Understand what the McGill Big 3 really do

The McGill Big 3 exercises are often recommended for people with low back pain, but there seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about what they actually do. Some people try them expecting immediate pain relief and then feel frustrated when that doesn’t happen.

That doesn’t mean, however, that they’re not working.

That’s why, in this tutorial I spent some time talking about the real purpose of McGill’s Big 3.

What do the McGill Big 3 actually do?  

McGill’s Big 3 core exercises set out to do two essential things – I’ll talk about the first here and the second later on in the article.

The first is to activate the muscles around the core, including the posterior muscles (back of the body), the lateral muscles (sides of the torso) and the anterior muscles (front of the body)

These muscles attach to and support the five lumbar vertebrae. Unlike the upper spine, the lower back doesn’t have a rib cage to help hold everything in place, so it’s the muscles of the core that provide the stability.

When these muscles activate, they help hold the spine steady.

This is important because if there is a small micro-movement in the spine, perhaps due to disc laxity or weakness, these activated muscles can help to control that movement and reduce irritation.

Does the McGill Big 3 reduce low back pain?

The McGill Big 3 exercises are not designed to instantly resolve back pain. Of course, they may help with some types of pain, but it really depends on your back condition, your pain triggers and how your spine responds to load and movement.

However, there are other indirect benefits.

When you perform the exercises, e.g. the side plank, the related core muscles will switch on. After a few sets, you’ll find there is what we call an elongated activation. A lingering, low-level activation that continues after you’ve finished the exercise.

That means, when you sit in the car, go for a walk or go back to your desk, your core muscles will already be slightly active. If you intentionally try to ‘brace’ your core, you might find it comes easier simply because the muscles are already in the mode of helping.

So while the movements may not instantly improve pain, they should help to stabilise the spine and may indirectly reduce pain depending on your condition.

So, do the McGill Big 3 work to reduce low back pain? Yes, they work, but only in the right context.

The second impact: supporting better movement and performance

The second thing that the McGill Big 3 does is movement related.

When you walk, different core muscles gently turn on and off - not like a switch, more like they light up and then dampen down. When you’ve done your training, your baseline activation level will be higher, which means your walking becomes more stable and efficient.

At the more athletic end of the spectrum, if you’re kicking, punching, or performing powerful movements, that higher baseline activation can actually increase your power output. This is because your core is already engaged and ready to transfer force.

So when should you try the McGill Big 3?

The answer is, it depends. If you’re looking for direct pain relief, or your underlying issue is not related to spinal stability then it may not be the tool you’re looking for.

However, if your goal is to activate and stabilise your spine and core muscles to help them support better movement and performance, then yes, I find many people can get good results.

The key is matching the exercise to the individual.

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