Starting exercising for the bridge could damage me?

[CrazyBoy]

Hello again! Following Dragon's advice I've planned my splits training once 2 days. And after performing the splits, lately I've added a new stretching exercise for the back and spine: the gimnastic bridge. I wonder could the exercising for the bridge injure me? I am paying a lot of atention to not injure my back. could any one give some recomendations? That's for now and salut from Romania!

[mat]

Bridging is one of the best exercises of all. It trains the back muscles, shoulders and abs. Anyone who is healthy (no back/neck injuries) should practise bridging every day.

If you have a very stiff back (like me) you'll probably find it very difficult and uncomfortable. You'll probably feel it most in the lower back. But if you persevere on a daily basis you'll soon be able to do it easily and you get a real 'rush' from it. It's really making a difference to my energy levels and flexibility at the moment.

Mat

[Maxim]

Arch and Bridge

The arch and bridge are two exercises primarily used to enhance the flexibility of the vertebral column and shoulders. They can also strengthen other parts of the body. The results depend on the variation of the arch or bridge performed and the method of achieving the final position. Many of these stretches are considered fundamental components of gymnastics, wrestling and yoga.

Analysis of risk factors

Various types of arching and bridging exercises can range from potentially dangerous to life threatening. Flint (1964) criticized the standing backbend exercise because, if the abdominal muscles are weak and a swayback condition exists, this exercise will exacerbate this condition. Cailliet and Gross (1987) believe that some arching is acceptable, but hyperarching is dangerous. Hyperextention of the low back can cause injury by excessively squeezing the spinal disks, by jamming together the spinal joints, and by pinching the nerve fibers that emerge from the spinal formina (openings) to form the sciatic nerve.
The concern of lumbar spine damage to gymnasts because of repetitive lumbar lordosis and hyperextention (i.e., arching and bridging) has been adressed by several investigators (Fairbank et al. 1984; Goldstein et al. 1991; Jackson et al. 1976; Oseid et al. 1974; Sward et al. 1990). A result of such continuous insult to the vertebrae may be the development of spondylolysis or low-back pain. However, Tsai and Wredmark (1993) reported that former female elite gymnasts did not have more back problems than an age-matched control group.
Can relative static skills such as the bridge or walkover cause spondylolysis, or is spondylolysis the result of chronic overloading during high-impact, weightbearing activities (such as tumbling passes, vaulting and dismounts from various apparatus) or of stresses imparted to the body during dynamic skills (such as giant swings on the horizontal bar, still rings, or uneven parallel bars)? A possible way to answer this question is to design a study that compares the vertebrae of thee distinct groups that utilize hyperextention: artistic gymnasts, rythmic gymnasts, and advanced practitioners of yoga.
Perhaps the strongest criticism of this type of exercise was raised by Nagler (1973a, 1973b) and Hanus et al. (1977) During the exercise, the woman reported a severe trobbing headache and later was unable to move without assistance. Five days later, a craniotomy was performed, and an ischemic infarct (stroke) with secondary hemorrhages was found in the left cerebellar hemispere of the brain.

Risk Reduction

Before attempting a bridge, one should possess sufficient strength and suppleness to rise up and to support and maintain the position. Adequate suppleness in the hips, lower and upper torso, and shoulders are needed. Proper sequential learning through lead-up drills and exercises, using optimal technique, and the assistance of a knowledgeable spotter can substantially reduce the risk of injury. For the middle-aged and elderly, safer alternatives should be considered.

Rationale for the Arch and Bridge

For some disciplines, the bridge is merely a conditioning exercise. Yet, in other disciplines, including acrobatics, gymnastics, judo, and wrestling, the bridge or a variation thereof may be a required skill. For such disciplines, an arch or bridge exercise can be a part of a regular conditioning program, as long as proper precautions are employed to reduce the risk of injury.

I would advise you to avoid bridging or arching exercises unless you practice a sport where the bridge or a variation thereof may be a required skill.

