Help with slouching shoulders !!

[njacob]

I?ve been training for several years now and I?ve noticed that as a result my shoulders are slouching forward some. I did a pencil test where you grip a pencil in each hand and look down to see at what angle your arms rest in relation to your torso. The pencils both pointed inward at about a 20-30 degree angel which is pretty substantial considering they?re supposed to be pointed directly forward !!

Anyways, I?m currently employing wide grip seated rows and a rotator cuff exercise with cables to help correct the problem but I?ve seen limited results. I?ve also cut down on chest exercises and front delt movements are totally out all together.

Anyone else out there dealing with this, or had any success correcting this problem?

[sXeWarrior]

Start wearing a hanger in your shirt

[yellowbelly52]

I?ve been training for several years now and I?ve noticed that as a result my shoulders are slouching forward some. I did a pencil test where you grip a pencil in each hand and look down to see at what angle your arms rest in relation to your torso. The pencils both pointed inward at about a 20-30 degree angel which is pretty substantial considering they?re supposed to be pointed directly forward !!

Anyways, I?m currently employing wide grip seated rows and a rotator cuff exercise with cables to help correct the problem but I?ve seen limited results. I?ve also cut down on chest exercises and front delt movements are totally out all together.

Anyone else out there dealing with this, or had any success correcting this problem?

In my experience when people have the problem you are describing it is usually because they train arms and chest WAY too much. I'm not saying you are doing this but if you are here are some things that will help. When you hit up your shoulder day focus hard on the posterior deltoid using rear delt cable cross-over (basically a cable cross-over you would do for chest but do it like a reverse motion and your right hand will be grabbing the upper cable to your left) and do do DB seated reverse flyes but instead of having your palms facing towards the body have them face behind the body like you would hold a bar. This will put more tension on the posterior deltoid, and always remember mind muscle connection when doing these lifts since it is easy to hit the back muscles also. Also kick your back routine in the A@# with some awesome strength/muscle builders such as DB rows, BB rows, and deadlifts. After you improve your posterior delt. and bring that back out you shouldn't have that hunched look anymmore. Good luck...

[njacob]

Coat Hanger - Check
Whale on Back - Check

My current Back routine involves Pullups, DB Rows, Standing BB Rows, and seated rows on a machine. After that my bi's are pretty tanked. All of these movements are pretty heavy.

I've also been trying to stretch out my bi's and front delts. Anyone out there every tried this, or found success with particular stretches??

[pimpalot805]

Good advice on doing back; it will help the slouching.

I stretch out all my muscles if I can; especially my chest; stretched muscles give the more lean look, no?

=)

[mortious]

The reason for this is because your protractor muscles (Pectoralis major, Serratus anterior) are stronger than your retractor muscles (Rhomboid major, minor and Traps.) This problem can simply be resolved by cutting out exercises from your chest workouts, Sticking to about one session per week and putting more emphasis on back days. Inorder for this problem to not occur, Your retractors must be stronger than your protractors.

[mortious]

In my experience when people have the problem you are describing it is usually because they train arms and chest WAY too much. I'm not saying you are doing this but if you are here are some things that will help. When you hit up your shoulder day focus hard on the posterior deltoid using rear delt cable cross-over (basically a cable cross-over you would do for chest but do it like a reverse motion and your right hand will be grabbing the upper cable to your left) and do do DB seated reverse flyes but instead of having your palms facing towards the body have them face behind the body like you would hold a bar. This will put more tension on the posterior deltoid, and always remember mind muscle connection when doing these lifts since it is easy to hit the back muscles also. Also kick your back routine in the A@# with some awesome strength/muscle builders such as DB rows, BB rows, and deadlifts. After you improve your posterior delt. and bring that back out you shouldn't have that hunched look anymmore. Good luck...

Your are kinda right, Except the posterior deltoids have nothing to do with this situation

[RenegadeRows]

Work your back more. More rows / chins / deadlifts for the win.

[Uriel_da_man]

Pencil test wtf?

You realize that you could have your shoulders completely externaly rotated and squeezed back that if you pronate your forearm the pencil would still point inwards?

[tonester]

Check these out.


This one contains some self tests.
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459716

This one deals with scapular support which in my case and probably yours, is the culprit.

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do...dra?id=1426252

Rotator health is important, of course, but the scaps are the base for the rotators. Pay particular attention to lower traps and the serratus anterior.

[tonester]

Pencil test wtf?

You realize that you could have your shoulders completely externaly rotated and squeezed back that if you pronate your forearm the pencil would still point inwards?

Yes, of course. If you force your shoulders back and purposefuly pronate your forearms you can do it. But the point is to do it while in a normal relaxed stance. Like looking in the mirror with your hands hanging by your side. If you can see the tops of your hands (second or third knuckle ), you have some shoulder rounding (slouching ). Rounded shoulders are usually caused by the scapular stabilizers becoming to stretched and weak to hold the shoulder capsule back. Mostly due to a combination of poor postural habits ( modern desk bound living doesn't help!!) and overdoing the pressing exercises.

[Uriel_da_man]

Yes, of course. If you force your shoulders back and purposefuly pronate your forearms you can do it. But the point is to do it while in a normal relaxed stance. Like looking in the mirror with your hands hanging by your side. If you can see the tops of your hands (second or third knuckle ), you have some shoulder rounding (slouching ). Rounded shoulders are usually caused by the scapular stabilizers becoming to stretched and weak to hold the shoulder capsule back. Mostly due to a combination of poor postural habits ( modern desk bound living doesn't help!!) and overdoing the pressing exercises.

It's a very faulty test if you ask me.

My shoulders are fine, but I do have somewhat pronated forearms so on me the pencil would still point inwards, even though my shoulder position is fine.

[tonester]

It's a very faulty test if you ask me.

My shoulders are fine, but I do have somewhat pronated forearms so on me the pencil would still point inwards, even though my shoulder position is fine.

I agree with the fault, but these tests are very general. I too have pronated forearms.

Another test is to stand sideways to a mirror and check if you can see any of your upper back. You should only be able to see the side delts, and not your shoulder blades.

Once again I agree with the general fault, but there are people who develop chronic shoulder impingement because of the postural/scap stability issue and these tests are the front line in diagnosing the cause. Tests done by sport med doctors and physical therapists become more specific on an individual basis.

[njacob]

Thanks! I'm about 8-10 wks out from when I first started and have noticed a lot of improvement with rear delts. It's interesting though that the resting position of my hands still hasn't improved (but then again, it's a difficult thing to measure haha). Heavy rows and stretching the chest/front delts/bi's at every workout have seemed to have helped the most so far. If I had cut out all pressing movements for a while I bet that would have helped more but I couldn't force myself to let them go.