Overview
Arms Pulling Straps is prone upper-back work on the long box: the straps pull down and back toward the hips while the chest stays lifted. It builds the erector spinae, rhomboids, and shoulder stabilizers against spring resistance — the pulling complement to Swan and Breaststroke in the prone series.
Setup
- A medium-strong setting (in our reference ladder: 1 Red or 1 Green); footbar down.
- Lie prone on the long box with the chest just off the front edge, arms extended forward holding the straps.
Key Teaching Cues
- Exhale to pull the straps down and back toward the hips, squeezing the shoulder blades together.
- Keep the ribs long and the chest lifted — no sinking into the box.
- Draw the shoulders away from the ears as the arms pull.
- Inhale to extend the arms forward with control.
Common Faults
- Shrugging the shoulders instead of pulling with the back.
- Sinking the chest as the arms fatigue.
- Pulling with the arms only — the shoulder blades must lead.
- Cranking the neck to watch the straps.
Variations
- Regression: use a lighter spring and a shorter reach to reduce the load on the shoulders.
- Progression: slow the pull and hold the straps at the hips for two counts.
- Safety: keep the pull in a pain-free range for shoulder impingement — never force the straps behind the body.
Programming Notes
Arms Pulling Straps belongs in the prone extension block with Swan and Breaststroke — it is the pulling counterpart to those lifts and keeps the shoulder blades involved. Two to three sets of six to eight repetitions, with a pause at the finish, prepare the upper back for the more demanding pulling work.