Spinal Stretch

Also called seated spinal twist, chair spinal twist and seated twist.

Works

Upper back, plus lats, lower back, neck and traps

Equipment

Bodyweight

Level

Beginner

Type

Isolation

How to do it

Setup. Sit in a chair so your back is straight and your feet planted on the floor.

1. Interlace your fingers behind your head, elbows out and your chin down.
2. Twist your upper body to one side about 3 times as far as you can. Then lean forward and twist your torso to reach your elbow to the floor on the inside of your knee.
3. Return to upright position and then repeat for your other side.

Cues

• Sit tall, hands behind the head.
• Twist slowly to one side.
• Lean forward, elbow toward knee.
• Breathe out into each twist.

Common mistakes

• Jerking into the twist.
• Slumping the posture.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

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