What do you think?
Rate this book
Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance
Get the latest scientific evidence on back exercise - what helps and what hurts, and why, from a world renowned authority. Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance provides professionals with the evidence base to design and prescribe the best exercise programs for the back. A complete description of a 5-stage program is provided. Many examples illustrate each stage within a bad back rehabilitation program together with a performance enhancement program for athletes. Beginning with recognizing and re-patterning perturbed motor programs and progressing to the enhancement of stability, then endurance, the final stages continue with strength, power and agility training. Each step is well illustrated and instructive. Added to this are general approaches to assess the demand of individual activities and sports and how to identify the critical components that need specific focus in an individual's back. Dr. McGill's style makes for an easy read of this thorough and rich resource.
325 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
53 people are currently reading
1079 people want to read
About the author
Stuart McGill
12 books94 followersStuart McGill, PhD, is a professor at the University of Waterloo in, Ontario, Canada and an internationally recognized lecturer and expert in spine function and injury prevention and rehabilitation. He has written more than 200 scientific publications that address lumbar function, low back injury mechanisms, investigation of tissue loading during rehabilitation programs, and the formulation of work-related injury avoidance strategies. He has received several awards for his work, including the Volvo Bioengineering Award for Low Back Pain Research from Sweden. Dr. McGill has been an invited lecturer at many universities and delivered more than 200 addresses to societies around the world. As a consultant, he has provided expertise on assessment and reduction of the risk of low back injury to government agencies, corporations, professional athletes and teams, and legal firms. He is one of the few scientists who consults and to whom patients are regularly referred.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 23, 2017
Shamelessly rating this 5 stars due to the value of the information alone. The presentation of that information could use work, but due to McGill's reputation I was committed and more than willing to make my way through it. Some concepts mentioned lack context; this seems to be due to the book being targeted at both clinicians/therapists and laypeople, but there are ways to provide just enough for the latter. The main points are reasonably well written and seem to have benefited from the most editing and attention.
True to the author's reticent style and his repeated emphasis on individual assessments and performance requirements, there is not "a" training program presented in the final sections. There is a multi-stage process for developing a customized program, with many specific exercises explained or briefly mentioned in paragraph form and a few others cautioned against. I made lists of the many exercises for myself to draw from as I go forward to create a personal exercise program.
The reason I was interested in this book was that I had just read his other work, Back Mechanic, which is meant for any layperson who has back pain (and I would argue any person with a spine regardless of having already experienced back pain or not). Having recovered from a minor back injury, I wanted to move forward with more athletically-focused training using his spine-sparing, core-strengthening principles.
True to the author's reticent style and his repeated emphasis on individual assessments and performance requirements, there is not "a" training program presented in the final sections. There is a multi-stage process for developing a customized program, with many specific exercises explained or briefly mentioned in paragraph form and a few others cautioned against. I made lists of the many exercises for myself to draw from as I go forward to create a personal exercise program.
The reason I was interested in this book was that I had just read his other work, Back Mechanic, which is meant for any layperson who has back pain (and I would argue any person with a spine regardless of having already experienced back pain or not). Having recovered from a minor back injury, I wanted to move forward with more athletically-focused training using his spine-sparing, core-strengthening principles.
August 29, 2015
I wouldn't mind reading this book over and over again, what did this book cover? Much more than just back fitness, I assumed it'd be a boring book on back therapy and how to do rehabilitative exercises like a more general kind of approach, but the individualized approach showed right from the beginning and the author cleared it up well, rehabilitative measures can't be taken unless it is individualized, you can't give the same advice to everyone that has back pain, it can be a plethora of stuffs gone wrong which can't be fixed with traditional exercises, and may as well exacerbate them
The entire book was interesting from page to page, there was so much good information in coming from such an experienced person, the author knew very well the vastness of this subject and did mention anywhere where research and experimentation was still needed.
I would suggest anybody with an interest in making their life better read this book, you may not become and expert or be able to fix your problems right away, but this book does lead you to taking precautions and how to take of care of lower back.
This isn't only a lower back book, it goes so much deeper than that, the body can't be taken in isolation, can't be trained well in isolation, can't be recovered well in isolation, the author explains this in the book too, and I'm happy that the author did well and showed that a problem in the back may not even be because of problem in the lower back but a problem in a nearby force generating or force directing structure.
