Scapula/shoulder issue holding me back - A LOT

[Shia]

I have a slightly forward shoulder and scapula issue (it protrudes + rolls forward) and is unstable allh on my right. It results in my right trap and shiulder taking the brunt of ALL pushing movements

I've had to stop my planche progressions. Had to stop bench press and chest work before this and now I'm trying to learn handstand and I fear I'm goi to have to throw in the towel on that too.

Can any of you help me with some info/exercises? I've googled a lot and no one seems to know or give very straight forward info in it

[Douglas Wadle]

1.  H1 is the bomb for this. (took my shoulders from crappy to strong and has gotten rid of my chronic rotator cuff problems)

2.  wall extensions and dislocates are helpful, but not the complete package like H1.

[Richard Hamilton]

What Mt Nordic said. Make sure you're meticulous with the initial HS1 progressions and it'll work wonders. Check out Josh Naterman's shoulder pain video as well, the T & Y stretches will help you out no end

[Alessandro Mainente]

All the mobility drill in foundations will cure it IF is a muscles problem (check it out with a pyhsio). 

i noticed great improvement in my scapulas positioning while resting during the day after strong work with the shoulders distraction covered into RC mobility. you will feel naturally one side weak, then work one set more fir this side. once the problem is fixed the HBP mobility will preserve the scapulas muscle position.

[David Creekmore]

I'm working on scapula and traps a lot now, mine wing slightly.  My symptom has been shoulder pain, and some very incorrect movement in bad compensation. 

I'm in PT now.  I can tell you a few of the movements we do.  A few are novel.

But first, one of the big issues is regular posture.  You have to get that under control or you won't see benefits as quickly.  Learn to tape yourself up to cue you when you hunch forward.  Or get a shirt from Intelliskin for $100 if you are rich! 


The key is to practice exercises in both protracted and retracted states.  Yes handstands are great, but you are saying you can't start with them. 

It can be hard to really feel retraced and protracted states when they are weak, which is why a PT is great.  But I'm sure you would do that if it were avaliable. 

We do these three.  

And a few more that I'll try to describe, but I wish I had diagrams.

1) Get in a plank, scaps fully protracted.  Walk your feet forward as far as you can, and keep your hands and shoulders on the floor.  

2) Lie on your back, hold two ends of an exercise band in your hands, arms overhead and shoulder width apart, the band  secured to a table leg or something sturdy.  With appropriate tension, turn your elbows in, retract your lower and mid traps, and pull bands down to your waist.
3) lawnmower.  Bend forward with a light dumbell in one hand.  Allow your shoulders to go loose.  retract with your scapulas, twist your trunk and raise your body upright.  It's reminiscent of pulling a lawnmower engine cord. You end up facing the other direction with your weight at the chest. 

 

I'm doing this 5 times week with high reps.  

Good luck
 

[Michael Docherty]

Could also be tight pec minor. It will pull scapula into anterior tilt. Try rolling on a lacrosse ball.

Serratus anterior is also often weak and will allow the scapula to pull off the ribcage. That will make for unstable shoulder. Push-ups plus help with that

[Shia]

1.  H1 is the bomb for this. (took my shoulders from crappy to strong and has gotten rid of my chronic rotator cuff problems)

2.  wall extensions and dislocates are helpful, but not the complete package like H1.

Someone told me f1 was also great for it and I looked over my friends version and it had no scapula exercises or exercises t correct a protruding scapula. So forgive me if I'm not completely sold on H1 helping solve my problem

Just tried to do a bent arm press to handstand and one of my shoulder blades sticks out like fuck. This problem is driving me crazy as training is literally the only enjoyable thing I have in my life ATM and I can't even do that properly. Cue depression

[Douglas Wadle]

Well, you're mistaken actually.  Foundation does have significant amount of scapular work.  It is a great program for strengthening the scapular muscles.  My posture is improved and my shoulders much stronger since starting foundation + Handstand.  You certainly don't have to buy the programs and I'm not trying to sell you anything.  You asked a question and I gave you an answer, in my opinion the best answer.  Obviously there are many things you could do to strengthen you scapular muscles, but if you want a well programmed, progressive training, foundation + handstand is the best around anywhere.  Of important note, muscular imbalances are only one cause of a winging scapula.  You could have a nerve injury (e.g. the long thoracic nerve).  You may want to get that checked out by a doctor or a PT.

[Jacob Primeaux]

I have a similar problem with the forward rotating shoulder, as well as my neck and traps being overactive in trying to stabilize my shoulder, which of course isn't useful in most positions. The exercises in F1 have really helped this. My overall strength has, unfortunately, gone down as I've focused solely on F1 (formally I did a lot of heavy kbell work and some powerlifting primarily), but my shoulders/scaps have gotten significantly stronger and more stable. That said, I am still in the process of finding out just how broken they are/were about 9 months into the process, but I'm making baby steps in the right direction through consistent effort. If the OP's problem is like mine and is movement and mobility based, with muscle imbalance or habitual compensatory patterns, I honestly don't know of anything as extensive or complete as F1. But there are also numerous exercises that are posted on the forums that may help improve scapular positioning and feel on their own: shoulder dislocates, scapular shrugs, and wall extensions immediately spring to mind, and there are videos of these.