CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Anchored T-Spine Extension

There’s few things people need more of:

  • Bacon
  • Sex
  • That’s pretty much it

Oh, and more thoracic extension.

Copyright: woodoo007 / 123RF Stock Photo

Many people spend an inordinate amount of their time in a ball of flexion that having “access” to requisite amounts of t-spine extension is a commodity it today’s day and age.

What’s more, many of the drills and exercises prescribed to people in order to gain that extension is so poorly executed or altogether the wrong fit that it’s not uncommon for some people to spend years chasing their tail.

Take for example the plain ol’ vanilla t-spine extension off the foam roller.

It’s a great exercise, and a simple one, when done right.

Thing is: many people do it wrong, which I explain in THIS article from last year.

In the same light, I want to highlight a similar drill I came across recently that I really like and have been implementing with my own clients.

Anchored T-Spine Extension

 

Who Did I Steal It From? – Zach Long of TheBarbellPhysio.com.

What Does It Do? – Allows to “lock” people in position to get movement from the area we actually wan to get movement from.

The T-spine isn’t really supposed to extend that much; to the point where it emulates the picture shown above. In that scenario said person is allowing the rectus to lengthen too much – resulting in excessive rib flair – and gleaning motion from the lumbar spine.

The Anchored T-Spine Extension tries to eliminate all of that.

Key Coaching Cues – First, it’s important to “clear” people for adequate shoulder flexion. If they’re unable to extend their arms overhead without compensating through RA, lumbar spine, or even via excessive elbow flexion, then this won’t be a good fit for them.

Second, I like to tell people to picture an imaginary line from their belly-button to nipple line, and that as they lower their hips that that line shouldn’t lengthen too much.

In effect, much like the regular t-spine extension drill off a foam roller most are accustomed to, when done right, most will be very surprised at how little motion there actually is with this drill.

But that’s the thing: This is not a ROM drill per se. It’s a getting motion from the right area(s) drill. 

I like to use this drill as a catch-all warm-up drill. It’s relevant for any upper body work that requires scapular retraction, depression, or even upward rotation, as well as any lower body work that requires someone to maintain an upright/extended torso.

It can also be used as a filler exercise during rest sets.

Have at it.

CategoriesAssessment coaching Corrective Exercise Exercise Technique

A Common Mistake People Make With Thoracic Extension

Thoracic (mid-back) extension is kind of a big deal.

Without turning this into an anatomy lesson, t-spine extension is important for a variety of reasons. In no particular order:

  • It’s what the mid-back (T1-T12) is designed to do.  However, due to the long hours many of us tend to accumulate at work and at home in excessive flexion (hunched over, rounded upper back), we lose the ability to get into and maintain extension.
  • In short: “good” posture can become compromised.
  • T-spine extension allows us to get into proper positions to lift things – it’s crucial for overhead activities (or elevating the arms overhead in general), deadlifting, squatting, and helping to offset “sheer forces” on the spine.
  • Lack of t-spine extension means you can never be Batman.1
  • Our scapulae (shoulder blades) are more or mess at the mercy of thorax position. For those who present with a more kyphotic/computer guy posture, the “resting” position of our scapulae can be affected (abducted, anteriorly tilted) which can (not always) lead to shoulder ouchies in addition to scapular dyskinesis.

There are numerous ways to address lack of thoracic extension, the most common being foam rolling the mid-back followed by corrective modalities such as:

Bench T-Spine Mobilizations

 

Rocked Back Extension-Rotations

 

Side Lying Windmill

 

We’d then follow all of that with strength-based exercises – cued well – to help “cement” things. Front squats, for example, would be a great fit here. The anterior placement of the barbell forces the upper back musculature to counteract the forward pull to keep the torso upright; in effect nudging trainees into more t-spine extension.

Another popular approach is to use the foam roller in a different way and pepper in some additional t-spine extension patterning.

You all know the drill: take a foam roller, lie on it, and lean back, waaaaaaay back.

Like this:

While intentions are good in this scenario and there is some mid-back extension happening, it arrives at the expense of movement coming from elsewhere…the lumbar spine (often times with the hips coming off the ground) in conjunction with a massive rib flair.

Thoracic movement is much more subtle than people think. I fear this is one of those cases where many people – fitness industry pros included – have grown infatuated with the notion more ROM (Range of Motion) is better ROM.

Not the case.

What T-Spine Extension on Foam Roller Really Looks Like