Packing the Shoulder

Unfortunately, shoulder issues are all too common.  Many shoulder issues can be related to poor posture.  Therefore, it is important to learn how to “pack your shoulders” in order to protect the shoulders and put them in optimal position.  By packing the shoulders it places the head of the humerus (upper arm bone) in the most centered position of the socket. When the shoulder is not properly aligned it causes stress on the muscles and they become shortened.  The human body is fantastic at compensating. Despite having misalignment, your body will usually continue to perform what you ask of it. When you learn how to pack the shoulders before an exercise the stabilizers of the shoulder are activated.  This allows for better movement patterns. You can pack the shoulders by bringing them down and back. This allows the shoulder blades to rotate down and come closer together. Packing the shoulders is important in just about every upper body exercise.  Some examples are pushups, rows, overhead pressing and chest press. You may hear the coaches tell you to keep your shoulders out of your ears and avoid shrugging. This helps reinforce proper position for the shoulders during each exercise. Often times when we perform planks or pushups we are not focused on our shoulders.  We are more concerned with just keeping our body up.

 The following videos show what it looks like to pack your shoulders during a plank and pushup hold. Remember, if you are allowing your shoulders to roll forward you are causing excessive stress on the muscles. If you have any further questions regarding your shoulder position please do not hesitate to ask one of the coaches