Detangling the Pecs: Part 3

Image from Erik Dalton

Image from Erik Dalton

This week, we've looked a little at what the pectoral muscles do, specifically the pec minor, and how restriction with the front of the chest muscles can bring the shoulders protracted and internally rotated.  Now, how can we start to create change within those muscle groups to better balance out the shoulder joint?

1) Address the restriction on the front via awareness: is it a result of your instrument? Your sitting habits? Your driving habits? Do you notice your shoulders slumping forwards in daily activities?

2) Correction with outside feedback: It can be tempting to just think "I need to bring my shoulders back and down," but that's not helpful either.  The shoulder joint is highly mobile, and even though restriction in the front may be an issue, there may be other culprits that could use attention, whether it's in the neck, the spine, or the shoulders themselves. In addition, a shoulder blade moving forward, or protracting, may also be internally rotating. (see video below)  I'd recommend seeing some sort of movement professional (PT, massage therapist, pilates teacher, trainer, body mapper, Alexander Technique teacher, etc.) and ask for some feedback.  (As always, if you're in a place of acute pain, see a doctor for a full assessment!) Although I primarily teach pilates and Yoga Tune Up®, there are many well educated movement professionals in different fields that can help you identify your issues.  One thing I find helpful is to take pictures on a phone of your shoulders/collarbones, and just use those as a reference as you start to make changes.

The infraspinatus and trees minor are key muscles to look at strengthening.

The infraspinatus and trees minor are key muscles to look at strengthening.

3) Mobilize and Work to strengthen your external rotators of your shoulder: So for every muscle group that contracts, there is an opposing muscle group that's relaxing.  The muscles on the back of the shoulder blade are primary external rotators of the shoulder, and can help bring the arm bone back and done, but without forcing it in an inorganic way.  How does one strengthen these muscles? Most movement disciplines have some form of strengthening built in of these muscle groups, but here are some of my favorites:

This may seem really easy, but if the spine and ribs are stable, and the arm bone not moving forwards or backwards, it can be a real challenge.

This may seem really easy, but if the spine and ribs are stable, and the arm bone not moving forwards or backwards, it can be a real challenge.

1) This classic strengthening exercise involves either a theraband or a set of small hand weights (like the dinky vinyl coated ones).  One can do it standing or side lying, but essentially, the goal is to keep the upper arm bones, or humerii, stable as you pulse the hands away from the body.  This video shows how to do the same exercise in standing, with a theraband.  One can also do it in standing without any resistance.

2) Reassess your plank poses, downward dogs, or even quadruped/ hands knee poses.  Many times I see students in internal rotation from the onset of class, and learning how to externally rotate the arms in weight bearing positions in critical, especially if you practice weight bearing positions.  One of my favorite Jill Miller videos is about the challenges of downward dog for the shoulder.  If you're a yoga student, this video is a must!  Here are a few other blogs about the challenges of Downward Facing Dog.

3) Look at where you may be missing range of motion in your shoulders: I love shoulder flossing, either with a theraband, Fletcher Pilates towel, yoga strap, or other device.  This great video by Christine Jablonski shows one of my favorite Yoga Tune Up® exercises.  Although this isn't a particular strengthening exercise, it can help bring awareness to where you need mobility in the shoulder.

4) Bring some length to the front of the chest via floor angels.  This is one of my favorite exercises, and it can be down with the upper half of the body on a foam roller or bolster or block.  The number one objective is to keep the ribs down (which the woman on the right is NOT doing) to really assess where your actual range of motion is. Once the spine starts moving, you've lost the intention of the exercise.  This is a classical Katy Bowman exercise, but this video  also describes it well.

Although there are many ways to strengthen the shoulder and start to bring change into the shoulder joint, here are a just a few ways to get started~