my left scapula is sort’ve sticking out more than my right one… both do it, but the left is worse.
I never realized how bad it was, or even that it was, until I saw this today.
Anyone know of some good exercise/stretches for getting these to sit more flush on my back, and so they don’t protrude (so much).
Yes, all of the rotator cuff rehab excercises that Cressey and Robertson have written about in the past are what you need to find. Unfortunately I can’t recall the name of the articles.
Robertson’s tips on proper bench technique have been especially useful to me BUT don’t stop looking until you find their shoudler/rotater-cuff article, it’s priceless.
[quote]beebuddy wrote:
Yes, all of the rotator cuff rehab excercises that Cressey and Robertson have written about in the past are what you need to find. Unfortunately I can’t recall the name of the articles.
Robertson’s tips on proper bench technique have been especially useful to me BUT don’t stop looking until you find their shoudler/rotater-cuff article, it’s priceless.[/quote]
Gee, OR he could add some more muscle mass. There is a reason you can’t see the shoulder blades on most bodybuilders.
[quote]CU AeroStallion wrote:
my left scapula is sort’ve sticking out more than my right one… both do it, but the left is worse.
I never realized how bad it was, or even that it was, until I saw this today.
Anyone know of some good exercise/stretches for getting these to sit more flush on my back, and so they don’t protrude (so much).[/quote]
You could possibly have some weakness in the serratus anterior on that side or injury to the long thoracic nerve. Depending on the severity, you might need to see a doctor.
[quote]tom63 wrote:
CU AeroStallion wrote:
my left scapula is sort’ve sticking out more than my right one… both do it, but the left is worse.
I never realized how bad it was, or even that it was, until I saw this today.
Anyone know of some good exercise/stretches for getting these to sit more flush on my back, and so they don’t protrude (so much).
You could possibly have some weakness in the serratus anterior on that side or injury to the long thoracic nerve. Depending on the severity, you might need to see a doctor.
[/quote]
Or his posture may simply be bad.
ProfX,
Your reasoning, while not entirely without merit is grossly over-simplistic. I have met my fair share of people that are interested in body-building that become injured and then can’t train anymore. Then what? Then you need to learn how to rehab and prehab otherwise all of your training is reinforcing bad-habits. Most people have LOTS of bad habits (posturally). Congrats if you don’t, count yourself among the lucky.
What “CU” needs is LOTS of back/shoulder muscle, in that sense you are right, BUT if he keeps training the way he is training his bad habits will become more pronounced until he is injured. God forbid.
““Or his posture may simply be bad.””
Excellent point. Your reasoning in the other post is still over-simplistic because bodybuilders don’t necessarily have good posture. In fact I rarely observe humans, bodybuilder or otherwise, that have good posture.
Bodybuilding with poor posture is like an injury time-bomb. THAT is why Robertson and Cressey’s articles were recommended… because they address posture.
[quote]beebuddy wrote:
ProfX,
Your reasoning, while not entirely withou merit is grossly over-simplistic. I have met my fair share of people that are interested in body-building that become injured and then can’t train anymore. Then what? Then you need to learn how to rehab and prehab otherwise all of your training is reinforcing bad-habits. Most people have LOTS of bad habits (posturally). Congrats if you don’t, count yourself among the lucky.
What “CU” needs is LOTS of back/shoulder muslce, in that sense you are right, BUT if he keeps training the way he is training his bad habits will become more pronounced until he is injured. God forbid.
[/quote]
How, pray tell, did you come to the conclusion that he has such bad habits and that this is leading to a shoulder injury? What bad habits does he have? He didn’t mention anything about an injury. Unless the advice on this board is that someone should see a professional for every question asked, simple questions don’t need more than simple answers. If you can see your scapulas in bold relief, the reason for that is lack of muscle in the area, just like those who can count every rib. How you jumped into shoulder rehabilitation is beyond me. That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t learn about his rotator cuff, but it does mean none if that is the simple answer to his very simple question.
[quote]beebuddy wrote:
““Or his posture may simply be bad.””
Excellent point. Your reasoning in the other post is still over-simplistic because bodybuilders don’t necessarily have good posture. In fact I rarely observe humans, bodybuilder or otherwise, that have good posture.
Bodybuilding with poor posture is like an injury time-bomb. THAT is why Robertson and Cressey’s articles were recommended… because they address posture.[/quote]
Do you have good posture?
Could just be what his called a “winging scapula” in the medical field. I would recommend a lot of rhomboid(s), serratus anterior, and RTC work. Also look at yourself sideways in a mirror. If your shoulders appear as if they are rounded forward, then you need to stretch your anterior delts and pecs and strengthen the muscles listed above. Do you do enough back work to even out your chest and anterior delt work? As a good rule of thumb, do more upper back work than chest work.
My scapulae stuck out originally because of minor scoliosis and also pectus excavatum. Even though the shoulder blades show on skinny guys, they shouldn’t “protrude” usually to the point where you can fit a board underneath the scapulae.
ProfX,
““How, pray tell, did you come to the conclusion that he has such bad habits and that this is leading to a shoulder injury?””
Because that’s what a raised scapula is. A bad habit. Did you know that if you open your chest that your scapula retract naturally? Most people walk hunched-over like cowards.
““What bad habits does he have?””
This question was answered.
““He didn’t mention anything about an injury.””
There was never a claim that he said anything about an injury. Obviously.
