Quadruped Thoracic Rotation

oec:quadruped-thoracic-rotation

A quadruped mobility exercise that develops rotational range of motion in the thoracic spine while stabilizing the lumbar spine and pelvis.

Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.

Also called: Quadruped T-Spine Rotation, Hands and Knees Thoracic Rotation, All-Fours T-Spine Rotation, Quadruped thoracic rotation left, Quadruped thoracic rotation right

How to do it

Setup

Start on all fours with your wrists stacked directly beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips.
Engage your core to maintain a neutral, flat spine from pelvis to neck.
Place one hand behind your head or neck with the elbow pointed outward, keeping the supporting arm firmly planted.

Movement

Rotate your upper torso down and inward, pointing the elevated elbow toward your opposite wrist or floor.
Reverse the movement by rotating your upper torso open toward the ceiling, driving the elbow upward as far as comfortable without shifting your hips.
Pause momentarily at the top of the rotation.
Smoothly return to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions before switching sides.

Breathing

Inhale as you rotate down across your body, and exhale as you rotate open toward the ceiling.

Cues

Keep hips square to the floor
Rotate through your ribcage, not your lower back
Push the floor away with the supporting hand
Follow your elbow with your eyes

Common faults

Shifting hips side to side to cheat rotation.: Keep your pelvis level and stationary; sit hips slightly back toward your heels if needed to lock the lumbar spine.
Pulling on the neck with the raised hand.: Rest your fingertips lightly behind your head without applying any forward or sideways pressure.
Collapsing into the supporting shoulder.: Actively press into the floor through the supporting palm to keep the chest proud and shoulder stable.

Safety

Move in a slow, controlled manner and avoid forcing rotational end range.

Muscles

External oblique prime mover
Internal oblique prime mover
Erector spinae prime mover
Rhomboids synergist
Middle trapezius synergist
Serratus anterior stabilizer
Transversus abdominis stabilizer

Joints

Thoracic spine: Rotation
Lumbar spine: Isometric stabilization
Shoulder blade: Retraction, Protraction
Shoulder: Isometric stabilization

Details

Movement: Mobility drill, Rotation
Modality: Mobility, Flexibility
Mechanics: isolation
Force: not applicable
Laterality: unilateral
Kinetic chain: closed
Level: beginner
Equipment: None
Record: Repetitions
Load: none, not applicable

substitute for Half-Kneeling Open Book
substitute for Half-Kneeling Thoracic Rotation
substitute for Seated Thoracic Rotation

Sources

wger: Quadruped thoracic rotation left, by tinman (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
wger: Quadruped thoracic rotation right, by tinman (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

quadruped-thoracic-rotation.json