Lucky me! My 49th birthday today and quarantined with those I love the most! My husband and kids gave me a great gift, a 20# weighted blanket! No doubt, the blanket would have been quite helpful for this exercise as we often cue, "Imagine a heavy sand-bag on your legs." Nonetheless, I demonstrate it as best I can (following a delicious lunch of sushi and spring rolls from Pearl of Canton) and share a number of modifications. This exercise is a nemesis for me, but watch the video until the end and you will see the wonderful addition on my Gratz tower of the strap to anchor the legs. That small accessory transforms this dreaded movement into a luxurious experience of stretch and strength.
- Neck Pull:
- The Neck Pull does not pull on the neck! It does work your abdominals in shortened as well as lengthened positions.
- Spinal articulation and fluidity are the key--the entire sequence is one continuous motion.
- Imagine you are a puppet with strings attached to your elbows. As you lengthen back, the strings attached to your elbows pull upward, lifting your spine tall and long.
- Use control, not momentum. Slow down through the difficult spots. Remember, your abdominals attach to your ribs. If you keep your ribs in, you are also keeping in your stomach. Press your head into your hands and lengthen from the crown of your head.
- Your powerhouse does the work, not the arms. (Ungaro, 94-97)
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