Shoulder Protraction - Necessary Precautions
**Introduction to Protracted Shoulders Shoulder protraction can be a nasty imbalance.
It is commonly caused by overactive pushing muscles and underactive antagonists to those muscles.
The "king" of shoulder protraction is the bench press and it affects the stability of the rotator cuff muscles.
Bench presses, involve the trainee to lie down on the bench and press resistance off his chest.
The bench press works three muscles predominantly more than any other muscle: pectoralis major, triceps, and anterior deltoids.
**How Do You Get Protracted Shoulders? The primary cause of the condition is overactive chest muscles and underactive posterior deltoids; parallel dips, chest flies, and military presses can sometimes influence the condition.
The problem is that the bench press is the most common exercise that you ever hear about and seems to be the prime focus of every newbie in a fitness center.
How many times have you walked in the gym and someone ask "hey, how much can you bench press?" Big chest muscles and the ability to have a stronger upper body is a must for younger kids.
Surprisingly, they do not know that "bench presses" doesn't show the stronger display of upper body strength; the overhead press does.
Overhead pressing is a safer alternative for developing the upper bodies ability to "push".
The problem with a bench press is that it involves the anterior shoulder muscles (the anterior deltoid) and does not work any other muscle in the shoulder girdle.
The overhead press on the other hand, works the entire rotator cuff.
When you press overhead, the anterior deltoid, like during a bench press, is the primary muscle in the shoulder that contracts; this is because when you press overhead, the shoulder is rotated upright and the anterior delt which faces the ceiling then becomes the prime mover of the external load.
The upside to the fact that you are rotating the shoulder, however, allows the rotator cuff muscles to contract isometrically to stabilize the lockout positioning.
The rotator cuff consists of four muscles surrounding the glenohumeral joint: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis.
Pressing with a 2:1 ratio over the bench press can lead to a healthier shoulder; on the other hand, it will not fix protraction of the glenohumeral joint (the shoulder).
When you perform a bench press, and everyone does it, the chest and the anterior delts take the bulk of the load.
This can lead to a damaged rotator cuff and affect the stability of the rotator cuff to stabilize overhead lockouts and proper alignment during an overhead press.
Bench pressing can and usually will lead to overactive chest muscles and when the reverse force is neglected: horizontal pulling, it can pull the shoulders forward resulting in this imbalance.
Overhead pressing cannot fix shoulder protraction because it involves the same unique muscles that the bench press has overdeveloped: the chest and anterior deltoids, and more so than the opposite muscles: the external rotators and scapula retractors.
The more frequency you perform bench presses and overhead pressing the more you can damage this condition instead of impair it.
Shoulder protraction disables the traps from fully contract during the lockout position; thus, effecting the rotator cuff and external rotators ability to perform their duties during the pressing motion.
The overhead press does not work the posterior deltoids, which need to be strengthened in order to retract the shoulders.
In order to retract the shoulders, you need to enable movements that perform this motion: rowing and vertical pulling.
**Diagnoses You can realize this condition by looking at the mirror.
From a profile perspective, have someone analyze your posture while standing forward in a relaxed motion.
If you can see the lateral deltoid it is a good sign that the shoulders are somewhat protracted.
Another way, set down and lean against the wall and if your posterior deltoids do not touch then it is likely your shoulders is in protraction.
If the posterior delts do not touch the wall, then it is a good sign that you are suffering from this condition.
The severity, however, depends on how long you've had protraction in the shoulders and When the shoulders become protracted, it's usually a good idea to research your condition.
You have a muscular imbalance in the shoulder; this same imbalances is common in someone that travels a lot or uses the computer: protracted shoulders.
Due to the shoulders being pulled forward, the shoulder are in a semi-flexed position and can become accustomed to this position to increase comfort of the position itself.
Just like if you were to stretch your internal rotators, it would be uncomfortable at first, but once you increase the frequency of theses stretches they do not affect you as much painfully.
