All about the Chest Spin
(Pilates)
BENEFITS & MUSCLES WORKED: Warm-up of Chest, Shoulders, Arms, Hips & Trunk.
START POSITION: Stand (facing a full-length mirror if possible) with feet placed flat, slightly wider than shoulder width. Face forward with your head up and place your hands together in front of you. Now you will start the move, and as you do so, you should expect your feet to adjust slightly to accommodate the twisting motion of your trunk. They will probably rest naturally with toes pointing slightly outwards.
NOTES: Difficulty Rating: 15%
Form is essential to maximize the benefits of this exercise. Keep your whole body still while you fix your eyes on one of your hands and move it out to one side, straightening your arm as you go. Twist your wrist so that the palm of your hand is now vertical as the hand reaches slightly behind your opposite shoulder, all the time keeping your eyes fixed on the hand. At the same time that one arm is being extended out to the side, you should bend the elbow of the other arm so that it moves in the same direction, but the palm comes to rest against the outside top of your pectoral (chest). At this point, you should be looking back slightly over your shoulder. Chin up and look down your fully extended arm at the tips of your outstretched fingers. Keeping your legs and feet firmly planted, spin both arms back to the other side, bending the elbow of the straight arm, and straightening the other arm.
As you begin the spin back to the other side, switch your eyes to focus on the inside hand and follow it back to the other side until it is fully extended. Now the other hand is resting on the opposite pectoral with a flat palm. Repeat this motion smoothly, spinning in a continuous motion, accelerating and decelerating as needed to prevent jerky movements. Do not allow your feet to move on the floor; keep your chin up and put a slight bend in your knees, as this will improve your stability.
How many reps? As many as you are comfortable with. Super-fit people might manage over a hundred reps, while those less capable might feel that just 3 or 4 is enough. This is fine. Persevere.
This is a great compound warm-up exercise, and it’s a must-do before a Chest workout. As a young track athlete, this exercise was one of the sequence of warm-up exercises that I used in my half-hour pre-race preparation. It helps loosen and stretch the chest, shoulders, and arms, making it an excellent preparation for any sport that involves those areas, such as fast running.
This exercise has always been one of my favourites – old school and fundamental. It even featured in the famous film about running based in England, UK, in the 1920s –
Chariots of Fire. However, much as I loved that classic film (and the music), I am sure that the form I describe here on this page is far superior to the one shown in the movie.