The Spinal Engine: Your Body’s Hidden Power Source

Ever notice how some people lift heavy, move well, and somehow don’t look miserable doing it, while others are strong but constantly dealing with back, hip, or shoulder pain?

That’s usually not a strength problem. It’s a force-transfer problem.

Your body isn’t meant to move like a stack of bricks. It’s designed to rotate, coil, and rebound using elastic energy instead of grinding joints into the ground. That’s where the spinal engine, coiling, and forward intention come in. Here’s the part most people never learn.

Movement doesn’t start in your arms or legs it starts in your spine and trunk. The Spinal Engine Theory explains how subtle rotation between your rib cage and pelvis stores and releases energy so movement feels smooth instead of forced.

When it’s working well, you’ll notice:

• Strength feels easier

• The low back feels less compressed

• Power transfers cleanly from the ground to your hands

When it’s not?

Your joints start doing extra work… and that’s where pain sneaks in.

Coiling: Strong Without Feeling Stiff

If you’ve ever been told to “brace harder,” this might sound different.

Coiling isn’t locking down—it’s creating tension with movement still available. Think of winding a spring, not freezing it.

What’s actually happening:

• The rib cage and pelvis rotate in opposite directions

• Obliques, glutes, lats, and deep core muscles link up

• The spine stays supported without being rigid

This is how athletes generate power without wrecking their backs.

Forward Intention: Where Strength Gets Organized

Here’s the fun part your nervous system cares more about where force is going than which muscles you’re thinking about.

When you have clear forward intention:

• The core organizes itself

• Breathing improves automatically

• Movements feel smoother and more controlled

When you don’t?

You’ll over-brace, hold your breath, and dump stress into your spine or shoulders without realizing it.

Why “Tight Core = Safe Lifting” Isn’t Always True:

Yes, bracing has a role—but living in stiffness comes with a cost.

Too much rigidity can lead to:

• Low back compression

• Hip pinching

• Shoulder irritation

• Shallow breathing

Your spine isn’t meant to be turned off. It’s meant to transfer and manage load, not absorb all of it.

Why This Matters Outside the Gym:

This isn’t just about deadlifts or squats.

The spinal engine shows up when you:

• Walk or run

• Carry groceries

• Reach overhead

• Sit or stand for long periods

Lose spinal rotation and coiling, and even everyday life starts to feel heavy.

The Big Takeaway

If lifting hurts, it’s not always because you’re weak.

More often, it’s because the body isn’t organized well enough to move force efficiently.

Restore:

• Spinal rotation

• Rib cage and pelvic coordination

• Coiling and direction of force

…and strength becomes smoother, safer, and more sustainable.

Real strength isn’t about being tighter. It’s about being better organized.