In my early years of training and working in the fitness industry, I can honestly say I never gave too much thought about the good ole' scapula, otherwise known as the shoulder blade.
I remember hearing other practitioners in the industry mention the importance of the scapula and thought "Uh, who cares?! All you need to be able to do is, pull those suckers down and back and get ready to squat, bench, and deadlift to get bigger, faster, stronger, right?”
Man was I an idiot.
Lucky for you guys and my clients, I’m a little wiser and want to share everything you need to know about the essential realm of scapular stabilization exercises – those powerhouse movements that can make all the difference in your shoulder health and overall upper body strength.
Whether you’re looking for some answers as to why your neck, shoulder, or upper back are always angry, or you’re someone looking to level up your upper body lifts, keep reading because I’m going to give you a quick rundown on everything scapula, plus show you 3 exercises that will get your scapula moving and grooving!
WHAT ARE THE SCAPULA?
The scapula are triangular-shaped bones located on the upper back, connecting the upper arm bone (humerus) to the collarbone (clavicle). They play an important role in the stability and mobility of the shoulder joint, serving as attachment points for various muscles involved in arm and shoulder movement.
Picture them as the silent orchestrators behind every upper arm movement, providing a stable base for optimal shoulder stability and movement. If your arms are doing something, the scapula are involved, plain and simple.
HOW DO THE SCAPULA WORK?
Think of the scapula as the support structures of the shoulder and imagine your humeral head (the top of the long shoulder bone) is a golf ball, with the scapula as the tee. Wherever the humeral head moves, the scapula moves in unison with it, always providing support no matter where it goes.
When you perform regular daily activities such as reaching overhead, lifting objects, or throwing a ball, the scapulae dynamically adjust their position and orientation to maintain proper alignment of the shoulder joint. This ensures that the shoulder muscles and those surrounding it can generate sufficient force while minimizing the risk of shoulder injury or impingement. Unfortunately, if your scapula can’t move in all different directions, the shoulder is now flying solo, which is a recipe for disaster.
See More: The Ultimate Guide to Shoulder Pain
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCAPULAR MOVEMENT?
There are 6 foundational movements that the scapula must be able to produce, including:
Protraction (abduction): Moving the shoulder blades away from the spine in a straight line, as when reaching forward
Retraction (adduction): Pulling the shoulder blades toward the spine, like when you squeeze your shoulder blades together doing a row
Elevation: Lifting the shoulder blades upward, such as during shrugging
Depression: Lowering the shoulder blades downward, as in relaxing the shoulders
Upward Rotation: Moving the entire arm up and away from the body
Downward Rotation: Reaching behind the back and downward
These different movements work together to optimize the positioning of the scapula and ensure proper function of the shoulder joint during various activities.
WHAT OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY DO THE SCAPULA WORK WITH?
While the scapula primarily interact with the muscles and joints of the shoulder complex, they also influence the function of adjacent areas such as the thoracic spine, rib cage, and cervical spine (neck). Additionally, the scapula play a role in coordinating movements of the upper extremities with the trunk, providing a stable base for activities involving the arms and hands.
See More: 40 Second Exercise for Stiff Neck Relief
WHAT IS SCAPULAR MOBILITY?
Scapular mobility refers to the ability of the shoulder blades to move freely and smoothly through their full range of motion. It involves maintaining optimal alignment and coordination of the scapula during various movements, allowing for efficient shoulder function and minimizing the risk of dysfunction or injury.
Essentially, if your scapula are unable to perform the 6 movements listed above, you lack scapular mobility.
BENEFITS OF SCAPULAR MOBILITY
Optimal scapular mobility offers numerous benefits, including:
Improved Shoulder Function: Enhances the stability and mobility of the shoulder joint, allowing more efficient movement patterns, and reduced risk of injury
Enhanced Performance: Better scapular mobility can improve athletic performance in activities requiring upper body muscle strength, coordination, and endurance
Reduced Pain and Discomfort: Helps alleviate shoulder pain, stiffness, and discomfort associated with poor scapular mechanics or muscle imbalances. If you struggle with scapular mobility, you could experience pain or issues in all the areas closest to them. This includes neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, upper/lower back pain, and even elbow pain.
