Scapular Push Ups
Scapular Push Ups
Muscle Group(s) Stretched: Shoulders
Muscle Group(s) Stretched: Shoulders
Type of Stretch: Active Dynamic
Difficulty: All Levels
Suggested Prerequisites: none
Scapular push ups are another common go-to shoulder warm up in my rotation. These are great for learning to find (and strengthen!) the muscles responsible with shoulder protraction (sliding the shoulder blades away from the slide, and forwards to wrap around the sides of the ribs). This is an important shoulder position to train because it’s the preferred shoulder blade position in many arms overhead positions (bridges, handstands, needle scales, etc), as well as close shoulder positions like contortion forearm stands and handstands.
How To
Step 1
Start in a tabletop position (kneeling with hands under your shoulders).
Step 2
Keeping your spine neutral, push your hands into the floor hard, pushing your chest away from the floor. This will help slide the shoulders towards the sides of your ribs, as the back of your ribs reach towards the ceiling. You may even feel a stretch in the muscles between your shoulder blades.
Step 3
Relax your shoulders for a moment, letting the chest drop down towards the floor (but keep the arms straight!). You can drop the chest even further by squeezing the shoulder blades together toward your spine.
Repeat, for 5-10 chest lifts and drops.
Modifications
Make it easier:
Lessen the bodyweight challenge by working this same range of motion sitting or standing with Shoulder Protraction-Retraction Reaches
Make it harder:
Drop onto your elbows with forearms on the floor, fingertips touching, elbows shoulder-width apart, and do these shrugs in this forearm stand prep position
Related Content
Flexopedia: Shoulder Protraction-Retraction Reaches
Flexopedia: Overhead Shoulder Shrugs
Blog Post: Beginner-Friendly Shoulder Conditioning
Blog Post: Quick and Easy Shoulder Warm Up
