Scapula Position Stretching

[Scott Pelton-Stroud]

So I think we all know that the deadhang and other similar hangs that put the scapula in an elevated position are an important stretch for the lats.

 

Should one also put effort into stretching in the other directions the scapula can move? Should we be stretching our traps with a scapula-depressing stretch, rhomboids with a scapula-protracting stretch, and the front side of our shoulders with a scapula-retracting stretch? The scapula-protracting stretches I know of just seem to be progressions to the scapula-elevating stretches, and I have not seen anyone pushing stretches in the other two directions.

 

Thoughts?

[Murray Truelove]

Foundation/Handstand have the shoulders completely covered.

Beyond that I would say it's specific to the individual. I have quite hunched shoulders, from desk work, so practice pinching my shoulder blades together throughout the day for about a minute at a time.

[Michail Michailidis]

I was thinking of it the last two days. Basically doing things like protraction and depression next to a mirror especially the end range of motion will possibly be beneficial for our scapula muscles improving motor control at those end ranges which will probably then transfer to planche training.

 

What do others think?

[David McManamon]

Good question.  Yes you probably need to train both, scapula elevation naturally internally rotates the shoulders which is the hollow body position you need for a straight handstand and many other fundamental moves & holds.   The opposite is an arched back & depressed shoulders externally rotated - necessary for any deep back-bend.  If you don't care about doing a contortion handstand (staring at your feet in handstand with a backbend) then scapula elevation should be your focus, if you want to develop contortion skills then you also need to depress your scapula and move the stretch into your triceps with external rotation.

[Scott Pelton-Stroud]

So is the consensus then that targeting just the lats (with scapula-elevating hanging stretches) is sufficient for the purposes of GST? No need to hang in other directions? I guess there is the German Hang, but that seems more for the extension of the shoulder.