scapula sticks out

just93

just93

Well-known member
okay so my brother has scapulas that stick out......i dont know how to fix this problem, i have read that all he has to do is lower trap exercises but i dont know any of those....how can he fix the problem, we think its from his chest getting to big to fast and his back muscles being weak and unstable...thanks
 
Doing scapular retraction exercises will help. So will prone t's and prone y's but make sure to avoid using the stronger upper trap muscles when doin them.
Check out this vid, should give you some idea's for exercises.
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Stuff I'd recommend

Touch-training rows: You make a "blade" with your hand and put the right side of your right hand (like chopping with your right hand) between his shoulder blades and tell him to "squeeze it." This is the "money" exercise. You can let him do it on his own on the last set - just remind him to "squeeze together at the top" and hold for about a second, and then lower under control. Maybe machine rows would be better than bent over rows, and one-arm dumbbell rows with no support once he gets the hang of those.

Face pulls with external rotation: He sits on the floor with a cable pulley 2 feet or so above his head and in front of him. He grabs one of those triceps ropes (attached) with his thumbs DOWN then once he has a hold of it he pulls down/back with the elbows and again goes for the shoulder-blades together. As a bonus, to finish the movement he needs to make sure his wrists and elbows are in the same plane. More here: Invalid Link Removed

Pushups with PROPER form: He keeps a straight back and vertical feet and soft knees, wider than shoulder width grip, lowers under control, pauses with his nose close to the ground and shoulderblades together, pushes back up the top with a faster tempo, and "keeps pushing." There is a good explanation on the article above, too.

Those three should get him back in the game. Do twice as many of those as he is doing pushing movements of any kind. He can do pullups but his shoulder blades need to be flat while doing them.

When he is standing, tell him to stand on his heels with "soft" knees and stick his chest out. Every morning and night have him do (at minimum) the "doorway" pec stretch and "door-knob" lat stretch for a few minutes.

You can also have him lie down on a foam roller or round section of PVC pipe, either perpendicular or vertical to his upper body, and work up to doing it with his hands behind his head. He needs to breathe while doing this and relax everything. It should be "good painful," not "bad painful."

Also, finally, get on his ass when he is slumping or letting the blades stick out. The 23 hrs/day OUTSIDE the gym are much more important.

When he gets this under control, have him do deadlifts, possibly snatches, and keep doing rows to keep it under control. If he has any pain whatsoever with a pressing movement ("there is either pain or not, no such thing as 'a little pain'") CUT IT OUT THAT DAY AND DO A PULLING MOVEMENT.

Scapular wall slides are tough to do, but have him do a few reps if he can do them with good form every day. Some people just plain can't until they start to get better posture though.

Good luck...work with him. You may have this problem too, so think about implementing these strategies yourself.
 
I actually used the "blade" touch training thing today with a workout partner. Had him do it for me on a set of DB rows. My shoulder blades were acting kind of funny, haven't done any rowing in a while (just snatches)...it REALLY helps. You try to squeeze the person's hand between your shoulder blades.
 
i want to try some of these myself!
look like they can help out a little bit....i have the same problem as my bro just cant notice it as much cuz im bigger...but you can see it when i take off my shirt :(
 
just93 said:
i want to try some of these myself!
look like they can help out a little bit....i have the same problem as my bro just cant notice it as much cuz im bigger...but you can see it when i take off my shirt :(
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They can help out a ton. I used to have the problem and what I just posted was based on what I did, but it will be easier for you to correct than it was for me because no one laid it out that simple :think:
 
One more thing, use the three exercises and the stretches laid out above, but do low trap raises - sit on a 45 degree incline bench face down, chest out, and raise two 3-5lb dumbbells to 10 and 2 o clock with GOOD CONTROLLED FORM...

I should make it clear that with some exercises (squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press) you are intentionally adjusting everything to move max weight, but with the ones I am talking about here you need to be focused more on form and on feeling certain muscles do the work...it won't be easy since you aren't used to using those muscles -ever-.
 
yah, i already went to the gym, and got confused so i just made today a shoulder day :(
but tomarow is another story, "conwict" could you please explain the workout that your talking about, i dont get what you want me to do with the dumbells......thanks alot justin k
 
The serratus anterior are a big player in keeping the scapula flat against the ribcage. Pushup pluses are a good exercisefor bringing them up.

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just93 said:
thanks bound, ill have to try that one!
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That was the same as one of the ones I laid out above.

I guess you may not be very "technical" or "mechanical" minded.

If you're talking about the DB low trap raise, let me try to break it down:

You grab two dumbbells. 5+5 for starters.

You lie FACE DOWN on a 45 degree incline bench (the kind you'd use for incline bench press), your face goes the same place your head would go, don't go putting your face down in the ass area. Please.

The dumbbells go down by your sides.

Stick your chest out (don't let your face touch the bench) and puff up a little, stay tight, and just raise the dumbbells to 10 o clock and 2 o clock.

\o/ - this is more like 11 and 1 o clock

The O's your head, the slashes are your arms. Relative to the floor (which is horizontal), your arms should be ABOVE parallel to the floor...don't bend the elbows...control the weight and hold and squeeze for about a second at the top.

The other stuff, especially the touch training rows, should work fine with no explanation...and that's mainly what the "program" or "session" is built on...

EDIT: Pic here

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eeerrrrr confused, they are not the same...are they, i said that just to go with the flow but now im just confused lol........!
who were you intending that to be for ??
 
bound said:
Actually, I think he might have meant me.:p
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Nah man, sorry about that. LOL. I made a confusing reference.

First I was telling the original poster that I had already suggested the pushup plus (well, the full version of the pushup with the pushup plus on top)...

Then I was telling the original poster that I could tell he was having a hard time figuring out what I meant - which I didn't mean in a mean way really, it took me a long time before I could apply all this "Lateral," "pronated," "extension, "flexed," "perpendicular" stuff easily in the gym without really thinking through it.

I didn't mean to come off as rude. I think the problem being addressed here is really important, and it affects almost everyone to different degrees. Just here to help. :thumbsup:

So to recap:

OP, you and your bro should do everything I suggested once or twice a week...bring some intensity but use great form...progress the way you'd progress on anything...have fun, learn how to do it, and focus on standing up straight and sticking your chest out the 23 hours you aren't in the gym each day, and within a year at most you'll have rock solid good posture. Long before that you'll be putting up bigger numbers in the gym, because this imbalance really hinders progress if it's left unchecked.
 
conwict, thanks alot for your help, and i did not take anything to offnse, im a pretty chill dude lol
 
Nice reply Conwict. I'm with you on how hard it is to describe an exercise, especially without going all sciency.
 
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check this whole thread out, and look at the improvements of brolic. I outline a ton of stuff and resources in there.
 
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