PDF Guides Spinal Fitness

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PDF Guides • Spinal Fitness

Are You Ready to Improve, Restore, and Maintain an Ideal S-Shape Spinal Posture?

Use our PDF guides below to learn exercises for maintaining an ideal spinal posture.

Ideal S-shape posture Lower back curve Spinal curvature Mechanical advantage
Browse the PDF guides ↓ Read the story ↓
The Story Behind Our Exercise Guides
Spinal posture image
Topic
Spinal posture & lower back curve
Research
NSCA peer-reviewed (2003)
Quotes from "Story of New England Patriots Secret Strength Training" by John Scherger, D.C.
The story behind our exercise guides

Built from Dr. John S. Scherger’s research and writings.

The downloadable guides are condensed from the extensive research and writings of the late Dr. John S. Scherger, who was dedicated to developing effective training methods and treatments for the lower back and spinal column. Starting in the mid-1980s, Dr. Scherger worked with a team of top experts:

Dr. Scherger and his team noticed that professional football players accumulated significant trauma over the course of a season, leading to increased stiffness, loss of flexibility, and reduced endurance. This trauma directly correlated with the flattening of the spinal curve, and players who maintained a more pronounced lower back curve performed better and were less prone to injury.

By 2000, Dr. Scherger had developed the Power Cushion, a specialized tool designed to enhance both segmental and global spinal posture. He introduced this to the New England Patriots’ training room, where he taught athletes a combination of a pelvic tilt exercise and a specialized sit-up designed to restore and maintain spinal curvature. After seeing tremendous success, the team moved the exercises into the weight room for strengthening and conditioning purposes.

The techniques eventually spread to other NFL teams, including the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.

Top experts on the early team

  • Jennifer Stone, ATC – 24 years, Athletic Trainer Director at the United States Olympic Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
  • Bob Beeten, ATC – 26 years, Director of the United States Olympic Sports Medicine and Research Center.
  • Dick Smith – Olympic Weightlifting Coach, York Barbell, York, Pennsylvania.
  • Ron O'Neil, ATC – Director, New England Patriots Football Team; 26 years in the NFL.
Spinal posture & performance

Challenges, research, and “mechanical advantage.”

The concepts below are presented on the PDF Guides page as the context behind the exercise library.

The Challenges of Professional Athletes +
The reality for professional athletes, especially football players, is that they must combat accumulated trauma such as stenosis, pinched nerves, bulging discs, dislocated vertebrae, and loss of curvature. Addressing these issues while enhancing performance requires maintaining both segmental posture and global spinal curvature.

Dr. Scherger’s methods stood out for their focus on preventing and treating these issues. He demonstrated that players who preserved their lower back curves had a biomechanical advantage—greater power, better speed, and improved endurance.
Revolutionary Research (NSCA peer-reviewed, 2003) +
In 2003, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) peer-reviewed Dr. Scherger’s findings. Only after rigorous mathematical validation were his methods accepted. His research revealed that athletes with the proper spinal curve possessed a superior "mechanical advantage" over those with a flat lower back. The key was comparing two musculoskeletal joint lever systems during movement, something that had not been scientifically analyzed before. Dr. Scherger’s innovative technology and concepts redefined spinal health for athletes.

He provided answers to critical questions: "Why did athletes with the proper lower back curve possess the greatest power? Why did they run faster, jump higher, and possess more endurance?" The answer lay in the leverage and efficiency offered by the curved spine.
Source Note +
Quotes from "Story of New England Patriots Secret Strength Training" by John Scherger, D.C.
Pick your guide

Six PDF guides for maintaining ideal posture.

Each guide focuses on a specific exercise (or set of do/don’t guidelines) that supports restoring and maintaining spinal curves.

