Build a powerful, pain-free back for life. The follow-up to Coach Firas Zahabi's best-selling Strong & Stable Knees 4 Life: unlock and stabilize your spine, prevent back pain, and develop world-class core strength.
Why athletes love it
🧘 Decompress your spine anywhere: simple methods for standing, sitting in a chair and on the floor
🛡️ Prevent back pain: most people will deal with back pain at some point, and this gives you the tools to stay ahead of it
💪 World-class core strength: gymnastic abs, the McGill plank, the advanced bird dog and Coach Zahabi's favorite ab exercise
⚡ Power without the risk: safe, inexpensive alternatives to Olympic lifting and how to build rotational power
What's included
🎥 Part 1: step-by-step training, all covered in the first hour
🎧 Part 2: "Back in Depth", a podcast-style deep dive to listen to whenever it suits you
📱 Stream or download, and watch as many times as you like
♾️ Lifetime access
Who it's for
Every athlete who wants to perform at their best without back pain: grapplers, fighters, lifters and anyone who sits at a desk and trains hard.
Why this program works
Coach Zahabi takes you deep into why the martial arts, gymnastics, ballet and yoga traditions have long understood what is optimal for performance, and how science has finally caught up. He spent years working with top experts from around the world on how to prevent and rehabilitate back injuries, and this program shows you exactly how to keep your back healthy for life.
Full lesson list
Part 1: Training
Why the traditional arts beat exercise science in this area
Why proper alignment and regular decompression matter
The Alexander Technique and the Alexander Plus Technique
How to elongate the spine while standing (must know)
How to decompress the spine while sitting in a chair (must know)
The concave-and-unroll method, and decompressing on the floor
Understanding the neutral spine and neutral neck
The one hinge rule, and how to slouch safely
Understanding your abs, gymnastic abs basics and Coach Zahabi's favorite ab exercise
The plank test: find out if your abs are ready for anything
The McGill plank and the advanced bird dog
Hamstring curl progression and low-impact plyometrics
The ballistic pull-through
Two ingenious alternatives to Olympic lifting that are far safer and inexpensive
How to safely build rotational power
The box squat and the deadlift
Understanding the tight muscle problem
Part 2: Back in Depth
The secret to athleticism and how it relates to your back
How alignment is a skill that becomes a habit, and why the best athletes have the best alignment
Why stability is paramount
Why elite athletes with the strongest, or the most flexible, backs still get injured
Why you should train with a margin of safety
Stiffness vs. mobility, and how to train tissue to be stiffer or more pliable
How stress accumulates: stress + recovery = adaptation
The secret to quick, healthy recovery (must know)
The first thing to do if you injure your back
Why the Alexander Plus Technique beats gravity boots
Why tight back muscles are especially dangerous, and why you need to "become a supple leopard"
Exercise selection, reps and sets, and training movements rather than muscle groups
The S.A.I.D. principle, and why Coach never uses corrective exercises
Why you never do conditioning before live training
How sitting is often the problem, and why it's OK to slouch sometimes
How to decompress your spine throughout the day and increase energy
Coach's experience with Stuart McGill, and why you may not need a scan
Whether you should arch your back, and when to see a physiotherapist
