Master the Full Back Bend (and Arch Body Hold)

1. L1A–L1B: Standing hip flexor

L1A: Free standing
• Square hips
• Tuck tail as hard as you can
• Sink hips as low to the floor as you can
• Try to straighten back leg while keeping full
depth

L1B: Stall bar + strap support

• Use non-stretching strap
• Tuck tailhard
• Sink hips as low to the floor as you can
• Try to straighten back leg while keeping full
depth
• Use ladder bars to push trunk back

2. E1: Floor quad

• Make hips level (use support if necessary)
• Don’t forget to stretch insteps and toes
• Make sure lower back does not hyperextend
• Use other leg to intensify stretch
• Cr: hold knee down; lift up away from floor
• Cr: try to straighten working leg (push instep
into floor)
• Hold final position for time (ten breaths
minimum)
 Master the Full Back Bend (and Arch Body Hold)
3. L2: Solo floor hip flexor
• Use arms and front leg to pull yourself
deeper into the stretch
• Roll across the inside, middle, then outside
hip joint
• Cr: try to pull back leg’s knee through floor
• Push hips back, then fold leg at knee and
repeat above instructions
• Cr: add second contraction: try to push held
foot away from you (straighten leg)

4. E2: Partner floor hip flexor

• Get into HF lunge stretch position
• Partner lowers weight carefully onto thigh, as
close to the glute as possible
• Pull yourself deeper into the stretch; breathe
and relax as much as you can
• Hold thickest part of calf muscle
• Cr: try to pull leg through partner’s grip
• Restretch, then ask partner to fold back leg
• Cr: try to straighten back leg; try to pull
folded leg through the floor to chest
• Let tummy relax, and get hips as low to the
floor as you can

5. E3: Stall bars + strap bent-leg front splits

• Use non-stretchy strap
• The strap, used with the front leg, squares
the hip and makes tail tucking much easier
• Have support for front leg standing by
• Use combination of arms and front-leg push
to get the stretch you want
• All hamstring and HF Crs can be used
• Get trunk vertical in end position, if you can
 Master the Full Back Bend (and Arch Body Hold)
6. E4A–E4B: Passive back bend over support
E4A: Whale

• Any firm support can be used

• Holding support behind enhances effects
• Get into position with neutral spine; bring
stretch on by lowering hips
• Cr: press arms up against support
• Essential to relax in final position
• Try rolling trunk to either side to move
stretch to different places

E4B: Bench
• Position bench edge precisely where you
need to bend
• Any strong support behind you can be used
this way
• Lower hips to bring stretch on
• Cr: press arms up against support
• Roll trunk to either side to move stretch to
different places

7. E5: Bench + kettlebell back bend

• Use a KB that is not too heavy for you!
• Position bench edge precisely where you
need to bend
• Lower KB to open shoulders; then lower hips
to intensify the stretch.
• Cr: lift KB (you can wedge it under edge of
bench when you get strong enough)
• Roll trunk to either side to move stretch to
different places
 Master the Full Back Bend (and Arch Body Hold)
8. E6A–E6B: Wall shoulder flexion
E6A: ‘Frog’ sit, solo and partner
• Close to wall for your first attempts
• Partner leans with combination down- and
into- the wall force (experiment)
• Cr: try to press hands into wall (or drag
hands down wall)
• Look up between hands (like HS); this
tightens the upper traps and helps the
stretch
• Ask partner to alternate weight from hand to
hand to move effects

E6B: Standing
• Close to wall for your first attempts; bend
the knees to reduce stretch on hamstrings
• Look up between hands
• Partner pulls hips against his/her hip and
tractions away from wall, then
• Partner increases thoracic extension by
leaning forearm on to roundest part of back
• Cr: try to slide hand down wall against
friction

