets you build confidence with hinging at the hips before you try it standing. The extra stability means 100% of your attention can go to moving through the hips with a locked, neutral spine.

   Make it easier

   • Micro-hinge: lean only as far as stays comfortable, build over time
   • Rest your hands on your thighs to support your torso
   • Drop down a rung of the lever ladder

   Make it harder

   • Climb the lever ladder (longer lever = harder): (1) hands on thighs
   • Arms crossed on your chest
   • Hands behind your head (do not push your chin down)
   • Hug a weighted object to your chest (a book, water jug, or filled bag)
   • Increase the depth of the hinge (back must not round into flexion)
2. 

   Exercise 2

   Single-leg RDL / hip hinge

   2 × 6/side

   Full hand support, partial range: brace, keep the load close

   How to do it

   1. 1Position yourself near a supporting surface for your hand.
   2. 2Stand tall on one leg with that knee slightly unlocked (not rigid) and gently brace your core.
   3. 3Tip your chest forward while moving the raised leg straight out behind you.
   4. 4Stop when torso and trailing leg are roughly parallel to the floor, or sooner if balance shifts or your back begins to round into flexion.
   5. 5Squeeze the standing-leg glute and pull your hips forward to return to standing.

   Why this exercise

   This is a step up from the standing hip hinge. Standing on one leg asks far more of the glutes, hamstrings, and the small stabilising hip muscles, while still teaching your back to stay neutral.

   Make it easier

   • Drop back to the standing hip hinge and build strength there
   • Let the trailing toes lightly brush the floor for balance
   • Press more firmly into the supporting surface

   Make it harder

   • Reduce support: full hand support
   • Fingertips only
   • Light or no support
   • Hold a light weight in the hand opposite your standing leg
3. 

   Exercise 3

   Bodyweight hip hinge (hands on thighs)

   2 × 10

   Warm-up: brace, objects close to the body

   How to do it

   1. 1Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.
   2. 2Place your hands lightly on the tops of your thighs and gently brace your core.
   3. 3Push your hips back behind you slowly and slide your hands down your thighs for support. Imagine you are closing a car door with your butt, letting your chest tip forward while keeping your back straight.
   4. 4Stop when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings or if you notice your back beginning to round, then return to standing by driving your hips forward and straightening your legs.

   Why this exercise

   This is a skill drill, not a workout. It teaches you how to bend using hips and legs while keeping your trunk stable - basically the foundation for picking things up without relying on rounding your spine into flexion.

   Make it easier

   • Smaller hinge (hands don't slide far)
   • Practice against a wall (hips tap wall)

   Make it harder

   • Deeper hinge while staying neutral (spine)
   • Remove hand support gradually
   • Hold a light object, once the pattern is automatic
4. 

   Exercise 4

   Single-leg glute bridge

   2 × 5-8/side

   How to do it

   1. 1Lie on your back with both knees bent and feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart.
   2. 2Lift one foot off the floor and hold that knee bent toward your chest, or keep the leg straight out, whichever you prefer.
   3. 3Gently brace your core, squeeze the glute of your planted leg, and push through that heel to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knee.
   4. 4Keep your hips level (do not let one side dip or rotate), pause briefly, then lower with control and repeat for the prescribed reps before switching legs.

   Why this exercise

   Strong glutes drive your hips so your lower back doesn't have to, which is one of the best ways to take load off a sore spine. Lifting one foot roughly doubles the demand on the working hip compared with the two-leg bridge, so it's a big step up in glute strength with no extra kit.

   Make it easier

   • Drop back to the double-leg glute bridge
   • Lifted-leg toe lightly touches the floor
   • No pause, fewer reps

   Make it harder

   • Add a 2-3 second pause at the top
   • Hip thrust
   • Single-leg hip thrust
   • Rest a weight on your hips
5. 

   Exercise 5

   Step-ups

   2 × 5/side

   How to do it

   1. 1Stand facing a stable low step or platform with your feet about hip-width apart.
   2. 2Place one foot firmly on the raised surface, lean your body slightly forward over that leg, and gently brace your core.
   3. 3Push through the heel of the front foot to straighten that leg and bring your body up onto the step.
   4. 4Slowly lower back down with control, lightly tapping the other foot to the floor before repeating for the prescribed repetitions on each leg.
   5. 5Stairs are a great location for this as they often have railings for additional balance support.

   Why this exercise

   Step-ups are simple, functional leg strength with built-in balance work. Great for building walking/stairs capacity and easing back into 'real life strength' without needing a gym setup.

   Make it easier

   • Lower step
   • Hold a railing or fingertip support
   • Reduce reps and go slower

   Make it harder

   • Higher step/platform
   • Add load by holding a weight in one hand
   • Slow eccentric (3-4 seconds down) if your next-day response behaves
6. 

   Exercise 6

   Side Plank (from feet)

   2 × 10s/side

   How to do it

   1. 1Lie on your side with your legs straight, elbow under your shoulder, and body in a straight line from elbow to shoulders.
   2. 2Lightly brace, then lift your hips so your body forms a straight line; hold for the prescribed time, breathing steadily, then lower with control and repeat on both sides.

   Why this exercise

   Same idea as the knees version, just more difficult due to the longer lever from being on your feet instead of your knees! This is the middle rung of the side-plank ladder.

   Make it easier

   • Back to knees version
   • Stagger feet for a wider base
   • Shorter holds with perfect alignment

   Make it harder

   • Longer holds
   • Lift your top leg a few inches and hold it (abduction) while you brace
   • Add resistance (a weight or object) onto your side while you hold
7. 

