Reverse Tabletop
Reverse Tabletop
Muscle Group(s) Stretched: Shoulders (shoulder extension)
Muscle Group(s) Strengthened: n/a
Type of Stretch: Active Static
Difficulty: All-Levels
Suggested Prerequisites: none
While this is mainly a shoulder stretch for shoulder extension (being able to reach your arms backwards), it’s also a multi-tasking stretch for the wrists.
How To
Step 1
Start sitting on the floor with knees bent. Place your palms on the floor behind your butt - I like doing this with fingertips pointing towards my feet, but you can experiment with other hand positions if that feels more comfortable on your wrists (ex. fingers pointing to the outside, or making a fist and pushing into your knuckles)
Step 2
Press into your hands and feet to lift your hips, aiming to bring your hips up to knee height (if they don’t lift that high, that’s OK!). You should feel a stretching sensation across the front of your shoulders (or possibly chest).
Hold this stretch for 15-20 seconds.
Modifications
Need to make it easier?
Don’t press the hips quite so high.
Use parallelettes or make a fist (bracing yourself on your knuckles, with your wrist neutral instead of flexed) if doing this with palms on the floor is uncomfortable on your wrists.
Want to make it harder?
Add some movement! Once you’ve pressed up into your tabletop position, try making horizontal circles with your hips (keeping your hips the same height) as if you are now a wobbly Ikea table. This will shift the weight around your palms, which can be a nice wrist warm up.
Related Content
Flexopedia: Rear Hand Clasp
Flexopedia: Cow Face Pose Elevator
Blog Post: Beginner-Friendly Shoulder Conditioning
