List of scapular positions for F1 exercises

Scapular positions :


 
- Elevation : scapula toward the ears
- Depression : scapula away from the ears
- Retraction : scapula toward the spine
- Protraction : scapula away from the spine
 

Strength :
 
sPL/PE1 : depressed and protracted at the top ; depressed and retracted at the bottom
sPL/PE2-3-4-5-6 : depressed and protracted

 

MN/PE4-5-6 : elevated and neutral
 
SL/PE1 : depressed and protracted at the middle, depressed and slightly protracted on the sides
SL/PE2 : depressed and protracted
SL/PE3 : depressed and protracted at the middle ; elevated and neutral at the top and at the bottom
 
HBP/PE1-2-3 : depressed and protracted at the top ; depressed and neutral at the bottom
HBP/PE4-5-6 : depressed and slightly protrated at the top (Support) ; depressed and neutral at the bottom
 
RC/PE1-2-3-4-5 : depressed and slightly protracted at the bottom ; depressed and retracted at the top
RC/PE6 : depressed and retracted

 

 
Mobility :
 
FL/PE1-2-3-5-6>iM : depressed and neutral
 
MN/PE1>iM (top arm) : elevated and neutral
 
HBP/PE2-3>iM (worked shoulder) : depressed and neutral at the bottom ; elevated and neutral at the top

 
 
Feel free to correct or to add something to the list if necessary.

Great post! This should be in the wiki

 

EDIT:

 

... that is my opinion especially after Joshua's post

Nice work!  Thank you for all the effort.

I'd caution against paralysis by analysis. For lots of these exercises, your body will naturally assume the correct scapular position, or the position doesn't really matter much. You should pay particular attention to the scaps in the sPL and first three HBP progressions, but in most other exercises I think the right position is usually fairly automatic if you're focusing on other cues, and/or not terribly important.

In particular, if you're worrying about scapular position for the FL, SL or MN PE's in F1, you're likely overthinking things. Your primary focus should be your torso and legs for those exercises.

But what should my scapula position be when I'm asleep?!

Resting

FL/PE1-4 is protracted and depressed, FL/PE5-6 is protracted and elevated.

RC/PE6 is protracted and depressed rather than retracted.

FL/PE2-4>iM is retracted.

However I'd also agree that not all scapula movements should be noted especially if the scapula movement isn't the primary focus for a certain exercise (especially all the mobility section.). I haven't even considered some of them to know whether they're correct or not, but like the examples I listed, many of them aren't necssarily correct

Alan Tseng said:

FL/PE1-4 is protracted and depressed, FL/PE5-6 is protracted and elevated.

RC/PE6 is protracted and depressed rather than retracted.

FL/PE2-4>iM is retracted.

However I'd also agree that not all scapula movements should be noted especially if the scapula movement isn't the primary focus for a certain exercise (especially all the mobility section.). I haven't even considered some of them to know whether they're correct or not, but like the examples I listed, many of them aren't necssarily correct

I just removed the unnecessary Are you sure that Bridge work (FL/PE2-4>iM) involves retraction ?

 

I disagree with RC/PE6, if you do a chin-up your scapula will be depressed and retracted at the top (which is RC/PE6).

Bro said:

But what should my scapula position be when I'm asleep?!

Protracted and depressed

korija said:

Protracted and depressed

You solved the puzzle of how to sleep in a planche! Cheers

Hey, Krel, do you happen to have citations for these laying around somewhere? I'm in the process of adding this info to the wiki. 

Krel said:

I just removed the unnecessary Are you sure that Bridge work (FL/PE2-4>iM) involves retraction ?

 

I disagree with RC/PE6, if you do a chin-up your scapula will be depressed and retracted at the top (which is RC/PE6).

I don't know about the scapula position in the bridge itself. However, the table iM are with retracted scapula.

Chin-Ups/Pull-Ups are done with protracted scapula. I used to think it was retracted as well. In the context of GST, they are done with a hollow position in order for it to carryover to more advanced pulling elements such as Rope Climbing. Whereas in the context of GST, chin-ups/pull-ups done with an arch and retracted scapula at the top are more for scapula health

Joshua Slocum said:

Hey, Krel, do you happen to have citations for these laying around somewhere? I'm in the process of adding this info to the wiki.

sPL/PE1 :

Coach Sommer said:

It doesn't matter in the slightest. Focus on fully protracting and retracting the scapula.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

sPL/PE2-3-4 :

MrPuppeh said:

where I live people are disagreeing on my form ( Scapula protracted, hips tucked and back curled a bit ) like Coach's student do.

Doing them that way I feel the strongest as in I feel like a chain from hands to feet.

But today I got corrected multiple times by pilates instructor to have a neutral back, neutral scapula. I did not feel strong or comfortable at that position.

Coach Sommer said:

The pilates instructor is incorrect; if you are actually planning on building something that you can use for more advanced GST elements later.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

sPL/PE5 :

See Focus Points 1).

MN/PE4-5-6 :

See MN/PE9 Focus Points 2) (Foundation 2), it involves that it should be the same with PE4-5-6.

HBP/PE1-2-3 :

See Focus Points 2).

&

Coach Sommer said:

Maintaining full protraction at the bottom of the movement is impossible.

That leaves us with two options; you are either protracting incorrectly or you have a congenital defect. My money is on incomplete protraction.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

HBP/PE4-5-6 :

Krel said:

Depressed and slightly protracted at the top (Support).

Depressed and neutral at the bottom.

Coach Sommer seemed to agree with this.

 

RC/PE1-2-3-4-5 :

 

Rik de Kort said:

It's a dynamic exercise, so the scapula should be moving!

 

Rows are a retraction exercise, so you want them to be protracted at the bottom and then retract them until they're all the way retracted at the top.

Joshua Slocum said:

This is the way that I do them too.

RC/PE6 :

Joshua Naterman said:

IT takes time.

My preferred approach to this is to hold an isometric contraction for as long as I can at the top of the pull up, being sure to keep elbows tight. It is hard to learn, and those of us with longer arms may not get the chest entirely to the bar with retracted shoulders, but it will be very close. Eventually.

I do 1-3 reps of this for warm up every day, and it helps a lot. That top position is very difficult, partially just because it is and partially because you are performing a set of contractions that your body is not used to. It's not as intuitive as the top of a chin up. You want to be using theelbow flexors to pull the back of your wrist towards your shoulders, at the same time as you are both maintaining full retraction + depression AND keeping the elbows very close to the ribs (do not let them flare out).

At first this might be impossible with full bodyweight. Use some kind of assistance (band, machine, your toes, whatever) to slowly build up to full bodyweight.

Important point: Your primary focus should be on the RC progressions in F1 and F2. Stay focused, and practice this as WARM UP. Do NOT turn this into the primary workout! There's a reason I only do one rep most days, and this is it.

Coach Sommer seemed to agree with this.