Shoulder Rotation As It Relates to Proper Form

Hi everyone

If we look through the videos regarding front support and push-ups, we can see that the cues include shoulders being stacked above elbows and wrists at the top, the core and quads engaged, PPT maintained. Scapula should also be depressed to avoid shrugging. My questions, however, pertain to the application of rotational force by the rotator cuff:

1. At the top of a push-up, or during front support, when the fingers of the hand point forward with the palm flat on the floor, should we be aiming to rotate the shoulders outward, so that the elbow pit points towards the fingers, rotate the shoulders inwards, so that the pit of the elbow points towards the body, or should the rotary cuffs remain neutral?

2. What about during the positive and negative portion of a push up?

3. And finally, how about rear support, are we supposed to turn the pit of the elbow away or towards the torso?

Thank you for your time good luck.

16 hours ago, Toma Tomov said:

Hi everyone

If we look through the videos regarding front support and push-ups, we can see that the cues include shoulders being stacked above elbows and wrists at the top, the core and quads engaged, PPT maintained. Scapula should also be depressed to avoid shrugging. My questions, however, pertain to the application of rotational force by the rotator cuff:

1. At the top of a push-up, or during front support, when the fingers of the hand point forward with the palm flat on the floor, should we be aiming to rotate the shoulders outward, so that the elbow pit points towards the fingers, rotate the shoulders inwards, so that the pit of the elbow points towards the body, or should the rotary cuffs remain neutral?

2. What about during the positive and negative portion of a push up?

3. And finally, how about rear support, are we supposed to turn the pit of the elbow away or towards the torso?

Thank you for your time good luck.

Hi Toma, rather than talking about single mechanics of a joint we need to look with a more general perspective focused on "what we are going to develop". The position of the upper arm gives the direction of movement of the elbow. The direction of the elbow should be driven by the goal that is building harder movement in the future. Beginning the pushing movement with a better setup so that no more additional correction is needed is a good way to build good habits. Elbows pointing forward in the same directions of the fingers is better for harder pushup variation and planche development.

ON the table i can depend from person to person. some students need different hand positioning due to wrists problem and the elbows are consequently influenced by that. sometimes the elbows position drives the execution... sometimes no. it must be contextualized.

Thank you for your answer Alessandro

I'm glad that I have been correctly pointing my elbows forward during push ups and planks

With regards to rear support, I was asking because when my fingers are pointing backwards if relax my rotator cuff and allow my elbow to start turning towards my body, I get a lot of pressure and sometimes even pain on the side of the wrist, above the thumb. So, if perfect form dictates rotation away from the body, I'm golden, because I can do the position perfectly, apart from some hip flexor ROM with the fingers pointing in the same direction as the head. There's no range issue.

Just realized that when I relax the rotator cuffs with the hand pointing backwards, I am creating rotation at the wrist which is stuck on the floor, so I guess external rotation should be applied at least enough to not have pressure there. Am I correct?

Thank you.

12 hours ago, Toma Tomov said:

Thank you for your answer Alessandro

I'm glad that I have been correctly pointing my elbows forward during push ups and planks

With regards to rear support, I was asking because when my fingers are pointing backwards if relax my rotator cuff and allow my elbow to start turning towards my body, I get a lot of pressure and sometimes even pain on the side of the wrist, above the thumb. So, if perfect form dictates rotation away from the body, I'm golden, because I can do the position perfectly, apart from some hip flexor ROM with the fingers pointing in the same direction as the head. There's no range issue.

Just realized that when I relax the rotator cuffs with the hand pointing backwards, I am creating rotation at the wrist which is stuck on the floor, so I guess external rotation should be applied at least enough to not have pressure there. Am I correct?

Thank you.

Yes but again...there can be a person with no sign of additional stress still with less external rotation.