Overhead Shoulder Shrugs
Overhead Shoulder Shrugs
Muscle Group(s) Stretched: Shoulders
Muscle Group(s) Strengthened: Shoulder external rotators, shoulder flexors, shoulder elevators
Type of Stretch: Active Dynamic
Difficulty: All-Levels
Suggested Prerequisites: none
This is a great exercise to strengthen the muscles that help us elevate our shoulder blades (which can allow more overhead-reaching-back range of motion), making it a great active compliment for folks working on their overhead shoulder flexibility. It’s also a standard staple of handstand conditioning.
How To
Step 1
Standing or sitting, reach both arms forwards, and then up overhead as much as you can, keeping your palms facing inwards and arms straight.
Wrap your shoulder blades towards the front of your chest (into shoulder external rotation) - you can do this by:
rotating your biceps backwards
reaching the outside of your armpits forwards
trying to rotate your palms from facing each other, to trying to face them behind you
Your personal challenge is going to be to keep the shoulder blades hugging the sides of your ribs the whole time, not letting them flop back towards your spine.
Step 2
Keeping your shoulder blades wrapped forwards, shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, reaching your hands as high as you can up toward the ceiling. Then pull the shoulder blades back down your ribs (as low as you can without feeling any “pinching”).
Repeat for 8-12 shoulder shrugs.
Modifications
Need to make it easier?
Drop the arms a little bit lower - instead of reaching directly overhead, reach them slightly forwards overhead
Hold a yoga block between your hands to avoid flipping the palms forwards (and internally rotating the shoulders)
Want to make it harder?
Add bodyweight - instead of shrugging overhead in the air, try doing this same shoulder shrug motion in a down dog pose.
