Speaker #0Hi and welcome to Biopilates Deep Dive. Today I would like to take the time to talk about an exercise on the reformer that truly deserves that we slow down, observe, feel, and understand it. This exercise is the front rowing preps, second position. It may appear quite simple at first glance because we see someone sitting, holding the straps with the arms open, then bringing the arms forward to create a circular shape. However, As soon as we enter a deeper analysis of the movement, we begin to understand that this exercise requires an extremely precise organization of the trunk, the scapulae, the shoulders, the elbows, the wrists, and the breath. The starting position is already essential. The person is sitting upright on the carriage, facing the footbar, seated against the shoulder rests, with the pelvis and spine in a neutral position. The legs are crossed. The arms are extended and placed in abduction, slightly below shoulder level. The hands are in the straps. The palms are facing forward. The wrists and fingers remain long, and the arms begin slightly in front of the body with soft elbows. The scapulae are stabilized, but this stabilization must never become rigidity. To prepare for the movement, we inhale. Then on the exhale, we maintain... scapular stability and press the hands forward and together to push the carriage. The arms create a circular shape as if drawing an arc in space without losing the organization of the ribcage or the verticality of the spine. Then, on the inhale, the arms return to the starting position, controlling the return of the carriage without allowing the springs to pull the body back abruptly. Typically, five repetitions are completed. But as always, it is not the number that defines the quality of the exercise, but the precision with which each repetition is constructed. In this exercise, the first fundamental point is trunk stability. The transversus abdominis contributes to gently compressing the abdomen and stabilizing the lumbopelvic region. The deep pelvic floor supports this activation, and the spinal extensors, rectus abdominis, and obliques all work together to maintain the spine in a neutral position. This is therefore not an isolated arm exercise. It is an exercise in which the arms move because the center is organized. This is very important because as soon as the center becomes disorganized, compensations appear. The person may lean forward onto the front of the sit bones, fall backward onto the back of the sit bones, collapse into flexion, or push the ribcage forward. In all of these cases, the movement of the arms is no longer supported by a central organization. It becomes a compensatory movement, and the shoulder begins to work in less optimal conditions. The ribcage must remain calm. It must not lift, it must not project forward, and it must not become the driver of the movement. This is often an error that we see when the resistance is too strong or when the student is trying too hard. The person presses the hands forward, but instead of maintaining a long spine and an organized rib cage, they open the ribs and push the sternum forward, and the exercise immediately loses its intelligence. In this case, it is better to reduce the range, decrease the resistance, or return to a clearer breathing pattern. The scapulae also play a major role. They must remain stable while the arms move. but stability must not be confused with rigidity. The scapulae should not be excessively retracted, as if trying to squeeze them together, nor should they excessively protract. The goal is to maintain a sense of width across the upper back and clavicles with scapulae that remain organized on the ribcage while the arms create the movement. The elbows must remain soft. It is important to avoid locking them or pushing them into hyperextension because a locked elbow often interrupts the fluidity of the movement and shifts the effort toward the joints rather than toward intelligent muscular organization. The wrists must also remain as long as possible. They should not collapse because a collapsed wrist often reflects a break in continuity between the hand, forearm, arm, and shoulder. Modifications are extremely important in this exercise. The first modification concerns hand position. One can work with palms facing up or palms facing down, which subtly changes the sensation in the shoulder, forearm, and upper limb chain. These variations allow the movement to be adapted to the individual, to their mobility, their stabilization capacity, and their joint comfort. Another essential modification concerns the seated position. If the person cannot achieve a neutral pelvis, it is preferable to seat them on a foam cushion, a platform extender, or a box. This modification is crucial because it preserves the essence of the exercise. If the pelvis is poorly positioned from the start, the entire spine becomes misaligned, the rib cage compensates, and the shoulder works under poor conditions. Elevating the seat is therefore often a very intelligent solution, especially for individuals with tight hips, hamstrings, or lower back. Now, I would like to move into the biomechanics of the shoulder because this exercise requires maintaining the arms in abduction slightly below shoulder level. This point is fundamental. In the starting position, the arms are abducted and must remain at a constant height while the hands press forward and together. This means that certain muscles work isometrically to maintain arm height, while others work concentrically and eccentrically to produce and control the movement. In this context, The middle deltoid plays an important role. The middle deltoid originates from the lateral surface of the acromion of the scapula and inserts onto the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus, located on the lateral shaft of the bone. Its primary action is shoulder abduction. In this exercise, it mainly contributes to maintaining the arms in abduction, keeping them at a constant height without dropping. or lifting them excessively. It is innervated by the axillary nerve from the brachial plexus. This role is particularly interesting because the muscle is not simply lifting the arm, but holding the humerus in space while the movement occurs. However, the middle deltoid alone cannot ensure quality movement. When it acts without sufficient coordination, it can create an upward translation of the humeral head. causing it to rise within the joint. This is where the supraspinatus becomes essential. The supraspinatus originates from the supraspinous fossa of the scapula and inserts onto the superior facet of the greater tubercle of the humerus. It is innervated by the suprascapular nerve. Its role is not only to initiate shoulder abduction, but also to contribute to the centering of the humeral head within the glenoid cavity. In this exercise, the middle deltoid provides the movement, while the supraspinatus helps maintain joint integrity. If this relationship is not respected, the movement quickly loses quality. Finally, this exercise reminds us that anatomy is not something to memorize mechanically. It is a way of understanding movement, knowing the origin, insertion, action, and innervation of a muscle. allows us to observe, adapt, and teach more precisely. Thank you for listening to BioPilates Deep Dive.
