2 . Lower the body downwards , aiming the chest and collarbone to the floor . To increase the anterior shoulder opening , aim the head down towards the knees ( see below , pic 6 ).
Done in quadruped with knees under hips , this is not a heavy push-up , but it is very strong on the forearm tendons . Begin with just a small range of movement and slowly build that over time . Aim for 10-15 reps .
And full disclosure again – this can also be uncomfortable but , with practise , it eases off .
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can be done in quadruped on the hands , as in a plank position . Or , for a lighter option , facing a wall with palms flat on the wall . These are closed chain options , as the hands are fixed on either the floor or the wall .
For a more open chain option , a prop like a power band also works well .
In all these variations , the arms and elbows should be as straight as possible and the ribcage and pelvis still .
A power band wrapped around the base of the scapulae and held in front of the body in a fist with straight elbows creates protraction of the scapulae . Think of reaching the fists further towards the wall in front of you . This is a version of loaded scapulae protraction ( main image , right ).
Practise scapulae protraction into the largest range possible . Practise holding the resisted protraction for a few seconds . Then counter with scapulae retraction .
Essentially , move between loaded protraction and retraction of the scapulae through as much range as possible . This is an isolation movement of the scapulae . Done loaded and with straight elbows , this is called a scapula push-up .
Scapula push-up
In a scapula push-up , the elbows are straight , the hands and fingers spread and firmly in contact with the floor , and the body line is tight . 1 . Start in protraction of the scapulae . Focus on pushing up away from the floor ( see below , pic 7 ). 2 . In scapulae retraction , the scapulae will move towards each other ( see below , pic 8 ).
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Scapulae
Oh , the wonderful scapulae . Good scapulae movement and control is a prerequisite for spine and shoulder joint function . They are part of a team ! And they are especially important in a push-up .
A push-up is a PUSH . Pushes involve protraction of the scapulae . In protraction , the scapulae wrap around the sides of the ribs and spread apart from each other . In a protracted position , the scapulae look flat and flush to the ribcage .
When the scapulae protract , the thoracic spine may also flex a little bit or appear flexed .
To improve pushing movements in general , and the pushup in particular , scapulae protraction needs to be loaded ( i . e ., have some resistance into the protracted movement ). This
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No equipment required , pushups are easily scalable and have infinite options to spice them up
54 | NETWORK SUMMER 2021