Plane of Motion
Hug A Tree
Plane of Motion
Transverse
Spring Setting
Light / Medium
1 Medium Spring or
1 Light Spring
Muscle Focus
Shoulder Horizontal Adductors
Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, Coracobrachialis
Engage to push into the hands and reach the arms forward.
Resist the springs as the arms open to the sides.
Scapular Upward Rotators
Serratus Anterior, Pectoralis Minor
Swing the bottom tips of the scapulae away from each other as the arms reach forward.
Scapular Depressors
Lower Trapezius, Serratus Anterior, Latissimus Dorsi, Pectoralis Minor
Keep the shoulders down away from the ears and stabilized.
Other Muscles at Play
Anterior & posterior spinal stabilizers provide lumbo-pelvic stabilization and keep the spine sitting tall all the way up to the head and stabilized against the arm movements.
Scapular adductors keep the scapula drawn together and stabilized to resist rolling the shoulders forward or hunching throughout the exercise.
Elbow extensors & elbow flexors keep the elbow bent slightly and lifted so the elbows don't droop downward.
Hip adductors keep the legs closed together.
Knee extensors keep the legs straight.
Plantar flexors keep the feet pointed.
Objectives
Enhance deep abdominal control to stabilize the body while moving the arms.
Engaging the mid and upper back muscles keeps the shoulder blades wide and lowered, preventing them from being squeezed together as the arms open.
Positioning the arms correctly (neither too high nor too low nor too wide) provides better support and helps the body maintain the proper posture.
Teaching proper arm placement where the shoulder rolls back and the elbows roll forward to engage and support the full arm & shoulder.
Focus on breathing to synchronize the movement.