Home Exercise Program for Low Back Pain PDF: Spinal Twist +
Introduces the spinal twist exercise as a precursor to foam roller work—designed to help the spine return to a relaxed, fluid state before alignment work.
View/Download →
Spinal Twist Exercise PDF Guide
Spinal Twist: foundational mobility + prep for posture work.
Neck Strengthening Exercises PDF Guide: Neck Flexion +
Step-by-step neck flexion program (starting simple and progressing), designed to build neck strength and support posture.
View/Download →
Neck Flexion PDF Guide
Neck Flexion: a simple progression to build resilient neck posture.
Lower Back Strengthening Exercises PDF: Power Cushion or Sleeping Bag +
Focuses on the pelvic tilt to strengthen the lower back and reinforce the S-shaped posture using a Power Cushion (or a sleeping bag as a starter option).
View/Download →
Lower Back Strengthening PDF Guide
Pelvic Tilt: lower-back strengthening and curve support.
Ab Exercises for Bad Back PDF: The Correct Sit-Up +
A spine-friendly approach to building core strength with a proper sit-up technique (using the Power Cushion or a sleeping bag fulcrum).
View/Download →
Correct Sit-Up PDF Guide
Correct Sit-Up: build core strength while protecting the spine.
Core Stability Exercises PDF & Exercises to Avoid +
A practical do/don’t list for core stability—recommended exercises plus guidance on what to avoid to reduce spinal stress.
View/Download →
Core Stability Exercises PDF Guide
Core Stability: smarter exercise selection for spinal alignment.
How to Improve Athlete Performance PDF: Spinal Curve +
Connects spinal curve mechanics to performance—how posture ties to fatigue, stiffness, and athletic output.
View/Download →
How to Improve Athlete Performance PDF Guide
Spinal Curve & performance: posture assessment + training insights.
PDF Guides

PDF Guides Spinal Fitness

Use our PDF guides below to learn exercises for maintaining an ideal spinal posture.

Ab Exercises for Bad Back PDF: The Correct Sit-Up

Ab Exercises for Bad Back PDF: The Correct Sit-Up

SKU 1972 • $99.99
View guide →
Neck Strengthening Exercises PDF Guide: Neck Flexion

Neck Strengthening Exercises PDF Guide: Neck Flexion

SKU 1969 • $99.99
View guide →
How to Improve Athlete Performance PDF: Spinal Curve

How to Improve Athlete Performance PDF: Spinal Curve

SKU 1971 • $99.99
View guide →
Lower Back Strengthening Exercises PDF: Power Cushion or Sleeping Bag

Lower Back Strengthening Exercises PDF: Power Cushion or Sleeping Bag

SKU 1973 • $99.99
View guide →
Core Stability Exercises PDF & Exercises to Avoid

Core Stability Exercises PDF & Exercises to Avoid

SKU 1970 • $99.99
View guide →
Home Exercise Program for Low Back Pain PDF: Spinal Twist

Home Exercise Program for Low Back Pain PDF: Spinal Twist

SKU 1968 • $99.99
View guide →

Are You Ready to Improve, Restore, and Maintain an Ideal S-Shape Spinal Posture?

Use our PDF guides below to learn exercises for maintaining an ideal spinal posture.

Browse the PDF guides ↓
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Ab Exercises for Bad Back
Ab Exercises for Bad Back PDF: The Correct Sit-Up
Ab Exercises for Bad Back PDF: The Correct Sit-Up
SKU 1972
$99.99
Neck Flexion Exercise
Neck Strengthening Exercises PDF Guide: Neck Flexion
Neck Strengthening Exercises PDF Guide: Neck Flexion
SKU 1969
$99.99
How To Evaluate Spinal Curvature and Athletic Ability
How to Improve Athlete Performance PDF: Spinal Curve
How to Improve Athlete Performance PDF: Spinal Curve
SKU 1971
$99.99
How to do the pelvic tilt exercise
Lower Back Strengthening Exercises PDF: Power Cushion or Sleeping Bag
Lower Back Strengthening Exercises PDF: Power Cushion or Sleeping Bag
SKU 1973
$99.99
Exercises We Recommend and Exercises To Avoid
Core Stability Exercises PDF & Exercises to Avoid
Core Stability Exercises PDF & Exercises to Avoid
SKU 1970
$99.99
Spinal Twist Exercise
Home Exercise Program for Low Back Pain PDF: Spinal Twist
Home Exercise Program for Low Back Pain PDF: Spinal Twist
SKU 1968
$99.99
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