[dragon]

I'd agree with Maxim on that.
Depending on what your chosen sport is,you may not need extreme flexibility of the back.I'm led to believe it can even hinder some athletes,such as power lifters,as the trunk can be unstable due to the excessive flexibility(Maxim can probably clarify that being an Olympic lifter).
I would say from my own point of view,back strength is more important than back flexibility.
If you are doing the bridge for strength benefits(the wrestlers bridge for example),i would say there are safer/more effective alternatives.

Dragon

[CrazyBoy]

Ok! that's a lot of info. So if my sport doesn't require it I shouldn't do it. I read on Matt Furey that it's safe to do it. Whenever I do it it feels great, as if I am reborned. But I am a little scared I could injure the spine. It's a hard decision.

[dragon]

Isn't Matt Furey a MMA fighter?
I can see the benefits for such a fighter to gain flexibility/strength from exercises such as the bridge to counter pins/holds in the ring.
If you're ok with it and feel benefit from it then continue.Just progress slowly and conservatively.

Dragon

[Maxim]

Ok! that's a lot of info. So if my sport doesn't require it I shouldn't do it. I read on Matt Furey that it's safe to do it. Whenever I do it it feels great, as if I am reborned. But I am a little scared I could injure the spine. It's a hard decision.

Generally speaking, it's ok to do stretches, even if they are irrelevant to your sport, but considering the controversy about the safety of this exercise, common sense says: avoid it.

You say you feel "reborn" when you do it, but this can be misleadig; I hd a friend who would twist his neck untill it makes a loud cracking noise. He also told me it felt great, but one day it hurt him like hell and he still has problems now...
moral of the story: just because it feels good now, does not mean it isn't dangerous.


Dragon is absolutely right excessive suppleness of the spine can result in bad stability when supporting heavy loads.

Maybe you should focus on strething to the other side(hamstring stretch), because most people are stiff this way and have a lubar lordosis, which will likely only be aggravated by bridging.

I don't want to come off arrogant, but I think you should take what Furey says with a grain of salt. He gives bad advice and changes his theories whenever his market is satisfied.(bodyweight exercises build enormous strength, double your flexibility in one day,etc etc )
Furey is a wrestler and bridging is a part of wrestling, it makes sense a wrestler does at least some bridging. However, he advocates it for everyone, athlete and layman, children and elderly, that's irresponsible I think

[Thomas Kurz]

Isn't Matt Furey a MMA fighter?
I can see the benefits for such a fighter to gain flexibility/strength from exercises such as the bridge to counter pins/holds in the ring.
If you're ok with it and feel benefit from it then continue.Just progress slowly and conservatively.

I have seen a few MMA/NHB matches and do not recall a single instance of a bridge used to escape a hold. (Of course, I do not count backward-bending throws such as soupless or ura-nage as hold escapes.) Could you tell me in which fights have you seen it?

[Thomas Kurz]

Arch and Bridge

The arch and bridge are two exercises primarily used to enhance the flexibility of the vertebral column and shoulders. They can also strengthen other parts of the body. The results depend on the variation of the arch or bridge performed and the method of achieving the final position. Many of these stretches are considered fundamental components of gymnastics, wrestling and yoga.

Analysis of risk factors

Various types of arching and bridging exercises can range from potentially dangerous to life threatening. Flint (1964) criticized the standing backbend exercise because, if the abdominal muscles are weak and a swayback condition exists, this exercise will exacerbate this condition.
[...]
The concern of lumbar spine damage to gymnasts because of repetitive lumbar lordosis and hyperextention (i.e., arching and bridging) has been adressed by several investigators (Fairbank et al. 1984; Goldstein et al. 1991; Jackson et al. 1976; Oseid et al. 1974; Sward et al. 1990). A result of such continuous insult to the vertebrae may be the development of spondylolysis or low-back pain. However, Tsai and Wredmark (1993) reported that former female elite gymnasts did not have more back problems than an age-matched control group.
[...]
Perhaps the strongest criticism of this type of exercise was raised by Nagler (1973a, 1973b) and Hanus et al. (1977) During the exercise, the woman reported a severe trobbing headache and later was unable to move without assistance. Five days later, a craniotomy was performed, and an ischemic infarct (stroke) with secondary hemorrhages was found in the left cerebellar hemispere of the brain.

[...]

