I can think of few movements better suited for this responsibility than the Brettzel. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Brettzel is a rotation-oriented mobility position named after StrongFirst Director of Education, Brett Jones. I was first introduced to it in 2014 when receiving my Functional Movement Screen certification. At that time, the movement was explained as a way of simultaneously improving thoracic and hip mobility. I remember being impressed by how effective it was at specifically targeting my mobility limitations.
Here are three benefits from the Brettzel that make it so worthy of your time:
- Improved trunk rotation
Trunk rotation is the keystone action that facilitates reciprocal activities such as walking, running, throwing, and swinging; and it helps us conserve energy with daily actions.
- Improved hip extension
Improving hip extension allows us to unleash the most powerful hip actions in our body, while at the same time decreases the compressive load to our lower backs.
- Improved overhead mobility
Although the arms never move overhead in the Brettzel, the actions taking place in and around the thoracic spine and shoulder blades allow the necessary mechanics for the shoulder to move overhead unimpeded.
Due to these benefits, the Brettzel has become a staple in my personal mobility routine, as well as those of my clients. Throughout this time, I continue to be surprised by how much nuance it involves, and how many mobility factors it can both assess and improve. That said, the intention of this article is to take a deep dive into the Brettzel to reduce the clutter in our mobility routines by maximizing its use.
To commence this process, two major factors need to be understood:
- To improve thoracic mobility, we must control the ribcage.
- To improve hip mobility, we must control the pelvis.
Controlling the Ribcage
No motion of the thoracic spine is possible without also being able to create and control motion in the ribcage. To create this motion, we must optimize our breathing, allowing us the opportunity to expand and contract the ribcage in all directions. More specifically stated, when we breathe in, we can create space between the ribs and spinal facet joints allowing us to move more in our intended direction. When we breathe out, we can gain central control of our abdominal and lumbopelvic muscles (which pull our ribs down and in) while also allowing for trunk rotation through the coordination of our obliques. If well controlled, both of these phases of the breath promote greater thoracic decompression which sets the stage for us moving farther into thoracic rotation during our Brettzel.
Controlling the Pelvis
When attempting to gain more hip extension during the Brettzel, many will attempt to force the bottom knee farther behind the hip at all costs. Our knee does not necessarily need to move behind the hip nor does a stretch need be felt in the hip flexors in order for the hip to extend. Instead, we need to compress the front of the pelvis so that the socket (acetabulum) of the hip is able to face slightly inward. Without this prerequisite to stabilize our pelvis in place, any motion moving the knee behind the hip is really just a compensation into some version of hip external rotation or lumbar extension. To get a better understanding of these mechanics, take a look at the video below utilizing a mobile pelvis model.
To understand the need for this pelvic stability, we must understand the importance of maintaining a stacked hip position. This refers to aligning the greater trochanter (bony part of the outer thigh bone) on the top hip directly over the one on bottom. Often when attempting to force the knee backward the top hip will move forward of the bottom one. This leads to a loss of position that promotes either a forward or rotational orientation of the pelvis that negates the hip motion we are trying to generate. That said, prioritizing a stacked hip position ensures we are not excessively compensating at the pelvis or lumbar spine.
A Tale of Two Setups
Now that we understand the importance and biomechanics of controlling the ribcage and pelvis, let’s take a look at two different setups for getting into our Brettzel. These two variations give us options for which benefit of the Brettzel we want to bias, the thoracic spine or the hips.
Anchored top leg: Thoracic bias
This setup starts by securing the top leg in one of two ways: we can hug our knee to our abdomen, or we can rest it on an object such as a yoga block or foam roller. Once this leg is secure, we stack both our shoulders and hips while resting on our side. From here, we reach the top hand down to grasp the bottom ankle. (If this is out of reach, we can use a strap to make the connection.) At this point, we will be facing the top leg and the bottom foot will be hovering off the ground. We may also find that our head is hovering off the ground quite a bit, which should call for us to use a pad of some kind for support.
From here, our goal is to “breathe” both the top side thoracic region and bottom foot toward the ground without any loss of anchoring on the top leg, and while maintaining the stacked hips position described above. The benefit of this setup is that there is no spinal rotation present at the onset of the movement. By having both the shoulders and hips begin in a stacked position, the spine starts close to neutral and from there can be gradually moved into greater thoracic rotation. This allows for a more accurate assessment of how much available thoracic mobility we have based on how far the top thoracic region is from the ground when we execute the movement.
The downside of this setup is that the bottom foot stays hovered off the ground which makes it difficult to gauge compensations at the hip and pelvis when striving for greater hip extension. For this reason, this setup works best for those specifically stiff through the thoracic spine who don’t do well with lumbar rotation but is less optimal for those seeking out greater hip mobility.
