Quadruped Spinal CARs

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Been practicing this for a bit now; it's far from perfect but it's all good as long as it's improving. Like most bench pressers who arch (although I have a baby arch) I have an excessive hinge at T12-L1, the thoracolumbar junction. Bracing myself into this position repeatedly while benching has made it really easy for my back to extend here as it's become the path of least resistance; not to mention anatomically speaking the spine will naturally extend more at this spot. _ Arching your back while bench pressing isn't dangerous, at least not in the way I feel most detractors claim it is (but that's probably a post for another day). Nevertheless, I don't want the rest of my vertebral segments to lose their ability to flex and extend wherever it's possible. Being able to segmentally transition from flexion to extension and back again via spinal CARs is a good way to help maintain the movement capabilities of my spine, especially at seldom-used junctions. _ You'll notice that there are certain regions in my back which are quite flat and have trouble going from flexion to extension. Instead of a rolling wave, it looks more like a standing wave that just kinda inverts itself. If you swipe right you'll see me doing a common back stretch drill but with my feet and lumbar spine in different positions which allows me to focus extension specifically into these stubborn flat regions (approximately at T6, T8 and T10). This will help carry over into smoother, wavier spinal CARs. _ If you spend a lot of time with your back in extension like me (or really any position for that matter), do your zygapophyseal joint capsules a favor and keep them lubricated with synovial fluid via healthy spinal range of motion exercises. _ #ClinicalAthlete

A post shared by PhysioStrength (@physiostrengthnyc) on Aug 13, 2018 at 6:18pm PDT

293 Likes, 15 Comments - PhysioStrength (@physiostrengthnyc) on Instagram: "Been practicing this for a bit now; it's far from perfect but it's all good as long as it's..."