Assume a person bends forward to lift a load "with his back" as shown in Figure (a). The spine pivots mainly at the fifth lumbar vertebra, with the principal supporting force provided by the erector spinalis muscle in the back. To see the magnitude of the forces involved, consider the model shown in Figure (b) for a person bending forward to lift a W, = 205-N object. The spine and upper body are represented as a uniform horizontal rod of weight W, = 320 N, pivoted at the base of the spine. The erector spinalis muscle, attached at a point two-thirds of the way up the spine, maintains the position of the back. The angle between the spine and this muscle is 0 = 10.5°.

Assume a person bends forward to lift a load "with his back" as shown in Figure (a). The spine pivots mainly at the fifth lumbar vertebra, with the principal supporting force provided by the erector spinalis muscle in the back. To see the magnitude of the forces involved, consider the model shown in Figure (b) for a person bending forward to lift a W, = 205-N object. The spine and upper body are represented as a uniform horizontal rod of weight W, = 320 N, pivoted at the base of the spine. The erector spinalis muscle, attached at a point two-thirds of the way up the spine, maintains the position of the back. The angle between the spine and this muscle is 0 = 10.5°.