Technique Tuesday: Flatback Chair

This position is exactly as it sounds, like sitting in an invisible chair. The challenge is using your thigh and seat muscles to maintain that hover without putting undue pressure on your shoulders or back. The most common misalignments stem from not being in 90-degree bends or stacking shoulders over hips and knees over ankles. Once you find this the arms should naturally become straight, pulling off like a plank so the quadricep muscles (thighs) can take over instead of the shoulders or elbows.

Chair position will burn more calories because it is a full body exercise, that is where your breathing and focus should come in. If you need a break or want to modify just work up higher without losing the stacked form and straight arms. Many times, clients will bend their arms to relieve the thigh burn but this can put undue stress on the shoulders and wrists. I find it better to work up higher with 3/4 bent legs and then come back down to knee height when you feel ready. Over time you will need less breaks and eventually stay in the position for the whole set.

Sitara is showing the perfect stacked form of shoulders over hips and knees over ankles with straight arms.

Never forget that barre is set up to fatigue your muscle group and then move on to another, so the shake is good! Are you catching on yet? Do you know what is coming next? That’s right; go get it because #YESYOUCAN

Bee