Rationale for the Arch and Bridge

For some disciplines, the bridge is merely a conditioning exercise. Yet, in other disciplines, including acrobatics, gymnastics, judo, and wrestling, the bridge or a variation thereof may be a required skill. For such disciplines, an arch or bridge exercise can be a part of a regular conditioning program, as long as proper precautions are employed to reduce the risk of injury.

I would advise you to avoid bridging or arching exercises unless you practice a sport where the bridge or a variation thereof may be a required skill.

Oh, those dire warnings! Sure, if some people neglect themselves to the point that a hundred sit-ups is a big deal, then a bridge might hurt them. Use your common sense: If bridges are so dangerous then why wrestlers and gymnasts are allowed to do them? The source you quote (Alter 1996) admits that there is no more back problems among the gymnasts who do bridges than in the general population who mostly do not do bridges.

According to research by Stuart McGill the exercise with the most back damaging potential is a rapid alternation of maximal flexion (like in a front roll) and maximal extension (like in a back handspring). Next would be flexion (like stooping), especially prolonged flexion, followed by lifting a heavy object.

Two authors describe one bad accident, while hundreds of thousands of wrestlers, gymnasts, and other athletes do bridges every day and feel great. How do we know if this bad accident would not have happened without bridging? Did she have warning signs at the beginning of doing the bridge (discomfort, poor vision, poor control of eyes, feeling of uncomfortable tension in the neck or face, shallow or uncomfortable breathing)?

Should one crawl just because some people fall and get hurt while walking and running?

[Maxim]

I have seen a few MMA/NHB matches and do not recall a single instance of a bridge used to escape a hold. (Of course, I do not count backward-bending throws such as soupless or ura-nage as hold escapes.) Could you tell me in which fights have you seen it?

Bridging on the shoulder is part of a classic escape from the mount:
http://bjj.org/techniques/bjjfighter/gi ... pa-escape/

[Thomas Kurz]

Whenever I do it it feels great, as if I am reborned. But I am a little scared I could injure the spine. It's a hard decision.

Here is what have I written at the beginning of my column 29 ( http://www.stadion.com/column_stretch29.html ):

Pain, feeling of joint instability, or other abnormal sensations during or after exercise are signs that either you do it wrong or you do too much. Whether an exercise is good for you or not depends on your preparations and in some cases on peculiarities of your body. If you feel good during and after the exercise then it is most likely good for you and won't hurt you. Make sure you do not do more than your body can tolerate.

[Thomas Kurz]

I have seen a few MMA/NHB matches and do not recall a single instance of a bridge used to escape a hold. (Of course, I do not count backward-bending throws such as soupless or ura-nage as hold escapes.) Could you tell me in which fights have you seen it?

Bridging on the shoulder is part of a classic escape from the mount:
http://bjj.org/techniques/bjjfighter/gi ... pa-escape/

I did not mean bridging on the shoulder or shoulders as it hardly compares in intensity to bridging on the head/face, and by a wrestling bridge we usually mean the bridge on the face, while in a gymnastic bridge (which wrestlers do too) arms are straight, head is off the mat but neck is still hyperextended.

[dragon]

I can see the benefits for such a fighter to gain flexibility/strength from exercises such as the bridge to counter pins/holds in the ring.

As you can see Mr.Kurz,i didn't say the bridge was used in a fight.I said i can see how the flexibility/strength from such an exercise could benefit you in a fight.
I realize the bridging technique used to escape a side mount for example is what most people call a wrestlers bridge(some trainees call it "bumping").
A lot of MMA fighters practice the full bridge as well as the neck bridge(i've heard this advice has been given by Karl Gotch).

Dragon

[CrazyBoy]

I see how my initial question degenerated into one serious discussion. I want to thank you all for the help you're giving me. As I've said, in the past ( a year ago) I've injured my lower back (left side) during calf raises (donkey exercise) because my partener was too heavy and , as I recall, he sort of jumped on my back rather than gently sit on it. Since then I had serious problems with my back (extrem pain), but recently I've added to my stretching program the bridge and I felt great since my first try. So you might say I am positive to the idea of continuing with it, but I'll be very carefull, paying attention to every signs. Thank you once again Mr Kurz, Dragon and Maxim.