Episode 550: Wall Slide [Perform it Right!]
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When performing any exercise, make sure that it is in line with your intent! People often compensate when performing wall slides with excessive scapular elevation. If strengthening the scapular elevators – upper trapezius and levator scapula – is the goal such as in patients with TOS (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome), then performing the wall slide with scapular elevation is not a problem. That being said, the wall slide shown here is designed to target the serratus anterior by maximizing scapular upward rotation, NOT elevation! Why is this important?
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Excessive activation of the deltoid and upper trapezius muscles could be counterproductive for scapulohumeral rhythm during shoulder elevation (Ellenbecker et al 2016). Increased upper trapezius and anterior deltoid muscle activity can cause reduced strength and coordination in the force couple between the lower trapezius and serratus anterior. Excessive upper trapezius and anterior deltoid muscle activity have also been linked to sub-acromial impingement.
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In order to achieve full overhead motion, you need to ensure that you have adequate mobility at the glenohumeral joint, scapulothoracic joint, and thoracic spine. For many of those who lack shoulder mobility, it often isn’t the actual glenohumeral joint that is limited. Rather, it’s lack of full scapular upward rotation or full thoracic spine extension that is to blame.
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In this video the black blob represents the scapula:
1️⃣Place pressure into the wall to ensure you are engaging your scapula, which will make it easier to avoid excessive elevation of your shoulder girdle.
2️⃣There is roughly a 2:1 ration of glenohumeral joint to scapulothoracic joint motion. With 180 degrees of total shoulder flexion, will ideally have about 60 degrees of scapular upward rotation.
3️⃣You have the option of externally rotating your shoulder as you elevate, this will help inhibit the pecs which often take over during shoulder elevation.
4️⃣A progression of this exercise is shown with a resistance band + a Wall life (which emphasizes the lower trapezius)
Going off of this weeks theme of improving shoulder overhead mobility. Did you know the last bit of shoulder elevation is attributed via thoracic spine extension? The average thoracic spine flexion is 35 degrees while extension is 25 degrees. With the hunched over position that most of us remain in throughout the day, we often lack the extension needed to reach overhead. When this area is stiff we often look to compensate with excessive motion either up (cervical spine) or down (lumbar spine) the kinetic chain which can lead to a cocktail of impairments.
Demonstrated here is a way to improve thoracic extension use a foam roller by @Mobloko , (use claim code “PREHAB10” for 10 dollars off).
-I lay down finding an area of the thoracic spine that I feel is stiff or Hypomobile. Then I go to end range trunk extension (hinging at the segments on the foam roller), this foam roller is essentially providing a Posterior to Anterior glide of the segments it is on. This posterior to anterior is essentially mimicking how the vertebrates move when going from flexion to relative extension.
-Make sure to keep your butt on the floor! This will help prevent you from hinging at the hips. Also avoid hinging at the lumbar spine.
-I continue to bring up the foam roller on my back and oscillate at end ranges of motion of thoracic extension.
-Perform this for 5 minutes, then reassess your thoracic extension or shoulder elveation range of motion to look for improvements. Tag someone with a stiff back that can benefit from this!
Here is a Shoulder preparation routine I like to use prior to an upper body day in the gym or I like to prescribe prior to competing for any overhead athlete. Perform 5 repetitions of each.
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1️⃣Shoulder External Rotation with arms at side
2️⃣Shoulder T’s
3️⃣Shoulder External Rotation with arms elevated to 90 degrees of abduction
4️⃣Shoulder Internal Rotation- Don’t forget Subscapularis is the strongest rotator cuff muscle
5️⃣Resisted Wall Angel
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I particularly like this cross over symmetry unit because of the external demand into horizontal adduction, this also allows me to go through more range of motion with exercises such as the T or shoulder external rotation with arms at side compared to a normal pulley with the anchor directly in front of my shoulder.
Your scapula aka your shoulder blade is often very difficult for people to find. If you don’t initiate movements like rows or pull-ups from the scapula = you will “arm” the movement. Meaning you will rely heavily on shoulder and arm muscles. Your scapula is able to handle more load than your arm muscles.
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With any movement you want to move proximally to distally, the scapula should initiate the motion when performing a movement like the Row, Lat Pull-Down, or when performing pull-ups.
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Shown here are a couple movements that will help improve scapula control.
Realize that at First implementing this strategy may decrease your performance, however the potential to improve your performance increases.
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1️⃣start in open chain with your arms moving in space
2️⃣add a resistance band which will help give a resistance cue to target the scapula retractors (muscles that pull your shoulder blade back)
-keep minimal elbow flexion here
3️⃣perform scapula pull-ups also with minimal elbow flexion
FEEL: The shoulder musculature.
COMPENSATION: Excessive shrugging of the shoulder and rounding of the shoulder blade.
FEEL: The shoulder musculature.
COMPENSATION: Excessive shrugging of the shoulder and rounding of the shoulder blade.