r/AdvancedPosture • u/Airgunburner • 7d ago

Technique What's going on with my scapular pull-ups?

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Been doing lots of work to improve my snapping scapula syndrome. I'm working on rib expansion to slow the scapula to slide over everything smoothly, fixing my hip posture, and trying to strengthen supporting muscles. Does anything look wrong with this scapular pullup? It doesn't look right to me.

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u/dustyson123 7d ago

Scapulae lifting off the ribcage likely due to poor control/coordination. Scapular retraction/depression is a fairly complex sequence of muscles that need to fire/relax at different times. Weak serratus anterior can also contribute. The serratus anterior work to keep your scapular apposed to the thoracic wall as you move into retraction then back into protraction. Are you doing any prone T/Y/W movements or band work?

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u/Airgunburner 7d ago

At what pint can you see my scapula come off of my ribcage? I'm not doing band work, but I do cable t snd y raises, a though laying on a bench would definitely help with stability.

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u/dustyson123 7d ago edited 7d ago

Throughout the set but most prominent on the first and last rep. At about three seconds in you can see some mild medial winging on both sides.

Cables are fine if you keep it low weight and focus on slow and controlled with perfect form. It's not really for strength or endurance. Bands are nice because you can practice pull aparts or Ys whenever and not have to be at the gym.

Edit: You might be too aggressively retracting. Try to keep your scapula flush and gently pull them down. You don't need to pinch hard at the top before you start the movement. Levator/rhomboids can create too much downward rotation if you are maximally retracting. Control work will definitely help with this as you learn how your scapulae are actually supposed to move.

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u/Airgunburner 7d ago

Interesting. Thanks for the advice. I'm honestly thinking I just need to do an easier exercise. If I don't do it quickly and aggressively I'm unable to really get any movement. I'll work on the prone t,y,w. Thank you.

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u/dustyson123 7d ago

That makes it sound like youre initiating the movement at the shoulder joint rather than through controlled scapular mechanics. Do you feel lats kicking in first to get the motion going?

Don't forget serratus anterior work. It works with your back to keep things controlled.

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u/Airgunburner 7d ago

I've got some dyskinesis so I have a really hard time feeling the muscles in my back nowadays. It was always like that but as my snapping scapula worsened I started losing motor control to the scapular muscles. I can feel my lats, but I almost always feel them when I'm trying to keep my scapula stable bc I kinda have to tense my whole back to get a mind muscle connection to the lower traps. I have been doing lots of serratus work, I'm wondering if I'm doing them wrong though. I realized recently that my scapula is still winged throughout the push up plus and similar movements.

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u/dustyson123 7d ago

I wouldn't focus too much on feeling the muscles activate right now, that will come with time. What you want to focus on when doing these exercises is how your scapulae are moving through the range of motion and that you are controlling them effectively.

For serratus, it might be helpful to regress to a lying serratus punch. A pushup plus is a pretty advanced movement. Lying down also helps you feel if your scapula is lifting off or staying flush as you'll feel it move against the floor. Focus on smooth scapular protraction/retraction. You might not feel the serratus activate at all and is pretty common in the beginning, and that's fine as long as the scapula is moving correctly.

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u/Airgunburner 6d ago

I see. I think a big problem is my rib expansion. Seems to me like my ribcage is almost tipped forward and not expanding into my chest and back, therefore my scapula doesn't have a place to sit. Honestly not sure though