Groiner with T-Spine Rotation (How To & Alternatives)

Groiners with T-Spine Rotation is one of the all-time best warm-up movements because of how much you can accomplish with just one exercise.

Groiners with T-Spine Rotation are a great warm-up exercise for warming up the groin, hip flexors, quads, hamstrings as well as the mid and lower back. Holding the push-up position also engages the shoulders and core, making this movement an almost total body warm-up.

In this guide, I’m going to teach you how to properly do Groiners, what muscles they work and a few alternatives as well.

How To Do Groiners with T-Spine Rotation

Equipment Needed

None

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin the movement in a pushup position.
Keep both hands on the floor and step the right foot up, placing it flat on the ground just outside the pinky finger.
Sink the backside hip toward the ground to maximize the stretch on the hip flexor.
After a 1 to 3-second hold, brace on the left hand and rotate open, taking the right hand toward the ceiling.
Ideally, finish in a position with the eyes and fingertips both aimed straight up.
Now return back to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
Continue to alternate back and forth until all reps are completed.

Coaching Points

The biggest mistake I see athletes make with Groiners (with or without the rotation) is not bringing the foot up high enough toward the hands. Depending upon your flexibility, bringing the foot up towards the hands may be relatively easy or seem totally impossible. Challenge yourself to place your foot as close to just outside your hand as possible.

The other issue I see is rushing through them too fast. Take your time on Groiners with T-Spine Rotation. Sink into each stretch and work on opening as much as possible on the rotation. Don’t just check the box.

Muscles Worked

Groiners heavily emphasize the groin, glutes, hip flexors, quads, hamstrings and mid-back. To a lesser degree, they also work the core muscles (including low back) and shoulders.

Groiners with T-Spine Rotation Variations

Groiners

Groiners with T-Spine Rotation are technically a variation themselves. The base variation is Groiners which are a great warm-up exercise all by themselves.

Groiners with Rotation Alternatives

If you want to mix up your routine a bit, here are a few alternatives to groiners that you can try out.

Reach Thru and Rotate

Reach Thru and Rotate is one of my favorite exercises for working on improving mobility through the Thoracic and Lumbar Spine (mid and low-back).

Start on all fours (hands and knees). Brace on one hand and take the other arm and reach it through the gap between the braced arm and the leg. Hold that stretch for a moment and then rotate and open as far as possible, taking the eyes and fingertips straight up to the sky.

Repeat back and forth and then switch to the other side.

Catcher Squat

The Catcher Squat is another great lower-body warmup exercise that targets the groin.

To perform a Catcher Squat, drop down into a full squat (like a baseball catcher). The main difference to an actual catcher is that you want your feet flat on the ground with your torso as tall as possible. From this position, you can use your elbows to push your knees out and deepen the stretch.

Mountain Climbers

Another dynamic lower-body warmup movement is Mountain Climbers. They are very similar to Groiners in the starting position and the actual movement itself. However, Mountain Climbers only require lifting the knee up toward the chest.

This makes them a good substitution if you want something that is less challenging mobility-wise.