HS/PE1>iM question abouta scapula

Hi! I need to clarify this doubt for static shoulder flexion.

As I try to pull my hands behind my.head, what about my scapula? Should I have to keep them elevated and protracted? Is it right?

Thank you!

I think elevated + retracted

 

or

 

elevated + neutral

korija said:

I think elevated + retracted

or

elevated + neutral

But free handstand should be performed with open shoulder, isn'it? And I read somewhere that it means scapula protracted and elevated. So I think this exercise should be performed this way too. I'm confused [emoji53]

Elevate and protract.

Now I'm confused!

So you are supposed to raise you're arms above your head, elevate the scaps, then protract the scaps like in a plank and then try to bring the arms back while leaning fwd? Isn't protracting the scaps and bringing the arms behind your head kind of fighting each other? I'd love to get this right because ever since I went with the new recommendation of starting with the hands shoulder width Instead of starting wide it's been painful.

PhilipP said:

Now I'm confused!

So you are supposed to raise you're arms above your head, elevate the scaps, then protract the scaps like in a plank and then try to bring the arms back while leaning fwd? Isn't protracting the scaps and bringing the arms behind your head kind of fighting each other? I'd love to get this right because ever since I went with the new recommendation of starting with the hands shoulder width Instead of starting wide it's been painful.

 

Your scaps won't be protracted as far as they are in a plank. Elevation is primary here, so the amount you'll be able to protract will be less than in a plank.

 

Flexion of the arm inside the shoulder joint is limited largely by your acromion. Once the humerous touches the acromion, it can't go any further. Once you're in the position where your scaps are elevated and protracted and your arms are as far up as they go, you then want the scaps to tilt backwards: the top of the scapula will move to the posterior, and the bottom will remain towards the anterior. Rotating the top of the scapula backwards allows the humerus to then rotate backwards more, too, enabling greater shoulder flexion. 

 

[i'm not 100% sure that this is an anatomically correct description of the biomechanics, but it is an accurate description of how it feels, and it seems to make sense].  

Thank you. I tried to visualize your description while doing the exercise and it felt much better on the shoulder. Didn't get a pain on around the end of my humerus and I got some nice cramping in traps and this was at shoulder width. Rom still stunk but that'll take time.