I'm sure, I won't be doing many of the movements that have shown to cause problems in the lumbar, there's just too much to lose in those movements and the benefits can easily be garnered from other exercises.
That's about it all. This book required multiple reads to keep remembering the vast amount of information in it, the ending case studies was a really good move to include, gives you a nice insight into how many of these problems are dealt with!
The entire book was interesting from page to page, there was so much good information in coming from such an experienced person, the author knew very well the vastness of this subject and did mention anywhere where research and experimentation was still needed.
I would suggest anybody with an interest in making their life better read this book, you may not become and expert or be able to fix your problems right away, but this book does lead you to taking precautions and how to take of care of lower back.
This isn't only a lower back book, it goes so much deeper than that, the body can't be taken in isolation, can't be trained well in isolation, can't be recovered well in isolation, the author explains this in the book too, and I'm happy that the author did well and showed that a problem in the back may not even be because of problem in the lower back but a problem in a nearby force generating or force directing structure.
I'm sure, I won't be doing many of the movements that have shown to cause problems in the lumbar, there's just too much to lose in those movements and the benefits can easily be garnered from other exercises.
That's about it all. This book required multiple reads to keep remembering the vast amount of information in it, the ending case studies was a really good move to include, gives you a nice insight into how many of these problems are dealt with!
March 29, 2021
Stuart McGill is amazing, and he's one of the best resources to go to when it comes to back pain and building a injury-proof back in fitness and sports. This book has tons of good information, but it's a pretty tough read. The way it's organized is hard to follow, and it's pretty advanced. I think maybe his "Lower Back Mechanic" would be a better option for a person looking for tips on avoiding back pain, strengthening the supporting muscles, and moving better. This one seems more geared for experts or coaches.
January 25, 2025
Excellent book for anyone who wants to learn more about stronger body and stronger back
June 25, 2016
This is a very well written and thoroughly researched book. However, it is definitely written for coaches and therapists. It has some interesting information for lay people especially regarding McGills philosophy for maintaining back health and performance. A lot of it just went over my head though. Don't buy this book if you're looking for routines or an exercise prescription for your back. McGill is up front in saying this book is not that at all.
December 22, 2018
I recommend this book to aynone who has an interest in any kind of training or just wants to expand their knowledge on spine hygiene,exercises and biomechanics.
The thing is that in order to understand this book you can not read this just once and you have to have some basic information about anatomy and biomechanics.
This is a must read for all trainers and physiotherapist,and i cannot state how much it is needed.
You can not be narrow minded because this book shuts down most of todays fitness industry bulls..t
with scientific evidence and practice.
Read it then read it again,take notes,try it and see how it improves your training and daily life.
The thing is that in order to understand this book you can not read this just once and you have to have some basic information about anatomy and biomechanics.
This is a must read for all trainers and physiotherapist,and i cannot state how much it is needed.
You can not be narrow minded because this book shuts down most of todays fitness industry bulls..t
with scientific evidence and practice.
Read it then read it again,take notes,try it and see how it improves your training and daily life.
August 3, 2022
Such a good book if you are interested in back recovery and increasing performance. If you are someone that has been suffering of lower back pain or is injured (disk bulge, disk herniation, etc.) reading this book is a must. In fact, getting knowledgeable on all the work of Dr. McGill will be of great benefit for you. This is the book to read to understand what's going on with your back and how to help you fix it. It is is packed with information. And because of that I can only recommend to read it and re-read it. Come back to it as many times as you need.
June 15, 2021
I thought this was a great book explaining the mechanics of the back. It was very technical and not written for the layman. But if you understand anatomy, it was a very good read and helped me understand my own back.
January 18, 2019
helpful
April 8, 2019
A great book to reference for treating bad backs in athletics. It probably could be a little more concise, and I dont think I can fully appreciate it until I have more clinical experience.
Read
July 18, 2019Great book
March 12, 2021
Jak dla kogoś kto nie jest trenerem albo osobą o wykształceniu anatomicznym - często za trudna. Ma kilka ciekawych informacji, natomiast ogólnie trudno ją przyswoić.
August 10, 2024
Dr Stuart McGill is an expert is spine health both in the context of daily living and sport performance. this book will teach you how to support your spine through core strengthening & movement based exercises. 5/5 a must read.
