Overview
The Stomach Massage family is classical reformer work that turns the carriage into a leg-press with a spinal agenda: sitting facing the footbar with the feet in a V on the bar, the client presses the carriage out and draws it home while the trunk holds its shape. The three exercises are distinguished by what the spine does — Round Back curls, Flat Back stays long, and Twist adds trunk rotation while seated.
Setup
- A heavy setting (2-3 strong springs); footbar high, headrest down.
- Round Back and Flat Back: sit facing the footbar with the feet on the bar in a V-position, heels lower than toes, hands holding the edge of the carriage.
- Twist: the same seated position; the hands stay on the bar and the trunk rotates from the ribs while the pelvis stays square.
Key Teaching Cues
- Round Back: press the carriage out with the spine held in a rounded C — the curl is constant, not a movement within the press.
- Flat Back: keep the spine long and the pelvis neutral as the legs extend; exhale to press, inhale to return.
- Twist: press out with a long spine, then rotate one arm and the trunk to open the chest while the hips stay square; return through centre and repeat to the other side.
- In all three, the arms and hands are anchors, not workers — the legs do the pressing.
Common Faults
- Letting the spine change shape mid-press (Round Back flattening, Flat Back rounding).
- Losing the V-position of the feet and letting the heels rise.
- Using the arms to pull the carriage home instead of the legs.
- In Twist, rotating the hips with the trunk or rushing the return through centre.
Variations
- Regression: shorten the press-out range and use a lighter spring; for Flat Back, keep the range small for low-back comfort.
- Progression: slow the tempo and add a pause at the full extension; for Twist, add a second rotation on the return.
- Safety: Round Back is loaded flexion — substitute Flat Back for clients on the osteoporosis protocol or with acute disc conditions (see the Osteoporosis Protocol); Twist is loaded rotation — omit for disc herniation.
Programming Notes
Place the Stomach Massage family after footwork and before the Short Box series — it shares the seated trunk theme with Short Box but loads the legs first. The three exercises can be taught as a mini-sequence: Flat Back, Round Back, Twist.