Why Use the Half Kneeling Thoracic Opener?
No matter what sport you play, the half kneeling thoracic opener will be a game changer in achieving more mobility and twisting through the torso or thoracic spine. I especially love using this with baseball players to work on their upper body mobility for pitching and batting.
This mobility drill is also for everybody who spends too much time sitting at a desk or typing on a computer – rounding through the thoracic spine… a healthy dose of rotational mobility is important for staying off the bench during your season.
Check out this post for a med ball series for baseball rotational power.
How to Perform Half Kneeling Thoracic Opener
Begin in a half kneeling stance next to a strong wall creating 90 degrees at both hip, knee, and ankle. The knee that’s in front, should be the side that rests along the wall (right knee out in front for explanation purposes). From here bring both arms out in front of you with the fingertips pointing forward and the palms together. Keep the leg arm where it is out in front, as you keep the right arm straight and circle it up and over your head to behind you along the wall.
As you begin, the palm should face out and away from the wall. You’ll feel an opening through the shoulder and chest as well. Then as it comes overhead, you’ll naturally flip the palm down to face the wall. Reverse this as you return to in front.
Watch how to perform half kneeling thoracic opener’s here.
Common Mistakes
The goal here is to twist and open through the thoracic. Make sure to maintain a tall spine, and twist through the thoracic rather than just the hips or shoulders.
Programming
I will usually have athletes work on half kneeling thoracic opener’s after their general prep warm-up and before getting into their sports specific workout. This is a great drill to include in either your pre or post workout mobility routine.
Perform two rounds of 10 reps on each arm – moving slowly and with control.
MORE TRAINING RESOURCES
You and I both know that as much as we want to talk about your training and strength exercises… recovery plays a huge role in improving your game. To be the ultimate athlete, you need to optimize your body like one.
I’ve taken 7 Areas of an Athlete’s lifestyle and created guides that optimize each area.
- Sleep Optimization
- Active Recovery
- Nutrient and Hydration Optimization
- Regeneration
- Supplement Optimization
- Biomechanics Optimization
- Work Capacity Optimization
Check out Athletic Performance Optimization
We’ll dive into my tried and tested recovery and training methods that you can apply to the off-season to put on mass or just get stronger.