**Horizontal and Vertical Pulling The solution to this condition: stretch the internal rotators (chest, lats, upper traps) and focus on scapular retraction of the external rotators (lower trapeziums, rhomboids, scapularis).
Hold the contraction on the row at the top of the range of motion and squeeze the posterior delts.
Make sure you are feeling the contraction.
Doorway stretching can help maintain the flexibility to perform these exercises.
When you pull horizontally, like with a row, you work the exact reverse of these muscles.
The biceps become the synergist, instead of the chest; the posterior delts become the focus of the pulling, instead of the anterior delts, which focuses on the pushing; and the lats become the prime mover, instead of the chest, which focuses on pushing.
This retracts the scapula backwards and results in the ability to maintain proper posture in the shoulders.
Yes, I said it, if you are bench pressing you should be using the row.
Let me say it again, if you horizontally pushing, you should be horizontally pulling.
For every horizontal push, incorporate a horizontal pull a 2:1 ratio.
For every vertical push, incorporate a vertical pull and lastly, add a scapula depression.
Scapula depressions are the complete opposite of a shrug.
You would hang from a parallel dips and shrug your shoulders, depressing the scapula.
Act as if you are going to perform a set of parallel dips and do not flex your arms; instead, perform a shrug.
So your routine would essentially look like this.
Workout 1: Squat Barbell Row Overhead Press Pullup Workout 2: Squat Bench Press Deadlift Scapula depressions Workout 3: Squat Barbell Row Overhead Press Pullup You have here a 2:1 ratio for horizontal pulling vs.
horizontal pushing; you also have a 1:1 ratio for vertical pushing and vertical pulling and a scapula depression exercise.
Give it about 6-12 weeks of this routine and measure the shoulders by leaning against the wall, see if the condition has improved.
Incorporate doorway stretches and try not to progress much more in strength gains for your bench press.
Try to work the row up to the same resistance as your bench press; for instance, if your bench press is 225 lbs for 6 reps, make sure your barbell row gets up to 225 lbs for 6 reps.
Hold the squeeze at the top of your pullups and rows, and if necessary, incorporate face pulls.
It is commonly caused by overactive pushing muscles and underactive antagonists to those muscles.
The "king" of shoulder protraction is the bench press and it affects the stability of the rotator cuff muscles.
Bench presses, involve the trainee to lie down on the bench and press resistance off his chest.
The bench press works three muscles predominantly more than any other muscle: pectoralis major, triceps, and anterior deltoids.
**How Do You Get Protracted Shoulders? The primary cause of the condition is overactive chest muscles and underactive posterior deltoids; parallel dips, chest flies, and military presses can sometimes influence the condition.
The problem is that the bench press is the most common exercise that you ever hear about and seems to be the prime focus of every newbie in a fitness center.
How many times have you walked in the gym and someone ask "hey, how much can you bench press?" Big chest muscles and the ability to have a stronger upper body is a must for younger kids.
Surprisingly, they do not know that "bench presses" doesn't show the stronger display of upper body strength; the overhead press does.
Overhead pressing is a safer alternative for developing the upper bodies ability to "push".
The problem with a bench press is that it involves the anterior shoulder muscles (the anterior deltoid) and does not work any other muscle in the shoulder girdle.
The overhead press on the other hand, works the entire rotator cuff.
When you press overhead, the anterior deltoid, like during a bench press, is the primary muscle in the shoulder that contracts; this is because when you press overhead, the shoulder is rotated upright and the anterior delt which faces the ceiling then becomes the prime mover of the external load.
The upside to the fact that you are rotating the shoulder, however, allows the rotator cuff muscles to contract isometrically to stabilize the lockout positioning.
The rotator cuff consists of four muscles surrounding the glenohumeral joint: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis.
Pressing with a 2:1 ratio over the bench press can lead to a healthier shoulder; on the other hand, it will not fix protraction of the glenohumeral joint (the shoulder).
When you perform a bench press, and everyone does it, the chest and the anterior delts take the bulk of the load.
