Pancake stretches and lower back

Hi guys,

I did today for the first time the middle split series. I noticed that when I was doing the pancake specific exercises, after finishing them specifically, I noticed my lower back really stiff. Does that mean I didnt get the anterior tilt of the pelvis correctly? Or that Im really stiff on some part and with this Im working on it? Should you bent at the lower back at all? Am I overthinking it?

Hi EduWushu,

I too struggle with achieving anterior pelvic tilt in a pancake. Elevate your hips onto a mat or pillow roughly 8-12" off the ground. That should put your torso at a more advantageous angle for stretching your pancake. Try it and send another photo!

Best,

Chris

Keep a flat lower back in pancake. It can help to think you are trying to get your belly button to the floor before your chest.

Cole Dano said:

Keep a flat lower back in pancake. It can help to think you are trying to get your belly button to the floor before your chest.

That's exactly what I do when performing a pancake. I put any object in the floor in order to touch it with my belly button first, and then if I can touch it, I put another one with less height.

Seems like all the hunching over a desktop is killing my flat-pancake gains. Is the inability to keep the back flat only due to tight hamstrings, or is there more to it? With the back rounded I can get my nose below my knees easily.

Add weight or some sort of external resistance to push you even closer to the ground for an added stretch, which in turn also makes it more effective. I have seen some photos of GB athletes doing this as a shoulder extension stretch too, simply holding the weight behind you as you descend forward. I believe you have a good enough try at the pancake to benefit from that exercise. But remember to always keep the back straight.

You can also do these with the weights held overhead if your shoulders are fine and healthy.

You can also do these with a partner applying pressure.

Helander, yes it's tightness in hamstrings / adductors.

The idea is to get the asis to rotate as far as possible. Flexing the spine is just a compensation for lack of anterior pelvic tilt.

Thanks guys. I think elevating my butt is going to be the way to go. If Im just seated on the floor in a pancake I cant just lean forward without starting flexing my lower back

If I try to get belly button forward just seated I feel as if someone was pulling me from behind to prevent it XD 

Its the same feeling I have for the pike as well and might be the reason I cannot do the tuck ups correctly (chest to knees). I cannot even get chest to knees while sitting on a chair at work with straight lower back so obviously Im lacking a lot of stuff there

Elevate for sure! This helped me a lot!