   Exercise 7

   Bird Dog

   2 × 3/side × 5-8s hold

   How to do it

   1. 1Start on hands and knees with your knees directly below your hips and hands below shoulders.
   2. 2Breathe in and brace your core, then slowly extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back without letting your low back sag or twist (the raised arm and leg should be parallel with the floor). Hold for the prescribed time in the extended position, then return and switch sides.

   Why this exercise

   Life is basically 'keep your trunk stable while a limb does something.' Bird dogs trains that skill. Another favourite of Dr. Stuart McGill's and the final exercise of his 'big 3'.

   Make it easier

   • Arm-only reach
   • Leg-only reach (toe slide back)
   • Shorter holds

   Make it harder

   • Longer holds and more repetitions
   • Slower tempo (3-5 seconds out, 3-5 back)
   • Increase the width of your hands and knees on the floor (the width of your base)
8. 

   Exercise 8

   Curl-up

   2 × 6-8 reps × 8s hold

   How to do it

   1. 1Lie on your back with one knee bent and the other leg straight, hands gently under your low back to keep a small natural arch.
   2. 2Breathe in to expand your belly and brace your core lightly as if someone is about to poke your belly, then lift your head, shoulders, and upper back just a few centimetres off the floor without curling all the way up.
   3. 3Hold the curl-up for the prescribed time, then slowly lower and repeat as directed.

   Why this exercise

   This modified curl-up was popularized by Dr. Stuart McGill. It teaches you to brace and create support around your low back while the hands tucked underneath stop your spine from flexing.

   Make it easier

   • Shorten the range of your curl-up (barely lift your shoulders from the floor)
   • Shorter holds/fewer reps
   • Rest longer between reps

   Make it harder

   • Longer holds
   • Increase the range of motion of your curl-up (lift shoulders a little further) without performing a full sit-up
   • Graduate to the front plank (start on your knees if needed)
9. 

   Exercise 9

   Front plank

   2 × 20s (from knees if needed)

   Or continue with the curl-up. Front plank is the step up once the curl-up is easy

   How to do it

   1. 1Set up face down with your forearms on the floor, elbows directly under your shoulders, and your feet (or knees) behind you.
   2. 2Take a breath in and brace your core hard, then lift your hips so your body forms one straight line from your head to your heels (or knees).
   3. 3Squeeze your glutes and gently tuck your tailbone so your low back does not sag toward the floor.
   4. 4Hold for the prescribed time, breathing steadily, then lower with control and rest.

   Why this exercise

   A braced, stable trunk lets your spine stay still and protected while your arms and legs do the work, which is exactly what spares your back during everyday lifting and carrying. The plank is the step up from the curl-up: instead of a small lift you hold a full-body brace against gravity, so it builds far more whole-body core endurance.

   Make it easier

   • Plank from your knees
   • Hands on a raised surface (a couch or bench)
   • Shorter holds

   Make it harder

   • Knees, then full plank on your feet
   • Long-lever plank (walk your elbows further forward)
   • Feet-elevated plank (toes up on a step)
   • Longer holds
10. 

    Exercise 10

    Lifting light object from floor

    Light object, braced hinge

    Graded lifting practice: keep the object close to the body, brace throughout

    How to do it

    1. 1Stand close to the object on the floor so you don't have to reach for it. The further it sits from your body, the harder it pulls on your spine.
    2. 2Set your feet about hip-width apart, soften your knees, and take a firm breath in to brace your core hard, like you're about to be poked in the stomach. Hold that brace.
    3. 3Push your hips back and hinge forward with a flat back (do not round), then grip the object with both hands and pull it in tight against your body.
    4. 4Keeping the object close and the brace locked, drive your hips forward and straighten your legs to stand. Do not twist: if you need to turn, turn with your feet.
    5. 5Lower the object back down with the same flat-back hinge, staying braced and keeping it close the whole way.

    Why this exercise

    Eventually you have to pick things up, so this is graded exposure: rebuild your tolerance to load by drilling the lift itself, one small step at a time, with a strict brace and the object kept close to your body.

    Make it easier

    • Raise the start height (lift from a chair or step) so you hinge less far
    • Step back down the load ladder to a lighter object

    Make it harder

    • Climb the load ladder: a light object
    • A heavier everyday household object
    • A loaded bag (a backpack or shopping bag you can fill)
    • Lower the start position closer to the floor
    • Once lifting is solid, add the loaded carry
11. 

    Exercise 11

    Loaded carry

    Household bag, short distance

    Brace your core, stand tall, keep the load close. Progress distance before load

    How to do it

    1. 1Load a sturdy household bag (a shopping bag or backpack) with a weight that feels easy to start with.
    2. 2Stand tall, brace your core gently, and pick the bag up with a flat-back hinge, keeping it close to your body.
    3. 3Walk a set distance at a steady, controlled pace, standing tall with your shoulders back and your core braced. Do not lean or hike one hip up to compensate.
    4. 4Set the bag down with the same flat-back hinge, rest, and repeat for the prescribed distance or number of trips.

    Why this exercise

    Carrying things is one of the most everyday loaded tasks there is, from shopping to luggage to a full laundry basket. This rebuilds your tolerance for it on the move, training your core to keep your spine tall and steady while you walk under load. It pairs with the graded lifting practice: lifting builds the pick-up, carrying builds the walk.

    Make it easier

    • Shorter distance
    • Lighter load
    • Split the load across both hands to keep yourself even

    Make it harder

    • Increase the distance first while keeping the same weight
    • Then increase the load, in small jumps
    • Carry the weight in one hand (a suitcase carry) to challenge your core to resist leaning