06 Jun How Often Should You Really Do the McGill Big Three?
Article Rundown
- Clarifies how often the McGill Big Three should be performed for optimal results.
- Explains how core training frequency depends on individual injury history and goals.
- Shares insights from Brian Carroll’s personal rehab journey and clinical experience.
- Highlights the benefits and challenges of becoming a McGill clinician.
The Big Three: How Often Should You Really Do Them?
One of the most common questions I get is this: “In Back Mechanic, Dr. McGill recommends doing the Big Three daily, but I’ve heard you say six days a week is better for adaptations. What’s your actual suggestion?”
Let’s clear it up.
For some individuals, doing the Big Three every day is exactly what they need. Others might need to take a day off, but not completely off. I’ve worked with athletes who reported regular flare-ups every Sunday, and guess what? Sunday was their only full rest day. They weren’t doing anything—no core work, no movement. The body got loose, clicky, or maybe unstable, and symptoms returned. It could be for countless reasons, depending on the unique injury of the client.
So, instead of total rest, I often suggest people cut down volume on the seventh day. For others, it’s every four days. Some want to do the Big Three every other day, and if that works for them, I’m not here to argue. I’m a consultant, not your boss. If you’ve found a prescription that helps, stick with it. But I generally recommend five to seven days a week as the optimal range.
Remember: Back Mechanic was written in 2015. A lot of the ideas are still gold, but as with anything in life and training, the approach is constantly refined. Back Mechanic is a guide, not your prescription; it gives you suggestions, but it does not replace your unique biology. You need to factor in the nature of your back injury, your goals, and what kind of adaptations you’re chasing, whether that’s neuromuscular control, bone density, or pure muscle strength and/or strength-endurance.
Core Stability, Instability, and Finding the Right Dose
If you’re dealing with instability—say, a segment of your spine that moves excessively—core work should be your priority, and frequent doses are usually more effective. These clients often feel worse after skipping a day: unstable, loose, even “janky.” That’s not a coincidence. It’s the result of removing the input their body needs to remain stiff and supported.
But again, this isn’t about only doing the Big Three. That’s the entry point. As McGill clinicians, our job goes way beyond what’s written in Back Mechanic. It’s a valuable tool, but it’s not the entire toolbox.
You might have heard someone reference McGill recommending six days a week on a podcast—maybe it was the Huberman episode. That context was about biblical periodization, a structured week of training and rest. But rehab, rebuilding, and performance all require context. Don’t just count the days; look at what your body needs on those days.
Some people thrive with microdoses—doing just a few reps of the Big Three a few times a day. Others benefit from full sets and additional core work layered in. If you’re serious about adapting your spine to become a fortress, or even chasing records like my 1306 lb squat, you’re going to need more than three exercises once a day.
Becoming a McGill Clinician: Rewards, Challenges, and Bias
The second question I often get asked: “As a McGill clinician, what are the biggest benefits and challenges of running your own business, and should I become one?”
To be honest, I’m probably not the best person to ask for an unbiased answer—I’m incredibly grateful for where the method has taken me. I was a patient first. I had skin in the game long before I ever taught or got certified. Before Back Mechanic was written, I didn’t seek it out; it found me. After seeing Dr. McGill in 2013 (as documented in Gift of Injury), everything changed.
I was all in. I learned directly from the source and even discovered things through experience that helped Dr. McGill refine aspects of the method, especially when it came to applying it in the strength world. I ended up teaching the material, delivering McGill’s Level 3 course in Buffalo over six years ago, and used it firsthand in the trenches with lifters. That’s a story for another time, but it was definitely a unique experience, not to mention the pressure.
That’s why I say: I didn’t just learn it. I lived it. I was part of the experimental bone callousing process we describe in Gift of Injury, using special loading protocols to regrow bone through ion-driven mineral scaffolding. We waited five days, reloaded, and built my back stronger. That wasn’t just theory—it was applied science. Since then, I’ve helped dozens of others through that same protocol. But at the time, it had only been tested and was successful a couple of times, but not for world record load compression. And this is where the rubber meets the road with high performance. Science meets performance.
I’ve had PTs who have their doctorate, chiropractors, and biomechanists ask me about being a McGill clinician—if I suggest it for them—and sometimes it can be a very hard pill for them to swallow once they dig into the information and realize they have to start unlearning everything they were taught about the spine. This may be too daunting for those eight years in via school, and sometimes longer than that in their practice, but it can be life-changing for them and their patients. It’s not for everyone. But the PTs that I know, Cara Wurst and Joe Camisa, are next-level PTs and great McGill Method providers, taking their spine game to the stratosphere.
The Business Side of Being a Clinician
As far as business challenges? They’re no different from any other entrepreneur’s path. I’ve worked for myself for over 15 years. I don’t want to work for anyone else. I love what I do. I love seeing people get better. I love teaching the method.
But I will say this: if you’re thinking about going this route, make sure you have a deep understanding of the principles. Know how to live them before you try to teach them. You don’t need to break your back like I did to understand it, but you do need to immerse yourself in the method before passing it on.
Also, if you haven’t read Gift of Injury, I highly recommend it. It’s not just a rehab story—it’s a blueprint that ties together the science of Back Mechanic with the lived experience of rebuilding a broken spine. Then, Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, then Low Back Disorders, then sign up for the online courses McGill 1, 2, and 3 via BackFitPro.
Final Thoughts
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to the McGill Big Three, core stability, or running a coaching business. But if you’re genuinely interested in understanding what works, adapting to your needs, and maybe even helping others do the same, then this path might be for you.
Just remember: you are the experiment. Be objective, be consistent, and learn from those who’ve been there. Read the material, understand the context, how to read and interpret the science, and then how it applies to each unique case. Yes, each case, no matter how “similar the injury is on the MRI report,” is unique. Also, the pain is not in their head!
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