Why Your Trainer and Pilates Instructor Don’t Agree (And What It Means for Your Back)

If you’ve ever felt torn between your trainer telling you to brace your core and breathe in and your Pilates instructor telling you to flatten your low back and breathe out, you’re not alone. These conflicting cues come from different schools of thought, both grounded in valid principles, but they can create confusion, especially for people with specific postural patterns or spinal issues. So who’s right?

Let’s dive in.

The Two Worlds: Strength Training vs. Pilates

In Pilates, the focus is often on spinal imprinting, gently flattening the lower back into the mat, engaging the transverse abdominis (TVA), and exhaling to “hollow” or draw in the belly. This approach is effective for teaching control, especially in supine positions, and it often cues a posterior pelvic tilt.

In strength training, particularly during heavy compound lifts like squats or deadlifts, the cue is typically to maintain a neutral spine, inhale deeply, and brace. This creates intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) via the Valsalva maneuver. The TVA still activates here, but the abdominal wall expands outward instead of drawing in.

These differences aren’t random. They’re shaped by the biomechanics of the movements and the postural tendencies of the population each method serves.

Postural Patterns: Upper and Lower Crossed Syndrome

Two common postural dysfunctions shed light on why these cues can feel contradictory:

• Upper Crossed Syndrome (UCS): Often seen in people who sit a lot. Features include forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and a tight upper back. It results from overactive pecs and upper traps, and underactive deep neck flexors and scapular stabilizers (1).
  
• Lower Crossed Syndrome (LCS): This involves an anterior pelvic tilt and excessive lumbar lordosis. It’s marked by tight hip flexors and lower back muscles, and weak glutes and deep core muscles (2).
  

But here’s the twist: many people (especially those who sit a lot or have degenerative disc issues) develop a posterior pelvic tilt instead The pelvis tucks under, and the lumbar curve flattens, leading to hypolordosis. This is particularly common when hamstrings are tight (3), which can pull the pelvis downward and back.

Hyperlordosis vs. Hypolordosis: Why It Matters

Hyperlordosis, an exaggerated inward curve in the lower back  is usually linked to:

• Anterior pelvic tilt
  
• Tight hip flexors and tight lumbar extensors
  
• Weak glutes and abs
  
• Notably, it’s more likely to cause facet joint compression, not disc degeneration
  

Hypolordosis, on the other hand, is often seen in people who sit excessively or have degenerative disc disease. It involves:

• Posterior pelvic tilt
  
• Flattened lumbar curve
  
• Tight hamstrings
  
• Increased risk of disc bulging or degeneration
  

Recognizing the difference helps you understand why some people benefit from flattening their spine, while others may need to avoid it.

Facet Joint Compression: The Hidden Issue in Hyperlordosis

The facet joints are small joints at the back of your spine that guide and limit movement. In people with hyperlordosis, the spine is extended excessively, causing these joints to press together too much especially during standing, walking, or back bending.

This is called facet joint compression, and it can lead to:

• Low back tightness or pinching
  
• Pain during extension or prolonged standing
  
• Joint wear and tear over time
  

So while these clients may not have disc degeneration, they can still experience mechanical back pain. Cueing more extension or arching can make it worse.

Why Flattening the Spine Can Be a Problem

If someone already has a posterior pelvic tilt and a reduced lumbar curve, like your average office worker or someone with lumbar degeneration, reinforcing that position through certain Pilates cues might actually make their dysfunction worse.

Flattening the back isn’t inherently wrong. It can help teach core contr. But if it becomes the default position for everything, especially under load or in standing posture, it may:

• Disrupt neutral spinal alignment
  
• Decrease the spine’s ability to absorb force
  
• Lead to compensations elsewhere (like lumbar flexion under load)
  

The Valsalva Maneuver and Intra-Abdominal Pressure (IAP)

When your trainer tells you to take a deep breath and brace before lifting, they’re referring to the Valsalva maneuver. Here’s what happens:

1. You inhale deeply and hold your breath.
   
2. The diaphragm moves downward, pressing on abdominal organs.
   
3. The TVA and abdominal wall contract, pressing outward.
   
4. The pelvic floor contracts upward, completing the pressurized “canister.”
   

This increases intra-abdominal pressure, which stabilizes the spine from the inside out, much like wearing an internal weight belt (4)(5). It helps reduce spinal shear, prevent injury, and maintain posture during heavy lifting.

So yes, the TVA is active during the Valsalva maneuver, even though your belly is expanding instead of hollowing.

What the Science Says: Intra-Abdominal Pressure and Spinal Stability

A large body of research confirms that intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is critical for protecting the spine under load — whether you’re squatting, deadlifting, or bracing during everyday movement. Here’s what the science shows:

• The Valsalva maneuver increases spinal rigidity and reduces the risk of spinal buckling under load (6)
  
• IAP acts like an internal weight belt, improving lumbar stability (7)
  
• Trunk flexion without IAP leads to a loss of spinal stiffness and injury risk (8)
  
• Abdominal belts and breath-holding increase core pressure and muscle activity (9)
  
• Heavy squats produce the highest IAP, showing how vital breath control is for spinal support (10)
  

Can You Activate the Pelvic Floor in Both Methods?