“Unless the advice on this board is that someone should see a professional for every question asked, simple questions don’t need more than simple answers.”"
That was the advice you brainiac. Cressey and Robertson are professionals.
““If you can see your scapulas in bold relief, the reason for that is lack of muscle in the area, just like those who can count every rib.””
I completely agree. You seem to be arguing for the sake of arguing. That’s nice though. 
““How you jumped into shoulder rehabilitation is beyond me.””
Then read this…
“A WINGED SCAPULA IS A SHOULDER INJURY or condition in which the scapula or shoulder blade sticks out at the back, particular when pushing against something such as a wall.”
““That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t learn about his rotator cuff, but it does mean none if that is the simple answer to his very simple question.””
I’m all for brevity, but your response, although provocative was not adequate.
““Do you have good posture?””
“I” have nothing to do with this conversation.
[quote]beebuddy wrote:
ProfX,
““How, pray tell, did you come to the conclusion that he has such bad habits and that this is leading to a shoulder injury?””
Because that’s what a raised scapula is. A bad habit. Did you know that if you open your chest that your scapula retract naturally? Most people walk hunched-over like cowards.
““What bad habits does he have?””
This question was answered.
““He didn’t mention anything about an injury.””
There was never a claim that he said anything about an injury. Obviously.
“Unless the advice on this board is that someone should see a professional for every question asked, simple questions don’t need more than simple answers.”"
That was the advice you brainiac. Cressey and Robertson are professionals.
““If you can see your scapulas in bold relief, the reason for that is lack of muscle in the area, just like those who can count every rib.””
I completely agree. You seem to be arguing for the sake of arguing. That’s nice though.
““How you jumped into shoulder rehabilitation is beyond me.””
Then read this…
“A WINGED SCAPULA IS A SHOULDER INJURY or condition in which the scapula or shoulder blade sticks out at the back, particular when pushing against something such as a wall.”
““That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t learn about his rotator cuff, but it does mean none if that is the simple answer to his very simple question.””
I’m all for brevity, but your response, although provocative was not adequate.
““Do you have good posture?””
“I” have nothing to do with this conversation.[/quote]
You know, there is no way I would ever try to dignose a disease process like this without even seeing a patient. None of his explanation has lent itself to the conclusions you have drawn. Instead of ask more questions to find out from him what the true issue is, you have simply given him a diagnosis? Should he schedule an appointment?
““You know, there is no way I would ever try to dignose a disease process like this without even seeing a patient.””
Don’t really care.
““None of his explanation has lent itself to the conclusions you have drawn.””
Yes they do. You are mistaken and there will never be concession otherwise.
“Weak scapula retractors, these are the muscles between your shoulder blades. Again this contributes to the shoulder sitting forwards and places the rotator cuff at a disadvantage. The shoulder blades also tend to move around, making it near impossible for efficient rotator cuff function.”
DO YOU UNDERSTAND the fact that if his scapula isn’t sitting tightly on his ribcage (i.e. protruding!) that it is weak and hyper-mobile?
““Instead of ask more questions to find out from him what the true issue is, you have simply given him a diagnosis?””
Yes, if by “diagnosis” you mean “read Cressey and Robertson’s articles regarding the shoulder/rotator cuff” because OBVIOUSLY that is all that was ever reccomended.
““Should he schedule an appointment?””
Not clever.
Sorry if there is an ‘asshole’ tone to this post cause it’s been fun.
Yeah, cover up the structural imbalance by slabbing on s’more beef. Atta boy.
I second the motion to do shoulder posture/RC exercises.
[quote]Nominal Prospect wrote:
Professor X wrote:Gee, OR he could add some more muscle mass. There is a reason you can’t see the shoulder blades on most bodybuilders.
Yeah, cover up the structural imbalance by slabbing on s’more beef. Atta boy.
I second the motion to do shoulder posture/RC exercises.
[/quote]
How do you know there is a “structural imbalance”?
““How do you know there is a “structural imbalance”?””
“Protruding scapulae” are structural imbalances. Plus he said that one “sticks out more than the other”, how much more imbalanced does it get?
Man, you sure like to argue. You’d probably be good at it if you learned how.
I disagree with the thought that it is automatically a structural imbalance.
There are plenty of athletes who are not suffering from any rotator cuff injuries AND have shoulder blades protruding. Best example I can think of is swimmers. You see the shoulder blades on numerous because a lack of mass.
Reason one sticks out more than the other? When I look in the mirror, over my shoulder at my back, turns out one side is lifted up higher than the other due to my attempted “owl-necking”.
I agree with using the Cressey et al. methods, but to say that there is a problem here seems to be jumping the gun already.
[quote]beebuddy wrote:
““How do you know there is a “structural imbalance”?””
“Protruding scapulae” are structural imbalances. Plus he said that one “sticks out more than the other”, how much more imbalanced does it get?
Man, you sure like to argue. You’d probably be good at it if you learned how.[/quote]
This isn’t about simply arguing. One of the first things taught to anyone who has ever seen a patient from nurses to vets is S.O.A.P. That stands for Subjective and Objective findings, Assessment, and then the Plan for how to deal with the problem. You don’t make random diagnosis with only “subjective” findings, however, that hasn’t stopped some of you from playing Carnack the All Knowing from one post with no follow up questions and answers.
ProfX,
That was dick, but it’s an honest opinion. Learn about debate, you are confident enough to win any verbal match.