Do the McGill Big 3 Work?

The McGill Big 3 are a set of exercises I talk about a lot. But they are often misunderstood. Sometimes what I see people using them for is a little different to what I believe they should be used for.

 Let me explain...

What are the McGill Big 3?

I run through these with a demo in the video above. But in summary: 

1. Arguably the most well known ‘Big 3’ exercise is the bird dog: getting onto all fours and raising alternate arms and legs. This position and movement acts mainly on the posterior chain of muscles - the glutes, the lats, the longissimus, iliocostalis, thoracal lumber etc. 

2. Second is the side plank, which works more on the lateral musculature, as well as the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus - particularly when you hold this position.
3. Finally, the modified curl up. Laying on the back, this is a simplified version of a curl up, where we maintain position of the lower back, lifting only the shoulder blades. We then hold this position so we feel the abdominals. This works the anterior musculature.

Unfortunately, most people think that performing these three exercises will help them reduce lower back pain. In some respects it will, but it's not quite as simple as that. It depends on a few things.

Will the ‘McGill Big 3’ reduce your lower back pain?

If we do the bird dog to strengthen the muscles down the back, will this automatically reduce lower back pain? In some respects perhaps, but the important thing to understand is that we have to remove the pain first. We have to find the trigger: the thing that is causing your pain.

That might be bending or lifting, it might be sitting at your desk for 15-20 minutes. The trigger is whatever the thing is that you do, usually in your everyday life, that makes your lower back muscles start to feel painful or tight. If we want to resolve this pain we have to understand it and work specifically to reduce it.

Many people think that simply strengthening the back muscles – as you could potentially do with these exercises – will help to reduce the pain. But unfortunately it’s just not the case, unless we also understand and remove the trigger.

Of course there are times when simply introducing McGill’s Big 3 will work to reduce pain, but it is certainly not a given. And could even risk exacerbating it. Instead, it’s always best to work to minimise the trigger, or the impact of the trigger, and resolve the pain before starting to use these exercises.

What do McGill’s Big 3 actually do?

 Activating the muscles...

McGill’s Big 3 are there to do two essential things. One is to activate the muscles and the musculature around the core, the posterior, the lateral and the anterior. This builds stability in the spine, and is particularly important around the pelvis and the five lumber vertebrae that sit on top of it. As there is no rib cage there, all the muscles will join to these five vertebrae, relying on the muscles of the core to hold everything in place. Activating these, through repetition of these exercises, can create what we call elongated activation. This can help to stabilise the spine as you go back to daily activities.

This may indirectly reduce your pain, because the muscles are active holding the spine in place. But if sitting causes you pain, activating the muscles will not necessarily take this pain away. This is where we need to look at triggers.

...for more effective performance

If you take notice of what’s happening in your torso as you walk, you’ll feel different parts of your musculature turning on and off. This is the muscles activating and stabilising the spine. Building this in a controlled environment of repetition then allows this activation to become heightened as you take it into sport or exercise. This might create a more powerful punch or kick, for example.

So that's what the McGill Big 3 actually do. If you're in pain they aren't going to reduce that pain, but they can activate the muscles to stabilise the spine. They’ll allow you to walk more effectively, because the muscles will be more active, and further help you develop in your performance or sport.

So, do McGill’s Big 3 work?

In a word, yes. But only if you use them in the right context. If you try to use them to reduce lower back pain, there's a good chance they may not do that. But once you have that pain under control or understand its triggers, they can be a great addition to your training.

 If you are struggling with lower back pain and you need some help, click the link below go through to my how to overcome lower back pain online and face-to-face consultations, where we can work together to build your rehab plan and help you overcome your lower back pain over time.