Shoulders and chest

3 Reverse Tabletop variations, from gentlest to strongest

Also called reverse table top, ardha purvottanasana, crab position.

Lifting the hips with the hands behind you, which opens the chest and loads the shoulders in the opposite direction to almost everything else. Chair-supported versions make it available without getting to the floor.

Start here

The list runs from the most supported version to the most demanding. Reverse Table: Chair Supported is the one to begin with. Harder is not better: the version you can do without gripping is the one doing the work.

Every version in the library

1. 1 · Upper Limb Weight Bearing · 45 to 90 seconds

   Reverse Table: Chair Supported

   Strengthens and opens your shoulders and chest in an accessible way: no need to get down to the floor.

   Make it work for you: Fingers turned toward the body. Reduce the lift height. Gaze forward instead of dropping the head back

2. 2 · Upper Limb Weight Bearing · 45 to 90 seconds

   Reverse Table: Hands on Blocks

   Strengthens shoulders and opens the chest with less wrist strain.

   Make it work for you: Smaller lift. Neutral head. Partial lift

3. 3 · Stability / Core · 20 to 45 seconds

   Reverse Table: Classic

   Builds strength through the arms, shoulders, back body and hips while opening the front of the chest.

   Make it work for you: Chair-supported. Hands on blocks. Keep chin tucked

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

Every version above is drawn from the clinically authored Vinys library. This page is general movement information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. What helps for a specific condition.