9. L3: Floor back bend

• Solo or partner versions
• Use wide hand position for first attempts
• Let tummy sink to floor
• Partner pins hips to floor
• You can do Cr against partner’s support
• Use relaxation to get deeper
• Always stretch lower back to finish
 Master the Full Back Bend (and Arch Body Hold)
10. E7A–E7B: Face-down stick shoulder flexion
E7A: Free space
• Press your hands as far off the body as you
can (just as for HS)
• Apart from this effort, keep the rest of the
body completely relaxed
• Partner lifts stick to add a traction effect
• Cr: while pressing hands away, press stick
back down to floor with whole body
• Let tummy sink to floor; keep lower back
relaxed

E7B: Stall bars

• Solo and partner versions
• Key technique is to hang relaxed from bar,
and use feet to shuffle your hips towards the
ladder bars
• Partner looks for least bendy part of back,
and adds support there
• Cr: pull/drag hands down from held bar
• Relax tummy and lower back completely in
final positon

11. E8: Half bridge

• Hold ankles not using pinch grip: wrap whole
hands around ankles instead
• Squeeze glutes and use to press hips to sky
• Once hips are above knees and shoulder line,
get on to the tops of your shoulders, then
• Use a leg-straightening action to pull the
whole body into a bow shape
• When chest contacts neck, press hips as high
as you can
• Breathe deeply in end position
 Master the Full Back Bend (and Arch Body Hold)
12. E9A–E9B: Wall quad–hip flexor
E9A: Solo
• Use the same approach as for the HF floor
lunge; this is the same exercise except the
back leg is half-folded; this intensifies the
quad–HF connection hugely
• Roll hips from side to side to find tightest line
• Cr: drag back leg’s knee forward against
friction
• Cr: press ball of foot down wall, not back
behind you. Use a leg-straightening action
• Use hamstrings of front leg and lats to re-
stretch

E9B: Partner
• Partner sits on leg, as high as possible under
the glute.
• Partner can press against wall to intensify
stretch
• Same Cr as solo version
• If you are loose enough, let tummy sink to
floor, then
• Use support to do third Cr: press elbows
down to floor through support, using abs,
then psoas
• Relax completely in final position

13. L4: Bent-legs feet-held lower back counterpose

• You need to stretch the lower back, in
particular, after intense back bending
• Bend knees and hold feet
• Press the lower back backwards, using legs
• Once lower back is positioned, use arms to
pull trunk forwards; lower back does not
move
• Cr: gently pull hands from feet
• Emphasise making as strong a “C”-shape as
possible with the whole spine
 Master the Full Back Bend (and Arch Body Hold)
14. E10: Box bridge – partner and solo
• Key consideration is keeping the back bend
out of the lower back as much as possible
• Press your arms as straight as you can and
as far off the body as possible
• Lift hips up by pressing with glutes, then
come up onto head first, and arrange hands
• Take a deep breath in and, as you exhale,
straighten the arms as you push the hips up
• Use a gentle leg-straightening action to
intensify stretch
• Partner helps arm straightening action by
lifting on upper traps

15. E11: Bridge

• Same instructions as above
• Try to move most intense bend from lower
back to middle–upper, by coming up onto
toes, pressing chest backwards by
straightening leg, then lower feet to the floor
• Use glutes to press hips to sky strongly
• Make sure you breathe as deeply as possible
• Rock back and forwards on hands and feet
• Emphasise pressing arms as far off body as
you can; same as HS

16. L5: Soft pike

• After a bridge, sit on floor and simply get into
a ‘soft pike’ position: legs slightly bent and
no effort
• Breathe and relax
• Repeat the bridge–soft pike sequence a
minimum of three times in a session
• Breathe into the lower back to relax it
 Master the Full Back Bend (and Arch Body Hold)
17. E12: Arch body hold
• Tuck tail to lift lower abs off floor
• Key cue is to press legs out behind you in the
plane of the floor; do not think about lifting
legs (this mental concept will make you use
the lower back too much). Squeeze glutes;
point feet, co-contract quads and hamstrings
• Press arms as far off the body, like HS, in the
plane of the floor.
• Once basic shape is made, think about
moving chest forwards along floor
• Lift arms and legs at the same rate