Stop Ignoring Your Spine

Most lifters never think about how their vertebrae actually move.
They just load the bar, grab a weight and grind.

Bad idea.

I see it every day.
Broken form that isn't about effort.
It's about limitation.

They're not lifting wrong because they're “lazy”.
They physically can't hit the right positions, because their spine isn't moving how it should.

You've seen it:
- The guy pulling deadlifts with a back shaped like a fishing rod
- The overhead presser snapping into lumbar extension. 

That’s not performance.
That’s a countdown to injury.

Most lifters spend their entire session loading.
Maybe 5 minutes on mobility.
If that.

A lazy hamstring stretch. A half-hearted shoulder roll.
Done.

When you spend 10 minutes mobilizing and prepping your spine, your lifts get exponentially better.
More stable. More powerful. 

Your spine isn't just a stack of bones.
It's your central support column.
The foundation for every movement, lift, and breath.

It's divided into 3 regions.
Each with its own job:

Cervical (Neck)
Highly mobile.
Rotates, flexes, extends.
Keeps your head moving freely.

Thoracic (Mid-back)
Your rotational engine.
Transfers force between upper and lower body.
Anchors posture.
Absorbs load.

Lumbar (Low back)
The fortress.
Resists movement.
Protects your spinal cord.
Braces under heavy load.

As you move down the spine, the vertebrae get thicker and denser.
That's not random, it's engineering.

Small = mobility.
Big = stability.

When these zones stop doing their job, everything breaks down.

When the thoracic spine - your mobile zone - locks up, your lumbar spine steps in to compensate.
Now your low back is rotating/extending when it should brace.

Here's what it looks like:

The Overhead Press Snap-Back
Locked thoracic → lumbar hyperextension.

The Rounded Deadlift
Stuck in flexion → your glutes aren't firing.

The Squat Cavedown
Tight mid-back → collapsed posture → no power transfer.

Form isn’t just cues, it’s structure.
Fix the spine, the rest follows.

Mobilize (Thoracic Mobility)

Do these before your lifts.
• Open Books – Improve rotation. 8–10/side, slow breaths.
• Foam Roller T-Spine Extensions – Restore extension. 6–8 reps, gentle arcs.
• Wall Angels / Wall Slides – Train scapular control. 10–12, keep ribs down.

Stabilize (Lumbar Control)

• Deadbugs – Core bracing without compensation. 6–8/side, exhale hard.
• Bird Dogs – Anti-rotation + cross-body control. 8/side, no hip sway.
• Pallof Press – One of the best anti-rotation drills on Earth. 8–12/side.
• Side Plank with Reach-Through – Obliques + spinal locking. 20–30s/side.

• Before lifts: the 10-minute primer (every session).
• On off days: T-spine mobility + one anti-rotation drill (5–8 minutes).

Most lifters train muscles.
Smart lifters train systems.
Your spine isn’t just holding you upright, it’s how you transfer force safely.
Move where you should.
Brace where you must.

Train Hard.
Think Deep.
Live with Intent.

— The CODE