Roman chair workout is the type of exercise which mainly targets the erector spinae and lower back. It works your core, glutes, abs and hamstring by lying or sitting on a chair. You can also work different muscles by moving your body at certain angles.
Incorporating many exercises into the workout roman chair will help strengthen the lower back, reduce abdominal fat and toughen up the coe.
Workout Roman Chair
It’s high time to learn some practical roman chair exercises that you can do at the gym or home– but be ready to get sour and strong.
1. Ab Workout Roman Chair: Plate Twist
This exercise trains your abdominal wall and lower obliques and is a hard exercise that keeps your core engaged all the time.
To perform plate twist on roman chair:
- Sit on the pad while you hold a weight plate.
- Hook your feet under the ankle pad.
- Lean back slightly and engage your core.
- Holding the plate away from your chest while leaning back, rotate from side to side.
- Exhale as you twist and carry on with your reps.
2. Air Planks and Sit-Ups
When you do sit-ups with air planks, you are in the air instead of the floor, which makes you move backwards. This makes this workout harder than the traditional sit-ups.
To do this:
- Put your feet in the anchor pads while you sit.
- Cross your arms over your chest while sitting up straight.
- Hold the plank position with your back straight for at least three seconds.
3. Roman Chair Sit-Ups
You will need a bench or a roman chair and something to place over your feet and lock them to perform roman chair sit-ups. Here are four quick steps to execute sit-ups in a roman chair:
- Make sure the space between the chair or bench and your feet is long enough so that your butt can comfortably sit there.
- Keep your hands on your chest, your shoulder, or behind your head until your feet are locked, and you're sitting comfortably with your back straight. It will be tougher to move if you keep your hands behind your head. This is the starting position of the roman chair sit-ups.
- Once you are in the starting position, gradually lower yourself until your hips are almost fully extended. Hold for a second at the bottom.
- Adjust your body to the starting position by engaging your core.
- Repeat!!
4. Back Extension
Back extension is the most common exercise for the lower back using the roman chair. Erector spinae is a group of muscles involved in most lift workouts like rows, squats and overhead presses– back extension helps develop these muscles.
- Place yourself in a Roman chair or a back extension station to start. Next, place your feet in the Roman chair or the leg stabilizers. Either fold your arms in front of your chest or hold them straight above your head.
- Keep your body's line of motion from your hips to your hands straight. Once your body is almost perpendicular to the floor, slowly lower it while letting your back around.
- Your upper body should be raised till it is just slightly above parallel to the floor. Your back should be arched somewhat at this exercise stage, and your shoulder blades should still be squeezed.
- Perform the exercise for twelve to fifteen repetitions after pausing for two seconds.
Key Points to Remember
- Your legs and hips should be supported while your trunk should hang off the end.
- You can cross your hands in front of your face, behind your ears, or on your chest (the easiest position) (most challenging).
- Lower your upper body until your head is nearly in contact with the floor. Once your legs are straight, raise your chest back up.
- This exercise is one of the few where it's appropriate to circle your lower back (you can roll your back up and down like a snail).
5. Vertical Knee Raises
Standing on the elevated insides of the tower, one performs the VKR tower exercise by firmly holding the handle and placing the forearms along the handles.
- Step off the stands and let your legs hang loosely while keeping your back flat. Then lift your knees and hips toward your chest while contracting your abdominal muscles.
- Make sure your hips and legs make little to no contact with the VKR tower as you slowly lower your legs to the starting position.
6. Oblique Knee Raises
- Set your forearms on the forearm pads and position yourself on the VKR tower to begin. Draw your knees up to your chest while keeping your legs hanging. Then, twist your knees toward your left forearm before returning to the starting position. Perform the exercise with your legs towards your right forearm.
- Repeat for three to four sets, then take a break.
7. Exercises for Glutes and Hamstring
The Roman chair is great for working gluteus muscles where your back needs to be rounded which directs the load toward the gluteus muscle. Finding your optimal position will take some time, but with practice, you will surely get there and feel the difference.
Here is how to do it:
- Your feet ought to be 45 degrees outward-facing. By pressing the hips externally, the shift in foot position makes the glutes work harder. On the other hand, the hamstrings find it more challenging to help with this setting, leaving the glutes isolated.
- Ensure to curve your upper back. You can create a posterior pelvic tilt produced by a rounded midback posture. As a result, the hips move more, and the lower back moves less.
The range of motion is a little bit restricted with this technique, but you'll get a lot more glute activation.
- To engage more muscles, squeeze your glutes, hamstrings, and core at the maximum.
In addition to all these exercises, you can get Preacher Biceps Curl for a roman chair arm workout.
Wrap Up
So, is the roman chair a good exercise?
Well, the exercises we mentioned above are some best workout options you can do with the roman chair. Not only are these workout roman chairs safe if performed with caution, but they also provide stability.
Perform these exercises under the supervision of a professional trainer to look out for you. Doing this will help you work the targeted muscles to the fullest without causing any injury.
Eat, Sleep, Gym, and Repeat.
