PVC Helicopter
The PVC Helicopter is a supine core stability exercise that challenges your obliques and abdominals while actively improving shoulder mobility through controlled circular movements.
Because this exercise requires precise control rather than heavy load, AI coaching analyzes your RPE and duration to ensure you are maintaining tension without overexerting. If you have logged shoulder sensitivity in your health profile, the app can automatically suggest reducing the circle size or substituting with a regression. Additionally, the system uses your daily HRV data to determine if your core is recovered enough for this stability challenge or if a simpler mobility drill is needed.
Form Cues
- Press your lower back firmly into the floor
- Keep your arms fully extended and elbows locked
- Draw a large, controlled circle with the PVC pipe
- Engage your core before starting the movement
- Breathe rhythmically throughout the rotation
- Don't allow your lower back to arch off the floor
- Don't bend your elbows to shorten the lever arm
- Don't shrug your shoulders up towards your ears
- Don't rush the movement or use momentum
Common Mistakes
- Flaring the ribcage
- Bending the elbows
- Moving too quickly
- Holding breath
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the obliques and rectus abdominis, forcing them to stabilize the spine against the rotational forces of the moving arms. It also engages the anterior deltoids and lats, serving as an effective dynamic stretch for the shoulder girdle while reinforcing core stiffness.
Primary
Secondary
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