138
Exercise name
(Resistance)Description
(Technique cues) Progression
Muscle group: Spinal extensors
Muscles emphasized: Upper and lower back extensors/stabilization
Joint movement: Spinal extension with shoulder flexion
I. Prone single-arm spine arch
(Body weight)Lie prone on forearms with legs
straight and feet together. Use the
abdominals to lift the front of the
pelvis (ASIS) until a straight line
could be drawn through the sides
of the shoulder, torso, and pelvis.
Then reach one arm forward and
upward as the back arches, pause,
and return to the starting position.
(Keep “pulling up” from the low
attachments of the abdominals to
limit the degree of anterior tilting of
the pelvis as the back arches. Bring
the arm to or behind the ear, and
focus on “lifting” and arching the
upper back first.)- Increase range of motion of
thoracic spinal extension while
still maintaining ASIS off the
floor. - Add a small dumbbell in the
hands. - Add slight rotation of the torso
toward the raised arm.
Muscle groups: Spinal extensors and shoulder flexors
Muscles emphasized: Back extensors/sequential
Joint movement: Spinal extension with shoulder flexion maintained
J. Spine arch with overhead press
(Reformer and bar)Lie prone with the hips at the edge
of the box and heels on the footbar,
with the knees bent and a weighted
bar in the hands behind the head
with the elbows bent. Extend the
elbows to reach the bar overhead,
extend the knees and hyperextend
the spine, pause, and slowly return
to the starting position.
(Keep “pulling up” with low
attachment of abdominals to limit
anterior tilting of the pelvis and
sequentially extend the spine from
upper to lower, working only in a
pain-free range.)- Gradually increase bar
resistance from 1 pound to 5
pounds (0.5-2.25 kilograms).
TABLE 3.4 Selected Strength Exercises for the Spine (continued)