Prevention of Injuries: Reduces the risk of overuse injuries, rotator cuff strains, and shoulder impingement by promoting proper alignment and movement of the shoulder blades.
WHAT IS SCAPULAR WEAKNESS?
Scapular weakness refers to a lack of strength, stability, or coordination in the muscles that control the movement and positioning of the shoulder blades. This can manifest as poor posture, decreased range of scapular motion, or difficulty performing tasks that require overhead arm movements or upper body strength.
HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY SCAPULAR MOBILITY?
To improve scapular mobility, you must focus on reacquiring all 6 movements of the scapula, without using any external load. Adding load before mastering the movements will most likely result in compensation patterns, meaning your body will rely on other joints to move the scapula.
Being consistent with slow, controlled, and mindful movements over time will improve the mobility of the scapula.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SCAPULAR MOBILIZATION EXERCISES?
The purpose of scapular mobilization exercises is to promote optimal movement and positioning of the shoulder blades, thereby enhancing shoulder function, stability, and mobility.
These exercises aim to retrain the brain in the 6 movements of the scapula. By incorporating scapular mobilization exercises into your routine, you can improve overall shoulder health and performance while reducing the risk of musculoskeletal issues in the long term.
COMMON SCAPULAR MOBILIZATION EXERCISES THAT DON'T WORK
I’m sure if you’re reading this blog, then you’ve undoubtedly seen a bunch of scapula exercises that claim to enhance scapular movement. Unfortunately, they miss the boat by not teaching the fundamental movements that the scapula must be able to do first.
Now, if you were to do these after reestablishing the scapula movements, you may start to see some improvement in upper body movements but they shouldn't be the go-to before you master the basics.
Resistance Band Wall Slides: This exercise is usually way too advanced for starting out on your scapular mobility journey. Most individuals will compensate by overextending their spine to create the scapula retraction that they’re looking for.
Prone Scapular Retraction: These scapular strengthening exercises are another one that promotes too much compensation. Most individuals will simply use their lower back and neck to create the scapula retraction.
Scapular Mobilization with External Rotation: If you’re not training the scapula to move, then you’re wasting your time. This exercise forces the scapula to stay still while you move the shoulder through external rotation.
Sleeper Stretch: Unfortunately, this exercise has nothing to do with scapular mobility. However, if your shoulder is lacking internal rotation, then this is one of the best shoulder mobility exercises to start with.
Scapular Control in Shoulder Flexion: This exercise is actually on the right track, as it’s asking your scapula to move. However, you must master the 6 movements before moving to this exercise.
3 OF THE BEST SCAPULAR MOBILITY EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN YOUR SHOULDERS
Below is a progression of 3 scapula exercises that are similar, but increase. in difficulty so you're always making gains. With each of these exercises, we'll move the scapula in all of the directions they're supposed to be able to move. Make sure you master one at a time before moving on to the next. Remember, we want to lay the foundation for quality movement in order. to make lasting change.
Exercise #1: Scapula CARs
As I’ve mentioned countless times throughout this blog, we need to first make sure that the scapula can move in every direction. The simplest, most effective way to start doing this is by performing Scapula CARs. This is the best exercise starting out to train the scapula to move in all 6 directions with the shoulder in a little bit of flexion.
How to Perform Scapular CARs
Start by standing or sitting and placing your arms 45 degrees away from the body, straight out in front of you
Throughout the exercise, keep the rest of your body completely still, especially the neck, spine, and hips
Keeping the arms perfectly straight the entire time, start to reach your arms forward which will pull the scapula forward as well
Elevate the arms so your scapula are now up and forward
Staying up, pull the scapula together
Staying back, pull the scapula down
Finish the movement by pushing the scapula forward again while staying down
Continue this pattern for 5 reps total
Switch Directions:
Time to switch directions
From the same starting position, pull the scapula together
Staying back, pull the scapula up
Staying up push the scapula forward
Staying forward, pull the scapula down
Continue this pattern for 5 reps total
Exercise #2: Scapula CARs with Humerus Block
Once you feel like you’ve gotten the hang of what the scapular muscles controlling the movement are supposed to be doing with Scapula CARs, it’s time to turn up the complexity of the movement by removing the shoulder.
