Improve your posture; build upper back strength; improve your scapular stability; reduce neck and shoulder pain; reduce widows stoop…This exercise has SO many benefits!
This exercise it great, when it is done correctly. Frequently, people do this exercise using their traps (upper shoulders) and hang into their low backs which destroys all the benefits of this exercise and can cause neck and low back pain. We know this video is a little long, but this is one of those exercises where doing it correctly is super important! So please do watch the whole thing and note all the corrections and advice when doing this exercise.
Here are some of the most important things to remember:
- Keep your legs relaxed the whole time you are doing this exercise.
- Keep your low abs in. Any time you do any kind of back work, you must keep those low abs in. This is extremely important for injury prevention and protecting your low back.
- Keep your pubic bone pressed into the floor.
- Pull your shoulders down away from your ears and rolled open as you come up.
- Keep the abs over your low ribs engaged (pull your low ribs back to your spine slightly).
- Lengthen through the back of your spine, including your neck, as you come up.
- Don’t get greedy. You should feel this right underneath your shoulder blades. If you come up too high, other, stronger muscles will take over to get you up off the mat but then you won’t be working the right muscles.
Want to be sure you are doing this correctly, learn a variation or get more upper back exercises? Schedule your free 90 minute consultation.
Addie Kelzer is a certified personal trainer and nutrition consultant. She believes that by making fitness and good food practical, her clients will hold the power to positively change their health and the health of those closest to them.