Anchored bottom foot position: Hip bias
Conversely, if we want to bias improving hip extension on the bottom leg, we want to begin our Brettzel by keeping the outside of the bottom foot anchored to the ground. With this setup, we start in a seated position and grasp our bottom ankle with our top hand. From here, we fall back so that our top knee faces up toward the ceiling. At this point, we will be in a near supine position while continuing to grasp our bottom ankle. Next, we begin to move to our side gradually dropping the inside of our top knee toward a contact point (foam roller or yoga block). As we move in this direction, we should attempt to stack our hips as described above while keeping the outside of the bottom foot in contact with the ground.
Once we find our stacked hips position, we can bring our head to the ground or pad contact point, and breath into the rotation. While breathing, we should attempt to move our bottom knee slightly back and up off the ground while maintaining the anchor points mentioned above. With the foot anchored to the ground and hips remaining stacked, any movement of the knee back and off the ground will be a more genuine expression of hip extension.
This setup is advantageous for those who display hyper-mobility in the lower back and pelvis as the foot on the ground provides more feedback for the relationship between the hip and pelvis. Conversely, this setup may be uncomfortable for those sensitive to lumbar rotation as there is a greater amount of spinal rotation present before settling into the position. This calls for better active control of the breath and core musculature to reduce lumbar strain.
Expansion and Compression: Connect the Breath to Directed Muscle Contractions
Regardless our setup, we will find ourselves in a position where we need to combine breath control and muscle contractions to guide us in the intended direction. If we think of every inhalation as a widening of the respiratory diaphragm and subsequent filling of the lungs, we can link inhalation to the idea of expansion. Taking this concept further, we can visualize the dropping of the center of the diaphragm creating a secondary downward pressure on the internal organs leading to a further expansive response in the abdomen. This downward force into the abdomen further extends down into the pelvis and pelvic floor creating even more expansion. Since humans are up to 60% fluid volume, these expansive pressures are moved from the center to the periphery throughout the body during every inhalation. Therefore, we can think of breathing in as an action that promotes motion away from our center in every joint of the body.
Corresponding to this fluid and air motion, can be the joint and muscle actions of reaching, spreading, lengthening, and pushing. These expansive cues correspond to the specific joint actions of flexion, abduction, and external rotation. Therefore, whenever we are inhaling it is advantageous to cue our muscles in those directions. Specifically, with the Brettzel, we can think about reaching the hips out of the socket, spreading the shoulder blades apart, lengthening the crown of the head, and pushing the bottom ankle into the hand.
Once we fill ourselves up with an inhale, we need to release the pressure in a near opposite direction. This can be done through a passive exhale via the recoiling of the structures that were stretched during inhalation (like letting the air out of a balloon) or can be actively directed via muscle contraction. Ideally, the totality of this muscle contraction should create a compressive action inward toward our center. Therefore, muscle and joint actions during exhalation should move us toward extension, adduction and internal rotation. In the Brettzel, this can manifest as gradually squeezing the abdomen inward, while ascending the pelvic floor upward (doing a Kegel). This effectively stabilizes the pelvis and ribcage together by moving the anterior ribs down and in while compressing the front of the pelvis and “plugging” the downward pelvic pressure created during the inhale.
Exhalation-oriented muscle references include the latissimus dorsi and teres major under the armpit (both shoulder extensors, adductors, and internal rotators), the inner thighs, as well as the muscles involved in abdominal bracing (abdominals, lumbar erectors, pelvic floor).
What to Do
Step #1: Assess your current Brettzel
Take a video of a current 2-minute Brettzel (attempt) on both sides. While in the position, use the following checklist to assess: Brettzel Assessment Checklist
Step #2: Do lots of Brettzels
For four weeks, perform a Brettzel for two minutes (if possible) each side three times daily at least five days per week. Pay extra attention to the areas in the checklist in which you were not proficient during initial assessment.
Step #3: Re-assess
After four weeks, take another video of your Brettzel and compare it to the one taken initially. At this point, this video will be likely somewhat of a formality, as you will no doubt feel the progress each week simply through practice. With this being said, the video will provide a valuable visual for how far you have come. As many of us have experienced, our own internal awareness of how we move may be very different from what a video representation displays. My prediction is that after four weeks the video comparison will demonstrate that we’ve made more progress than we would be able to perceive without it.
Step #4: Maintain your Brettzel
Once we “PR” our Brettzel after four weeks, it is important not to forget about its value. That said, I don’t expect or recommend that anyone maintains the same frequency of “Brettzeling” as described above. There are far too many other “big bang” movements to be explored for us to put all our eggs in that basket indefinitely. With that in mind, the best times to utilize our Brettzel will be as follows:
- After intensive bilateral strength or power training (i.e., powerlifting, Olympic lifting, rowing).
- When feeling specifically “tight” in the thoracic spine, quads or front hip.
- Before bed to relax.
These three instances will routinely occur for most of us and will act as valuable reminders to get on the floor and Brettzel.