Sports Science and Medicine:
flexion-relaxation phenomenon
A phenomenon that occurs when the spine is in full flexion: the spinal extensors relax completely and the flexion torque is supported by the spinal ligaments. Therefore, during weight-training, it is especially important to use the correct technique when the spine is fully flexed because the tension in the spinal ligaments adds significantly to the anterior shear force on the lumbar vertebrae and increases the load on the facet joints.
