- EquipmentNone
- PatternMobility
- Repsheld for time
Kneel on all fours or lie on your side with your knees bent, and place one hand behind your head.
First cueKeep the hips still.
How to do the Thoracic Rotation
Set up. Kneel on all fours or lie on your side with your knees bent, and place one hand behind your head.
- Turn your upper back to rotate that elbow up toward the ceiling.
- Pause at the end of a comfortable range.
- Rotate back down slowly.
- Repeat slowly, then switch sides.
Form cues
- Keep the hips still.
- Follow the elbow with your eyes.
- Breathe out as you turn.
Common mistakes
- Twisting from the lower back.
- Forcing the end of the range.
Muscles worked
Main target: Upper back. The upper back is the muscle between and around the shoulder blades. It pulls the shoulder blades together and back, which is what every row trains and what holds a posture against a long day at a desk.
On the way: Obliques.
Its other side: Chest, Front delts and Triceps, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
Variations and preparation
Its variations: Thread the Needle.
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Thoracic Rotation is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Thoracic Rotation?
Set up: Kneel on all fours or lie on your side with your knees bent, and place one hand behind your head. Steps: 1. Turn your upper back to rotate that elbow up toward the ceiling. 2. Pause at the end of a comfortable range. 3. Rotate back down slowly. 4. Repeat slowly, then switch sides. Form cues: Keep the hips still. Follow the elbow with your eyes. Breathe out as you turn. Common mistakes: Twisting from the lower back. Forcing the end of the range.
What muscles does the Thoracic Rotation work?
It trains the upper back as its main target and works the obliques on the way.