Roll Up

Let's take a look at the roll up. One of my favorite exercises and also one of the most challenging exercises for me to perform One thing to recognize when performing an exercise like the roll up is that body composition can impact one's ability to do it. Somebody with a longer torso and shorter legs may find it very difficult to achieve, and other people with longer legs and a shorter torso might find quite easy. Because it's challenging for me. I have lots of tricks up my sleeve to make sure that I know how to do this exercise with good body mechanics. So I use a towel.

I I and the towel is a great little prop because you could also use a sweatshirt or a t shirt or whatever. We're gonna go ahead and get started with the exercise and talk about the wise as we move. So I'm going to begin seated Unplace the towel maybe an inch or 2 behind my pelvis, behind my tail, and it should be in about the same spot where my low back is going to land when I roll back. I'm going to begin with my elbows straight, my spine is straight, and then I'm gonna round or flex my spine. So I'm looking in the direction of my curve, which means I'm looking toward my legs. Here, we're gonna roll back. So, ideally, we can roll back and feel that you're maintaining flexion or round back and that you can feel each and every every vertebra touch down. And then I'm gonna rest my head, take my arms behind me. My elbows are straight, and I'm reaching.

My rib cage is grounded. Now that towel is in a perfect position to cradle my low back. In hell, I'm gonna lift the head and chest. Now I feel grounded through my low back with ease, And I can just float off the mat until I find myself upright. I'm in a rounded c curve without hiding my head between my arms. My elbows are straight.

My shoulders are gently plugged and exhale to roll back. So feel how if you have that towel there underneath your back, it just gives you the floor. The floor comes just a little sooner. Stretch the arms overhead. So this is the Bassie style roll up, and one of the biggest nuances is that we lift the head and chest we pause.

The arms are in alignment, essentially, with the horizon, and we roll ourself up keeping the arms in alignment with the horizon. And maintaining the c curve without hiding the head. Let's do one more. Exhale to roll back. Beautiful.

Using a prop so that you can feel that your abdominals are driving the movement with support from those hip flexors, actually, as you roll all the way up. Sit nice and tall. So ideal repetitions might be 5 or 10, but what's most important is that you're practicing good mod body mechanics and that you feel that it's coming from the right place.