Hey guys, I went to the physio for a checkup. Said I got some tight pecs, rounded shoulders a bit so we are working on getting my posture a bit better and that is why I have a little bit of irritation with my left shoulder I have some supraspinatus pain seems like.
Anwyays though she said my upper and mid traps are strong but my lower traps are a bit weak…Do you guys know of any good exercises to really hit this area?
Thank you.
For the lower traps, I believe activation is the key, given that you’re training general back thickness as well. Scapular wall slides and the like.
OT, I trained with a group once, and we got into the habit of doing BOTTOM range lat pulldowns with a wide-ish grip, very very small range of motion (barely a few cm) with a static hold at the rock bottom, at the end of every back session. I believe this is a good way to progressively load the lower traps directly but you need to have a feel for the movement first or you’ll be wasting your time (99% likely). Let me compose a description and I’ll probably write it out.
Try doing a barbell row variation on the smith machine.
Walk all the way up till the bar is resting on your knee/thighs… Spread your legs a little bit so you can hold the bar around your crotch area…Keep your hands about 6 inches apart with a supinated grip… Lean forward at about 50 degrees and perform rows. Squeeze your traps at the top of the movement for a second and continue performing reps in that manner.
If i remember correctly rasturai, you work out at home and may not have a smith machine. I guess you could do it in a squat rack, but the smith machine forces you to stay in a certain position which i think is the reason this exercise is effective to target that area.
Other than that your lower traps are worked during lat pulldowns and reverse flies.
Tribunaldude - I’ll incorporate some wall slides, I used to do them but have stopped for a while…will add them back in right away.that’s right angus_beef I do workout at home lol that’s funny you remember that.
angus_beef - that’s funny that you remember I workout at home lol you are correct.
Yeah I don’t have access to the smith machine but I will workout today and try that exercise out to see if I can get that area a bit more.
Unfortunaetly I don’t have access to any machines…lat pulldowns etc.
For back work I generally do this -
pull-ups/chin ups - with weight.
1 arm db rows
BB rows
Deadlifts
-never done them before but going to start incorporating Rack Chins for variation.
I’ll play with the BB rows to hit the lower traps more and keep that 50 degree angle
Thanks!
Rasturai, just as TB said, the bottom range of a pull up. Also, try scap retractions on a low row, and prone or low incline shrugs. For the shrugs focus on shrugging up and BACK.
I thought the lower fibres were supposed to be lower down?
[quote]ucallthatbass wrote:
Also, try scap retractions on a low row, and prone or low incline shrugs. F.[/quote]
Very good suggestions. Also you might try laying prone on an inc bench, and doing front BB raises with a very wide hand spacing. If done correctly, you can get a nice contraction in your lower traps.
S
depression dips seem to help if you do them fairly upright (as in a tricep dip as opposed to one for your pecs) - basically do the opposite of a shrug - let yourself sink down in between your shoulders w/ your arms locked out on a dip station, letting your scapulae shrug up, then raise up using your lower traps (also will use pec minor and some others). only like a 1-2" ROM, just like a retraction pulldown/pullup (which you should also try IMO) also retraction rows as was mentioned before - lots of good ideas in this thread!
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
[quote]ucallthatbass wrote:
Also, try scap retractions on a low row, and prone or low incline shrugs. F.[/quote]
Very good suggestions. Also you might try laying prone on an inc bench, and doing front BB raises with a very wide hand spacing. If done correctly, you can get a nice contraction in your lower traps.
S
[/quote]
Thanks Stu, these have mostly corrected my ridiculous shoulder issues. Facepulls work also, but these provide the biggest bang for the buck imo.
Edit: I’ll try your exercise on the next back day, I’ve heard you mention it before, but I always forget to try it.
barbell rows to the chest
Surprised nobody has suggested rack pulls!
[quote]rasturai wrote:
Hey guys, I went to the physio for a checkup. Said I got some tight pecs[/quote]
Because everything’s connected, don’t forget to address your pec inflexibility at least as much as you’re looking to address your trap strength. Focusing on one over the other will only be partially successful.
Mike Robertson had an entire article about this:
Like Tribunaldude mentioned, activation exercises will be more important than just choosing certain strength training exercises.
Also check out the chin-up progression Robertson talks about - work on holding the peak contraction, while depressing the scapula, for 20 seconds at a time.
[quote]ucallthatbass wrote:
For the shrugs focus on shrugging up and BACK.[/quote]
Unless you’re leaning forward quite a bit, which would probably make it a different exercise, rotating the shoulders back on shrugs will have little effect on the lower traps.
Good thread. I had/have the same issues. Tight pec minor, shoulder issue, some lower trap weakness as per physio.
Some good exercises here that I’ll incorporate. My shoulder is at about 90% from a comfort standpoint up from a point where I struggled to sleep. Pec minor stretching had the biggest positive impact for me. I started to get shoulder relief within a few days.
yeah wow this thread is taking off well…yeah i definaetly have tight pecs I’ve been stretching the shit outta them all day lol.
I will try all those exercises…I have been doing prone y’s as of late…but I think I should get some activation work in and then stick to the exercises. I will give em all a shot.
BBB - for serratus anterior work I usually do scap pushups, and/or I’ll be in my bench press load up some weight and just do a scap pushup type thing on the bench with the weight in my hand for strength work.
how does one activate it though?
Once again, awesome replies!
Here re a few more exercises
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYYEFHL44W0&feature=player_profilepage#
This guy is good, try his doorway stretch for the pec minor. Arms down palms forward.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNGwIZDE-NI&feature=PlayList&p=C08A5D22C2127C81&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=7
[quote]ucallthatbass wrote:
Here re a few more exercises
[/quote]
that’s exactly what i was attempting to describe - good find! i found that it worked well for me to superset my regular shrugs and the dip shrugs, in an attempt to avoid an imbalance (because otherwise i would just skip the dip shrugs entirely, as i have been lately). for what that might be worth
Had exactly same issue, pyshio had me doing a “tri trap set”. Like a Y but start with horizontal shrug, and she wanted me lifting straight nout outwards in a Y as rhomboids were taking over too much.
She also had me doing fast ext rotations on the positive to get through the impingement.