Speaker #0Welcome to BioPilates Deep Dive. Today we are going to study an essential reformer exercise, airplane, the second movement in the arms pulling strap series, performed on the long box. In the essential repertoire, this series includes plow, airplane, and triceps. It is generally performed with half a spring or one spring for five repetitions. Airplane may appear to be a simple arm movement. However, it is a much more comprehensive exercise. It coordinates an upper limb pulling movement pattern, controlled thoracic spine extension, lumbopelvic stability, and the dynamic organization of the shoulder girdle. In other words, the practitioner should not simply pull on the ropes. They must learn to transmit force from the arms into the trunk without compressing the shoulders, hyperextending the lumbar spine or losing length. through the spine. When setting up the reformer, the foot bar is placed in position number four, the headrest is completely flat, and the resistance is set to half a spring or one spring. The box is placed lengthwise on the carriage, firmly positioned against the shoulder rests. Before beginning, the instructor checks that the box is stable, that both ropes are the same length, and that they move freely. The practitioner lies prone on the box, with the head toward the pulleys. The pelvis remains neutral and supported by the box. The upper body and head extend slightly beyond the end of the box and relax forward. The legs are straight, adducted, parallel, and maintained in line with the box. They do not lift toward the ceiling. Their role is to extend the line of the body while helping to stabilize the pelvis. The arms are extended out to the sides at shoulder height and reach slightly forward, only as far as scapular stability can be maintained. The hands hold the ropes with the palms facing downward. Before the carriage even begins to move, three forms of organization should be visible. The pelvis rests securely on the box, the legs lengthen backward, and the scapulae remain broad. supported against the ribcage. Scapular stability does not mean that the shoulder blades must be immobilized. They should be able to glide across the ribcage while remaining controlled. The principle is one of mobility with stability rather than rigid fixation. On the inhale, the practitioner begins by gently sliding the scapulae downward without forcibly pulling the shoulders away from the ears. The arms open out to the sides. This initial pull begins to move the carriage. At the same time, the spine lengthens and gradually moves from the relaxed position beyond the box into a neutral position parallel to the floor. At this stage, the practitioner should not yet try to create a large amount of extension. This first phase is primarily about restoring length throughout the body. On the exhale, the arms continue moving backward toward the hips. The upper spine then moves into extension. The sternum lengthens forward and slightly upward, while the lumbar spine and pelvis remain neutral. On the next inhale, the arms open out to the sides again. The carriage begins to return, and the spine gradually leaves extension to regain a neutral line, parallel to the floor. Finally, on the exhale, the arms lengthen forward. The carriage returns completely, allowing the upper body to relax beyond the end of the box. The movement is repeated five times. The choice of breathing pattern is particularly interesting. The inhale accompanies the initial opening of the ribcage and the reestablishment of axial length. The exhale then strengthens the connection of the deep abdominals while extension develops through the thoracic spine. Exhalation does not. therefore automatically mean flexion. It can be used at any point in a movement to improve abdominal recruitment and enhance safety. Airplane is not a pure shoulder extension movement performed in a single plane. At the beginning, the arms are positioned on an oblique line between flexion and abduction. The first part of the movement includes a component of horizontal abduction. The arms move away from their slightly forward position and come more into line with the shoulders. As the arms continue moving toward the hips, the movement primarily combines glenohumeral extension, adduction of the humerus, and a slight continuation of horizontal abduction. Glenohumeral extension is the backward movement of the humerus in relation to the thorax. It occurs primarily in the sagittal plane. around a transverse axis. However, in airplane, the initial position of the arms makes the movement three-dimensional. The elbows remain extended. The triceps therefore work primarily isometrically to maintain elbow extension without becoming the main movers of the exercise. The wrists remain long and aligned with the forearms. The scapulae accompany the movement of the arms. They tend to return from a slightly protracted position toward a more neutral position with depression, moderate retraction, and downward rotation. However, they should never be pinched toward the spine. The instructor should continue to see width across the shoulders. Excessive scapular retraction reduces mobility at the glenohumeral joint and often transforms the movement into compression between the shoulder blades. The head of the humerus must remain centered within the glenoid fossa. This joint offers a very large amount of mobility, but its bony stability is limited. It therefore depends heavily on the coordinated work of the rotator cuff and the other dynamic stabilizers. The objective is not to take the hands as far behind the hips as possible. If the humerus moves too far backward, the humeral head may glide anteriorly. The front of the shoulder may become compressed. and the practitioner may lose joint centration. The correct range of motion ends before the shoulder rolls forward. The latissimus dorsi is one of the main movers in airplane. It is a large superficial muscle whose origins extend over the lower sixth thoracic vertebrae, the thoracolumbar fascia, part of the lumbar and sacral spine, the posterior portion of the iliac crest, and the lower three or four ribs. Some individuals also have fibers connected to the inferior angle of the scapula. All these fibers converge into a relatively narrow tendon that inserts into the floor of the intertubercular groove of the humerus. The latissimus dorsi is innervated by the thoracodorsal nerve, which arises from the posterior cord of the brachial plexus, with nerve roots primarily from C6, C7, and C8. Its principal actions at the glenohumeral joint are extension, adduction, and medial rotation of the humerus. Its effectiveness in extension and adduction is particularly significant when the movement begins from a position of flexion or partial abduction, which corresponds precisely to the trajectory used in airplane. As the arms pull toward the hips, the latissimus dorsi works concentrically. It shortens to produce extension and adduction of the humerus. As the arms return forward, it works eccentrically. It gradually lengthens while controlling the resistance of the springs and the closing of the carriage. However, there is an essential teaching point. The latissimus dorsi is