I know earlier, I said the scapula and the shoulder work together, however, we need to have them also be able to work well independently. If the scapula can’t move all over the place without the shoulder, then the shoulder will have to pick up the slack, and that’s when dysfunction sets in.
How to Perform a Scapula CAR with Humerus Block
Start by standing with a wall in front of you
Place your elbow on your ribs and bend your elbow to 90 degrees
Place your fist on the wall, and now your shoulder bone (humerus) should be in line with your torso
Keeping the elbow pinned to your ribs and the rest of the body completely still the entire time, perform the following steps
Shrug your scapula up towards your ear
Staying up, push your scapula forward
Staying forward, pull your scapula down
Staying down, pull your scapula back
Stay back, shrug your scapula up
Continue this pattern for 5 reps total
Switch Directions:
From the same starting position, shrug your scapula up towards your ear
Staying up, pull the scapula backward
Staying backward, pull the scapula down
Staying down, push the scapula forward
Staying forward, shrug the scapula up
Continue this pattern for 5 reps total
Exercise #3: Quadrupedal Scapula CARs
Congratulations, you’ve now learned how to move your scapula without your shoulder! Next up we’re going to melt your brain by performing this same action, but now in the quadrupedal position, aka on all fours.
This is by far the most difficult variation of the Scapula CAR, because now the body has to move, even though you’re initiating the movement via the scapula. Don’t be alarmed, this one takes a little bit for the brain to get it, but it’s worth it.
We’ll start by easing into the movement by learning protraction/retraction and then elevation/depression as this helps get the brain to understand how to move. If you get lost, refer back to this to help you get back on track.
How to Perform Quadrupedal Scapula CARs
Get into the quadrupedal position with your knees directly underneath your hips and your hands directly underneath your shoulders. Find a neutral spine, and don’t let it change at all during the movement.
Start the retraction/protraction component by pulling your shoulder blades together, which will drop your sternum toward the floor
Pause for a moment and then push your scapula apart, which takes your sternum away from the floor. Perform 10 reps before proceeding to the next step.
Next, we’ll dive into the elevation/depression component by shrugging your shoulders up towards your ear.
Pause for a moment, and then pull your armpits towards your waist. Perform 10 reps before proceeding to the next step.
Now it’s time for the full movement, shrug shoulders to ears
Push yourself away from the floor
Pull your armpits towards your waist
Pull your scapula together
Shrug your shoulders back toward your ears
Continue this pattern for 5 reps total
Switch Directions:
Shrug shoulders to the ears
Pull shoulder blades together
Pull armpits to waist
Push yourself away from the floor
Shrug your shoulders back toward your ears
Continue this pattern for 5 reps total
It will take time but notice that it’s the same movement you’ve been doing with the last two exercises, but it's done from a different setup and perspective.
If you’re looking to get your shoulders, neck, and upper back to stop being a pain in you know what, or you’re just looking to level up your upper body athleticism and lifting game, it’s time to mobilize those scapula. If you’re not moving them in every direction they possibly can, you’re missing the boat. Start utilizing the exercises above today, and you’ll be right on track.
YOUR STICKY SHOULDER SOLUTION
Join me for the Healthy Shoulders 10 Day Challenge and get the simple - but incredibly powerful - set of exercises that will stretch and strengthen the tissue inside your shoulder capsule to relieve pain and increase overhead flexibility. We’ve been getting a ton of requests for a program like this so I’m excited to be bringing it to you!
ABOUT COACH MATT PIPPIN
Matt is a Strength and Mobility Coach with over 15 years experience in his field and has coached over a thousand professional, collegiate and everyday athletes with the goal to help them move, feel and perform at their highest level. He's incredibly passionate about bringing simple and effective online mobility training programs to everyone who wants to take control of their self care and make lasting change. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Certifications:
NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Level 3: Fascial Stretch Specialist
Level 1: Institute of Motion Health Coach
Certified FRC Mobility Specialist (FRCms)
Level 1 Kinstretch Instructor
Weck Method Qualified