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Elevated Thoracic Bridge

The Elevated Thoracic Bridge is a progression toward the full bridge. It removes the bend from the lower back as the athlete progresses in their upper thoracic mobility.

  • Type Of Exercise: Mobility
  • Muscles: Shoulders, Trapezius, Middle Back
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Equipment: Stall Bars

Elevated Thoracic Bridge

  1. Begin seated on the floor facing stall bars.
  2. Place your feet on a rung at least a foot high and no narrower than hip-width.
  3. Scoot away from the bars a small amount, lay on your back, and place your palms on the floor next to your ears.
  4. Press through your feet to get your hips up and engage your glutes.
  5. Push through your hands and press your elbows as straight as possible.
  6. As your back arches, be sure you feel the stretch in your upper back and not your lower back.
  7. If this is not the case for you, come out of position and elevate your feet higher.
  8. Once you find an elevated bridge position where you feel an upper back stretch, work to straighten your elbows and shrug your shoulders to your ears.
  9. Next aim to straighten your knees.
  10. Lastly, try to get your feet closer together, eventually touching.
  11. Once you can achieve all three, drop your feet down one rung and repeat the process.
  • Exercise: Elevated Thoracic Bridge Push-Up
  • Type of Exercise: Mobility
  • Muscles: Shoulders, Trapezius, Middle Back, Triceps
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Equipment: Stall Bars, Elevated Surface, Wall