also a medial rotator of the humerus. When it dominates without sufficient control from the rotator cuff, The arms rotate inward and the shoulders may roll forward. The instructor must therefore observe the orientation of the humerus rather than looking only at the position of the hands. Pronation of the forearm can change the direction of the palms without accurately reflecting the rotation occurring at the glenohumeral joint. A useful cue could be, keep the collarbones wide and pull the arms toward the hips. without allowing the shoulders to roll inward. With this organization, the latissimus dorsi can generate the necessary force without driving the humeral head forward. It also contributes to preventing excessive elevation of the shoulder complex. However, the practitioner should not be instructed to forcefully push the shoulders downward. Depression should be an organized response to the pulling action rather than a rigid fixation. The second muscle we are going to examine is the iliocostalis. It forms the most lateral portion of the erector spinni group. It is not a single continuous bundle, but a group composed of three parts, the iliocostalis lumborum, the iliocostalis thoracis, and the iliocostalis cervicis. The iliacostalis lumborum originates primarily from the posterior portion of the iliac crest and the common tendon of the erector spinae. Its fibers ascend toward the lumbar transverse processes, the thoracolumbar fascia, and the angles of the lower ribs. The iliacostalis thoracis connects the angles of the lower six ribs to the angles of the upper ribs, as well as to the transverse process of C7. Finally, the iliocostalis cervicis originates from the angles of the third to sixth ribs and inserts onto the posterior tubercles of the transverse processes of C4 to C6. Its innervation is segmental. It is supplied by the dorsal rami of the spinal nerves corresponding to the different vertebral levels. unlike the Lattissimus dorsi, It therefore does not have one clearly defined peripheral nerve. When the right and left iliocostalis muscles contract together, they contribute to extension of the vertebral column. When only one side contracts, they contribute to ipsilateral lateral flexion of the spine. They also play an important role in postural control and in the eccentric deceleration of trunk flexion. In airplane, the thoracic portions of the iliocostalis you contribute to extension of the upper and middle spine. They work concentrically as the sternum lengthens forward and the thorax moves from neutral into extension. During the return, they work eccentrically to control the lowering of the upper body. The iliocostalis lumborum, however, should not become the main mover. Its role in this exercise is primarily stabilizing. If the lumbar fibers dominate, the practitioner strongly arches the lower back, anteriorly tilts the pelvis, and creates the illusion of a large spinal extension, even though very little movement is occurring through the thoracic spine. The instructor should therefore look for an extension that is distributed throughout the thoracic region, rather than a localized hinge at the thoracolumbar junction. The most effective cue is not, lift higher. A more appropriate cue is, cue would be lengthen the sternum forward and distribute the extension between the shoulder blades. While the latissimus dorsi moves the humerus and the erector spinae develop thoracic extension, the lumbopelvic region must remain stable. The transversus abdominis and the deep pelvic floor contribute to the maintenance of abdominal pressure. The obliques you stabilize the relationship between the rib cage and the pelvis. The gluteus maximus and hamstrings work primarily isometrically to maintain pelvic stability over the femurs and keep the legs in line with the box. The legs should remain level with the box. If they lift, the practitioner often increases hip extension and pulls the pelvis into an anterior tilt. The exercise then shifts into the lumbar spine. The instructor can observe the anterior superior iliac spines. They should maintain relatively consistent contact with the box throughout the repetition. The first common error is beginning the movement by shrugging the shoulders. The upper trapezius and neck muscles then take control before the scapular stabilizers have been properly organized. The correction is to reduce the range of motion or the resistance in cue. Broaden across the back of the shoulders before you pull. The second common error is drawing the shoulder blades excessively together. The practitioner confuses scapular retraction with glenohumeral extension. The scapulae pinch together, but the humeri move very little. The cue would be... Pull the arms toward the hips while maintaining space between the shoulder blades. The third common error is excessive medial rotation of the arms. The shoulders roll forward and the palms begin to turn inward. The fourth common error is lumbar hyperextension. The ribs flare, the legs lift, and the pelvis tilts forward. The height of the thorax should then be reduced so that the practitioner can reconnect. with the abdominals. The fifth common error is cervical hyperextension. The gaze lifts toward the wall and the back of the neck shortens. The cervical spine should simply continue the line created by the thoracic spine. Finally, the arms should neither lower nor lift during their trajectory. The middle and posterior fibers of the deltoids maintain the arms at a consistent height, while the wrists remain aligned and the springs are controlled until the carriage has returned completely. When the practitioner is unable to coordinate the arm pull with spinal extension, the straps can be omitted. The practitioner then holds the edges of the carriage and repeats only the movement of the spine. spine, moving from the relaxed position into neutral, developing a small amount of thoracic extension, returning to neutral, and then relaxing forward again. This modification allows the practitioner to learn the spinal movement pattern without spring resistance and without the biomechanical complexity of the shoulder movement. It also helps the instructor determine whether the difficulty comes from thoracic extension itself. or from integrating the arms into the movement. Airplane is a pulling exercise, but it is not simply an exercise for the arms. The latissimus dorsi provides a significant part of the force required for extension and adduction of the humerus. The iliocostalis contributes to lengthening and controlled extension of the spine. The rotator cuff centers the humeral head. The scapular stabilizers keep the shoulder blades mobile and organized against the rib cage. Finally, the deep abdominals, gluteals, and hamstrings prevent the movement from shifting into the lumbar spine. The essence of airplane could be summarized as follows. The arms create the pull, the scapulae organize the transmission of force, the thoracic spine develops the extension, and the pelvis remains quiet. Five repetitions are enough, provided that each one is performed with precision, continuity, and control. Thank you for listening, and I look forward to seeing you again in a future episode.