September 13, 2024
Amazing book. A little technical, but that is expected. It's a great follow up to Back Mechanic.
January 19, 2026
Super helpful with healing my back and getting back to training!
December 15, 2021
It's a great book.
October 1, 2011
Stuart McGill knows a heck of a lot about backs. This book debunks a lot of common myths about exercise and the spine (and core training in general), using actual evidence (which, sadly, is often lacking in the exercise science community). Its a good book, one worth reading if you are training any one in any capacity. However, the presentation is not the most coherent (there often seem to be just sort of random details scattered about the book), and it would be difficult to make sense of if one doesn't already have at least an amateur foundation in exercise physiology and anatomy.
If you want a work out plan, this is not the book for you. While it does list a few exercises, it is more a set of general principles for thinking about exercise and its effects on the muscles supporting the spine, and how to train them in both injured populations and athletes (and everything in between). While I can't agree with all of his recommendations, it provides a solid framework for thinking about all forms of "core" training. I highly recommend it if you have an interest in exercise.
If you want a work out plan, this is not the book for you. While it does list a few exercises, it is more a set of general principles for thinking about exercise and its effects on the muscles supporting the spine, and how to train them in both injured populations and athletes (and everything in between). While I can't agree with all of his recommendations, it provides a solid framework for thinking about all forms of "core" training. I highly recommend it if you have an interest in exercise.
July 12, 2015
Someone who knows a lot about backs, a chiropractor of all people, recommended this book to me a couple of years ago. I went through it back then, but a couple of months ago decided to read it again with two more years' worth of experience behind me. In terms of your basic anatomy and testing protocols, it is easy enough to follow, although McGill sometimes veeres off into specifics. As a self-published book, the layout is not that brilliant, plus the photos could be better, although the author points out the disadvantages in the introduction. A DVD with exercises would be a superb bonus for the next edition. Alltogether, it's a great book to make you think slightly differently about your (or someone else's) back and training.
March 29, 2010
Anything Dr. McGill puts out can be considered the latest and most thorough research on the human back.
This book is an important read for those who want to construct a program to not only rehabilitate from common back injuries, but also to evolve that program into an athletic performance training system.
The text is clearly intended for educated physical trainers but I worked my way through it as a lay person and found it incredibly useful. If nothing else, this book should be read to understand the latest information regarding back mechanics and understanding the common myths so pervasive to back rehabilitation programs.
This book is an important read for those who want to construct a program to not only rehabilitate from common back injuries, but also to evolve that program into an athletic performance training system.
The text is clearly intended for educated physical trainers but I worked my way through it as a lay person and found it incredibly useful. If nothing else, this book should be read to understand the latest information regarding back mechanics and understanding the common myths so pervasive to back rehabilitation programs.
July 12, 2015
Four stars: Watch out for those shear forces! Mobility is required and elite performance may demand bouncing at end of range-of-motion against fascial/muscle tissue.
Interesting:
(i.) yoga's bird-dog / side-bridge / curl-up (crushing an isometrically stable tummy by a couple of inches), and (non-pistol) squats are 'best' choices for grooving the right motor patterns
(ii.) flexibility only as required, dynamics focus on motion not pushing end-points (e.g. yoga's cat/camel)
One star lost: Index/glossary is absent. Table of contents is good, but I want to look up terms or concepts directly and then decide in which context (i.e. chapter) to review it.
Interesting:
(i.) yoga's bird-dog / side-bridge / curl-up (crushing an isometrically stable tummy by a couple of inches), and (non-pistol) squats are 'best' choices for grooving the right motor patterns
(ii.) flexibility only as required, dynamics focus on motion not pushing end-points (e.g. yoga's cat/camel)
One star lost: Index/glossary is absent. Table of contents is good, but I want to look up terms or concepts directly and then decide in which context (i.e. chapter) to review it.
Read
January 1, 2018I can't really evaluate in stars because I didn't read the whole book. It's intended for the athlete and those therapists working with athletes so they have a more advanced knowledge of anatomy and physiology than I do. It was too hard for me to follow. However, McGill is well known for his Back Mechanics book which was recommended by my massage therapist so I'm confident this books is helpful to the right audience.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews