whenever i do pullups or inverted rows or chinups i can not ever retract my shoulder blades, scapula, or lats. I think it is because all I did was pushups for years and constantly progressed on those and did not focus on pulling as much.
What should i do to fix this?
Whenever I do back exercises the next day my upper back hurts a little because i can not retract the muscles properly.
How do you know? Can you try to retract your shoulder blades and have someone take a picture? Maybe take some video of you doing some cable rows?
Does your upper back hurt because of DOMS or is it injury? Does it hurt during any other lifting days? During off days? Do specific movements cause pain?
These questions are important.
You may also want to post this in the injuries and rehab forum; I think that’s a more relevant forum for this.
[quote]goochadamg wrote:
How do you know? Can you try to retract your shoulder blades and have someone take a picture? Maybe take some video of you doing some cable rows?
Does your upper back hurt because of DOMS or is it injury? Does it hurt during any other lifting days? During off days? Do specific movements cause pain?
These questions are important.
You may also want to post this in the injuries and rehab forum; I think that’s a more relevant forum for this.
[/quote]
no i know what DOMS feels like… i do not know why it hurts, it does not hurt ever except the day after I train back because I can not retract them properly because (well I think its because) I have done too much pushing exercises in the past and not enough pulling. My shoulders are also hunched over. Specific movements that cause pain are just pulling, but they do not cause the pain because i use to be able to do them with getting sore and feeling good. i think just because i stopped doing pulling exercises and only did pushinng for 2.5 years with pushups it made imbalances I think.
any advice for me or other questions u need me to answer?
ok i also reposted this on that part of the forum. 
[quote]paflt wrote:
[quote]goochadamg wrote:
How do you know? Can you try to retract your shoulder blades and have someone take a picture? Maybe take some video of you doing some cable rows?
Does your upper back hurt because of DOMS or is it injury? Does it hurt during any other lifting days? During off days? Do specific movements cause pain?
These questions are important.
You may also want to post this in the injuries and rehab forum; I think that’s a more relevant forum for this.
[/quote]
no i know what DOMS feels like… i do not know why it hurts, it does not hurt ever except the day after I train back because I can not retract them properly because (well I think its because) I have done too much pushing exercises in the past and not enough pulling. My shoulders are also hunched over. Specific movements that cause pain are just pulling, but they do not cause the pain because i use to be able to do them with getting sore and feeling good. i think just because i stopped doing pulling exercises and only did pushinng for 2.5 years with pushups it made imbalances I think.
any advice for me or other questions u need me to answer?
ok i also reposted this on that part of the forum.
[/quote]
An easy postural assessment is to stand against a wall, the back of your head, your shoulder blades, and your butt should all touch the wall relatively easily. The posture you describe is termed a kyphotic thoracic spine. This type of posturing can be caused by either a bony deformity (not correctable without surgical correction), or due to an imbalance between your anterior and posterior musculature. Some things you may want to look into is doorway stretching for your pec major/minor. Strengthening exercises can include SICK scap retractions and cable rows.
[quote]BHOLL wrote:
[quote]paflt wrote:
[quote]goochadamg wrote:
How do you know? Can you try to retract your shoulder blades and have someone take a picture? Maybe take some video of you doing some cable rows?
Does your upper back hurt because of DOMS or is it injury? Does it hurt during any other lifting days? During off days? Do specific movements cause pain?
These questions are important.
You may also want to post this in the injuries and rehab forum; I think that’s a more relevant forum for this.
[/quote]
no i know what DOMS feels like… i do not know why it hurts, it does not hurt ever except the day after I train back because I can not retract them properly because (well I think its because) I have done too much pushing exercises in the past and not enough pulling. My shoulders are also hunched over. Specific movements that cause pain are just pulling, but they do not cause the pain because i use to be able to do them with getting sore and feeling good. i think just because i stopped doing pulling exercises and only did pushinng for 2.5 years with pushups it made imbalances I think.
any advice for me or other questions u need me to answer?
ok i also reposted this on that part of the forum.
[/quote]
An easy postural assessment is to stand against a wall, the back of your head, your shoulder blades, and your butt should all touch the wall relatively easily. The posture you describe is termed a kyphotic thoracic spine. This type of posturing can be caused by either a bony deformity (not correctable without surgical correction), or due to an imbalance between your anterior and posterior musculature. Some things you may want to look into is doorway stretching for your pec major/minor. Strengthening exercises can include SICK scap retractions and cable rows. [/quote]
i do not have access to the gym so i can not do cable rows.
also what is SICK scap retractions? do you have a video or picture of what it is?
lastly, i am doing pec stretches, how long and how often should i do the stretches for?
[quote]paflt wrote:
[quote]BHOLL wrote:
[quote]paflt wrote:
[quote]goochadamg wrote:
How do you know? Can you try to retract your shoulder blades and have someone take a picture? Maybe take some video of you doing some cable rows?
Does your upper back hurt because of DOMS or is it injury? Does it hurt during any other lifting days? During off days? Do specific movements cause pain?
These questions are important.
You may also want to post this in the injuries and rehab forum; I think that’s a more relevant forum for this.
[/quote]
no i know what DOMS feels like… i do not know why it hurts, it does not hurt ever except the day after I train back because I can not retract them properly because (well I think its because) I have done too much pushing exercises in the past and not enough pulling. My shoulders are also hunched over. Specific movements that cause pain are just pulling, but they do not cause the pain because i use to be able to do them with getting sore and feeling good. i think just because i stopped doing pulling exercises and only did pushinng for 2.5 years with pushups it made imbalances I think.
any advice for me or other questions u need me to answer?
ok i also reposted this on that part of the forum.
[/quote]
An easy postural assessment is to stand against a wall, the back of your head, your shoulder blades, and your butt should all touch the wall relatively easily. The posture you describe is termed a kyphotic thoracic spine. This type of posturing can be caused by either a bony deformity (not correctable without surgical correction), or due to an imbalance between your anterior and posterior musculature. Some things you may want to look into is doorway stretching for your pec major/minor. Strengthening exercises can include SICK scap retractions and cable rows. [/quote]
i do not have access to the gym so i can not do cable rows.
also what is SICK scap retractions? do you have a video or picture of what it is?
lastly, i am doing pec stretches, how long and how often should i do the stretches for?
[/quote]
stretching for 15-20 minutes a day for approx 5 days in a row of light intensity will result in tissue lengthening. SICK scapula exercises can be performed either sitting or standing, place one hand behind your head and place your other arm straight out in front of you with a resistance band or cable system in your hand and simply pull your shoulder blade down and back (retract) and hold for 1-2 seconds and repeat for 15 ish reps.
[quote]BHOLL wrote:
[quote]paflt wrote:
[quote]BHOLL wrote:
[quote]paflt wrote:
[quote]goochadamg wrote:
How do you know? Can you try to retract your shoulder blades and have someone take a picture? Maybe take some video of you doing some cable rows?
Does your upper back hurt because of DOMS or is it injury? Does it hurt during any other lifting days? During off days? Do specific movements cause pain?
These questions are important.
You may also want to post this in the injuries and rehab forum; I think that’s a more relevant forum for this.
[/quote]
no i know what DOMS feels like… i do not know why it hurts, it does not hurt ever except the day after I train back because I can not retract them properly because (well I think its because) I have done too much pushing exercises in the past and not enough pulling. My shoulders are also hunched over. Specific movements that cause pain are just pulling, but they do not cause the pain because i use to be able to do them with getting sore and feeling good. i think just because i stopped doing pulling exercises and only did pushinng for 2.5 years with pushups it made imbalances I think.
any advice for me or other questions u need me to answer?
ok i also reposted this on that part of the forum.
[/quote]
An easy postural assessment is to stand against a wall, the back of your head, your shoulder blades, and your butt should all touch the wall relatively easily. The posture you describe is termed a kyphotic thoracic spine. This type of posturing can be caused by either a bony deformity (not correctable without surgical correction), or due to an imbalance between your anterior and posterior musculature. Some things you may want to look into is doorway stretching for your pec major/minor. Strengthening exercises can include SICK scap retractions and cable rows. [/quote]
i do not have access to the gym so i can not do cable rows.
also what is SICK scap retractions? do you have a video or picture of what it is?
lastly, i am doing pec stretches, how long and how often should i do the stretches for?
[/quote]
stretching for 15-20 minutes a day for approx 5 days in a row of light intensity will result in tissue lengthening. SICK scapula exercises can be performed either sitting or standing, place one hand behind your head and place your other arm straight out in front of you with a resistance band or cable system in your hand and simply pull your shoulder blade down and back (retract) and hold for 1-2 seconds and repeat for 15 ish reps.
[/quote]
do u think u can send a video of that? im trying to imagine it, i do not understand what the one hand behind my head is supposed to do.
[quote]paflt wrote:
[quote]BHOLL wrote:
[quote]paflt wrote:
[quote]BHOLL wrote:
[quote]paflt wrote:
[quote]goochadamg wrote:
How do you know? Can you try to retract your shoulder blades and have someone take a picture? Maybe take some video of you doing some cable rows?
Does your upper back hurt because of DOMS or is it injury? Does it hurt during any other lifting days? During off days? Do specific movements cause pain?
These questions are important.
You may also want to post this in the injuries and rehab forum; I think that’s a more relevant forum for this.
[/quote]
no i know what DOMS feels like… i do not know why it hurts, it does not hurt ever except the day after I train back because I can not retract them properly because (well I think its because) I have done too much pushing exercises in the past and not enough pulling. My shoulders are also hunched over. Specific movements that cause pain are just pulling, but they do not cause the pain because i use to be able to do them with getting sore and feeling good. i think just because i stopped doing pulling exercises and only did pushinng for 2.5 years with pushups it made imbalances I think.
any advice for me or other questions u need me to answer?
ok i also reposted this on that part of the forum.
[/quote]
An easy postural assessment is to stand against a wall, the back of your head, your shoulder blades, and your butt should all touch the wall relatively easily. The posture you describe is termed a kyphotic thoracic spine. This type of posturing can be caused by either a bony deformity (not correctable without surgical correction), or due to an imbalance between your anterior and posterior musculature. Some things you may want to look into is doorway stretching for your pec major/minor. Strengthening exercises can include SICK scap retractions and cable rows. [/quote]
i do not have access to the gym so i can not do cable rows.
also what is SICK scap retractions? do you have a video or picture of what it is?
lastly, i am doing pec stretches, how long and how often should i do the stretches for?
[/quote]
stretching for 15-20 minutes a day for approx 5 days in a row of light intensity will result in tissue lengthening. SICK scapula exercises can be performed either sitting or standing, place one hand behind your head and place your other arm straight out in front of you with a resistance band or cable system in your hand and simply pull your shoulder blade down and back (retract) and hold for 1-2 seconds and repeat for 15 ish reps.
[/quote]
do u think u can send a video of that? im trying to imagine it, i do not understand what the one hand behind my head is supposed to do.
[/quote]
please :))
Wall slides, band pull-a-parts, and shoulder dislocates (with band or broom stick) are all good exercises to address postural and scap issues. Search the site for descriptions of these. May also need some lower trap strengthening. I had similar issues earlier this year - there is no quick fix, have to apply corrective movements consistently (daily) for weeks / months but is definitely worth it to regain balance and continue progressing. Good luck
[quote]Grove wrote:
Wall slides, band pull-a-parts, and shoulder dislocates (with band or broom stick) are all good exercises to address postural and scap issues. Search the site for descriptions of these. May also need some lower trap strengthening. I had similar issues earlier this year - there is no quick fix, have to apply corrective movements consistently (daily) for weeks / months but is definitely worth it to regain balance and continue progressing. Good luck[/quote]
while you practice the exercises above it might be worth going to see a chiropractor or an osteopath, Sometimes being “front heavy” will cause spinal problems/dysfunctions (especially in the thoracic region) that are unlikely to be fixed with exercises alone.