← EXERCISE LIBRARYMobility
Quadruped Thoracic Rotation
Hand-behind-head rotation on all fours with the hips locked over the knees. Trains mid-back rotation in a position where the lumbar spine cannot easily take over.
- 01Kneel on all fours and sit the hips back until they rest just above the heels to lock the low back.
- 02Place the right hand behind the head with the elbow pointing down at the floor.
- 03Rotate the right elbow up toward the ceiling, turning through the ribcage and following with the eyes.
- 04Pause at the top for a breath, then lower the elbow back under the body toward the opposite wrist.
- 05Perform eight rotations, then switch sides and repeat for two rounds each.
- 01Hips stay quiet — all the movement is above the ribs.
- 02Lead with the elbow, let the head come along.
- 03Reach the elbow under at the bottom before you turn back up.
- 01Letting the hips rotate with the torso — the twist is shared out and the mid-back does very little.
- 02Rotating fast — momentum produces the range instead of the trunk muscles.
- 03Stopping at halfway up — the last part of the arc is where the thoracic segments get the most work.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.