This can lead to a damaged rotator cuff and affect the stability of the rotator cuff to stabilize overhead lockouts and proper alignment during an overhead press.
Bench pressing can and usually will lead to overactive chest muscles and when the reverse force is neglected: horizontal pulling, it can pull the shoulders forward resulting in this imbalance.
Overhead pressing cannot fix shoulder protraction because it involves the same unique muscles that the bench press has overdeveloped: the chest and anterior deltoids, and more so than the opposite muscles: the external rotators and scapula retractors.
The more frequency you perform bench presses and overhead pressing the more you can damage this condition instead of impair it.
Shoulder protraction disables the traps from fully contract during the lockout position; thus, effecting the rotator cuff and external rotators ability to perform their duties during the pressing motion.
The overhead press does not work the posterior deltoids, which need to be strengthened in order to retract the shoulders.
In order to retract the shoulders, you need to enable movements that perform this motion: rowing and vertical pulling.
**Diagnoses You can realize this condition by looking at the mirror.
From a profile perspective, have someone analyze your posture while standing forward in a relaxed motion.
If you can see the lateral deltoid it is a good sign that the shoulders are somewhat protracted.
Another way, set down and lean against the wall and if your posterior deltoids do not touch then it is likely your shoulders is in protraction.
If the posterior delts do not touch the wall, then it is a good sign that you are suffering from this condition.
The severity, however, depends on how long you've had protraction in the shoulders and When the shoulders become protracted, it's usually a good idea to research your condition.
You have a muscular imbalance in the shoulder; this same imbalances is common in someone that travels a lot or uses the computer: protracted shoulders.
Due to the shoulders being pulled forward, the shoulder are in a semi-flexed position and can become accustomed to this position to increase comfort of the position itself.
Just like if you were to stretch your internal rotators, it would be uncomfortable at first, but once you increase the frequency of theses stretches they do not affect you as much painfully.
**Horizontal and Vertical Pulling The solution to this condition: stretch the internal rotators (chest, lats, upper traps) and focus on scapular retraction of the external rotators (lower trapeziums, rhomboids, scapularis).
Hold the contraction on the row at the top of the range of motion and squeeze the posterior delts.
Make sure you are feeling the contraction.
Doorway stretching can help maintain the flexibility to perform these exercises.
When you pull horizontally, like with a row, you work the exact reverse of these muscles.
The biceps become the synergist, instead of the chest; the posterior delts become the focus of the pulling, instead of the anterior delts, which focuses on the pushing; and the lats become the prime mover, instead of the chest, which focuses on pushing.
This retracts the scapula backwards and results in the ability to maintain proper posture in the shoulders.
Yes, I said it, if you are bench pressing you should be using the row.
Let me say it again, if you horizontally pushing, you should be horizontally pulling.
For every horizontal push, incorporate a horizontal pull a 2:1 ratio.
For every vertical push, incorporate a vertical pull and lastly, add a scapula depression.
Scapula depressions are the complete opposite of a shrug.
You would hang from a parallel dips and shrug your shoulders, depressing the scapula.
Act as if you are going to perform a set of parallel dips and do not flex your arms; instead, perform a shrug.
So your routine would essentially look like this.
Workout 1: Squat Barbell Row Overhead Press Pullup Workout 2: Squat Bench Press Deadlift Scapula depressions Workout 3: Squat Barbell Row Overhead Press Pullup You have here a 2:1 ratio for horizontal pulling vs.
horizontal pushing; you also have a 1:1 ratio for vertical pushing and vertical pulling and a scapula depression exercise.
Give it about 6-12 weeks of this routine and measure the shoulders by leaning against the wall, see if the condition has improved.
Incorporate doorway stretches and try not to progress much more in strength gains for your bench press.
Try to work the row up to the same resistance as your bench press; for instance, if your bench press is 225 lbs for 6 reps, make sure your barbell row gets up to 225 lbs for 6 reps.
Hold the squeeze at the top of your pullups and rows, and if necessary, incorporate face pulls.