it involves multiple directions and forces at
the same time. Picture seeing the scapulae
gliding smoothly from the spine to the side
of the rib cage (protraction/retraction and in/
outward rotation), depending on the hand
positions. There should be minimal ‘winging’
movement and elevation (sternoclavicular
joint not gliding laterally during scapula pro/
retraction).
Hips: A swayback is a sign of anterior
pelvic tilt, which puts more pressure in the
sacro-lumbar region. You should be able
to tilt the pelvis posteriorly to engage the
abdominals in the horizontal position.
Drills like wrist mobilisation (prayer
stretch, kneeling leans), shoulder pass
throughs, Cat-Cow or Animal Flow Static
Crab and Wave Unload are great for
preparing the body to perform push-ups.
in the abdominal region (and deep core muscles by extension). If
we look at the Front Functional Line, we can see that it links the
pectoralis major to the lateral rectus abdominis and the adductor
longus (via the pubic symphysis). If you tilt your pelvis back (tucking
your tailbone under) and gently squeeze your inner thighs in (you can
use a yoga block between the legs), you can notice an immediate
increase of tension in your abdominals and better force production
from the pec major. Irradiating tension from the inner thigh will again
have a stabilising and force production effect.
Research by the National Research Foundation of Korea (Kim
and Yoo, 2013 2 ) found that by contracting the hip adductors during
a push-up exercise, the serratus anterior activity was increased,
because the stress on the thoracolumbar fascia was transmitted to
the scapula. The Deep Front Line links adductor muscles to the pelvic
floor and diaphragm, so by increasing intra-abdominal pressure, the
tension of the thoracolumbar fascia plays a major role in transmitting
the load of the trunk to the arms and shoulders.
Creating whole body tension
Once you’ve established proper ROM in
these joints it will be much easier to create
fascial tensioning through the body for
increased stability. Just like a slingshot, the
base is stable while the elastic of the sling
is mobile and can produce movement. The
base has to be stable enough for the elastic
to generate tension and increase its force
production through greater ROM.
So, let’s look at the myofascial Arm Lines
and both Functional Lines (taking our cue
from Thomas Myers’ Anatomy Trains 1 ) to
understand how connecting fingers and
pelvis can improve trunk stability and help
increase force production from the pectoral
and triceps muscles.
The Superficial Front Arm Line: This
connects the fingertips (flexor group) to the
pectoralis major and the latissimus dorsi.
This means that when you drive your fingers
onto the floor you are activating the palmar
arch. This creates a stable base to push
from, and the tension created amplifies the
tension of the pecs and lats (called muscular
irradiation). You may be wondering what the
lats have to do with the push-up, as it seems
to be an antagonist to the pectoralis major.
Well, the lats actually act as a shoulder and
thoraco-lumbar stabiliser during the up
phase, enabling the pecs to generate more
power.
The Deep Front and Back Arm Lines:
These have an intrinsic effect as they
connect the thumb to the pectoralis minor
(front line) and the little finger to the rotator
cuffs via the triceps (back line). You can now
appreciate why anchoring all your digits to
the floor as you push off will have a direct
impact on the force production and stability
of the shoulder girdle.
One of the most common mistakes
during push-ups is the hips sagging down
during the push phase – the infamous ‘sexy
beast’! It is due to the total lack of tension
54 | NETWORK AUTUMN 2020
1. Bottom
2. Middle
3. Top
4. Poor form