How to Do Cat Stretch

Cat Stretch is a back exercise using bodyweight, listed as beginner in the A90 Training Club catalogue.

Primary muscle

Back

Equipment

Bodyweight

Difficulty

Beginner

01 / Move with control

How to perform

How to do Cat Stretch

  1. 01Begin on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
  2. 02Exhale and tuck your tailbone while rounding your spine toward the ceiling.
  3. 03Drop your head toward the floor and draw your navel into your spine.
  4. 04Inhale and reverse the movement by arching your back and lifting your chest and tailbone.
  5. 05Move fluidly between the two positions with a focus on articulating each vertebra.

Same guidance shown inside the A90 app

02 / Anatomy

Muscles worked by Cat Stretch

Primary Stabiliser Inactive

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Primary movers

  • Upper back Pulls the shoulder blades together and back.
  • Lats Pulls the arms down and toward the body.

Stabilisers

  • Core Stabilises the spine and transfers force.
  • Lower back Stabilises the spine during lifts and bends.
  • Forearms Grips and stabilises the wrist under load.

03 / A90 Coach

A90 Coach tip

Coordinate the movement with your breath by inhaling as you arch and exhaling as you round the spine.

Same coaching engine used inside the A90 app

05 / FAQ

Cat Stretch questions

What muscles does Cat Stretch work?

Cat Stretch is catalogued as a back exercise in A90 Training Club, with the back as its primary muscle group.

How do you do Cat Stretch correctly?

Begin on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Exhale and tuck your tailbone while rounding your spine toward the ceiling. Drop your head toward the floor and draw your navel into your spine. Inhale and reverse the movement by arching your back and lifting your chest and tailbone. Move fluidly between the two positions with a focus on articulating each vertebra.

What is the A90 coach tip for Cat Stretch?

Coordinate the movement with your breath by inhaling as you arch and exhaling as you round the spine.

Is Cat Stretch suitable for beginners?

Cat Stretch is rated beginner in the A90 Training Club catalogue.

Do you need equipment for Cat Stretch?

No. Cat Stretch is listed as a bodyweight movement in the A90 catalogue, so you can train it with no kit.

A90 Intelligence

Put this into a real plan.

A90 Intelligence programmes cat stretch into a 30, 60 or 90 day plan built around your equipment, then adjusts it as you train.

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