Yes, the pelvic floor can be activated whether you’re “hollowing” (Pilates) or bracing with pressure (strength training).

In Pilates, pelvic floor engagement is often taught intentionally through gentle lifting cues:

• “Draw your pelvic floor up”
• “Stop the flow of urine”
• “Zip up from your pubic bone”

It’s subtle, low-load activation that’s coordinated with exhaling and transverse abdominis firing — great for motor control and breath coordination.

In strength training, the pelvic floor also engages, but often reflexively as part of the pressurized canister formed during the Valsalva maneuver. You don’t have to cue it directly — when IAP rises through breath-holding and bracing, the pelvic floor contracts upward to contain that pressure (4)(5). It’s more of a high-load, protective co-contraction.

So while intra-abdominal pressure isn’t required to activate the pelvic floor, it’s crucial for maximal, load-bearing activation — the kind needed when bracing under a barbell. Pilates teaches conscious control; strength work trains automatic stability.

So Who’s Right?

Both cues can be right in the right context. Flattening the back and exhaling works well in Pilates or rehab settings. Bracing and inhaling deeply works best under heavy load or in dynamic movement.

But problems arise when one approach is applied universally, regardless of a person’s postural baseline, training goal, or movement pattern.

Takeaways for Clients and Coaches

• If someone has hypolordosis or sits all day, teaching them to flatten the back constantly may reinforce a problem
  
• If someone is hyperlordotic, cueing some posterior tilt or “imprinting” may be therapeutic
  
• The TVA is active in both bracing and hollowing — it’s about pressure and intent
  
• The pelvic floor supports both systems, but acts differently in each
  
• And the facet joints? They matter more than most people realize when it comes to long-term back comfort
  

✏︎ The Bottom Line

Your trainer and Pilates instructor aren’t necessarily wrong. They’re just addressing different pieces of the puzzle. But progress happens when you see the whole picture: breathing mechanics, posture, movement, and recovery all work together. Misapplied cues lead to setbacks. But the right strategy, at the right time, unlocks serious gains.

Take the First Step with PlateauBreaker Nutrition

At PlateauBreaker, we believe sustainable progress starts with the foundation, and that includes what’s on your plate. Whether you’re rehabbing, lifting, or just trying to move better, our science-backed nutrition plans are designed to support your goals from the inside out.

Scientific References

1. Morris, Craig E et al. “The Torsional Upper Crossed Syndrome: A multi-planar update to Janda’s model, with a case series introduction of the mid-pectoral fascial lesion as an associated etiological factor.” Journal of bodywork and movement therapies vol. 19,4 (2015): 681-9. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2015.08.008. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26592225/

2. Burile, Ghanishtha et al. “Prevalence of Lower Cross Syndrome in Housemaids.” Cureus vol. 16,4 e57425. 1 Apr. 2024, doi:10.7759/cureus.57425. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38699138/
   
3. I. Lee et al. “Hamstring stretching significantly changes the sitting biomechanics.” International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics (2021). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169814121000810?via%3Dihub
   
4. Mokhtarzadeh, H. et al. “Mathematical and finite element modeling of spine to investigate the effects of intra-abdominal pressure.” ASME Conference Proceedings. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232906189_Mathematical_and_Finite_Element_Modelling_of_Spine_to_Investigate_the_Effects_of_Intra-Abdominal_Pressure_and_Activation_of_Muscles_Around_Abdomen_on_the_Spinal_Stability
   
5. Hackett, Daniel A, and Chin-Moi Chow. “The Valsalva maneuver: its effect on intra-abdominal pressure and safety issues during resistance exercise.” Journal of strength and conditioning research vol. 27,8 (2013): 2338-45. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e31827de07d. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23222073/

6. Hackett, Daniel A, and Chin-Moi Chow. “The Valsalva maneuver: its effect on intra-abdominal pressure and safety issues during resistance exercise.” Journal of strength and conditioning research vol. 27,8 (2013): 2338-45. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e31827de07d. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23222073/

7. Cholewicki, J et al. “Lumbar spine stability can be augmented with an abdominal belt and/or increased intra-abdominal pressure.” European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society vol. 8,5 (1999): 388-95. doi:10.1007/s005860050192. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3611203/

8. Hendershot, Brad et al. “Disturbance and recovery of trunk stiffness and reflexive muscle responses following prolonged trunk flexion: influences of flexion angle and duration.” Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon) vol. 26,3 (2011): 250-6. doi:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2010.09.019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20970229/

9. McGill, S M et al. “The effect of an abdominal belt on trunk muscle activity and intra-abdominal pressure during squat lifts.” Ergonomics vol. 33,2 (1990): 147-60. doi:10.1080/00140139008927106. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2141312/

10. Harman, E A et al. “Intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic pressures during lifting and jumping.” Medicine and science in sports and exercise vol. 20,2 (1988): 195-201. doi:10.1249/00005768-198820020-00015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3367756/

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