An Exercise for Better Posture and Healthier Shoulders- Kasey Esser

September 3, 2013

An Exercise for Better Posture and Healthier Shoulders

Before we get into today’s exercise, I want to share with you a slightly humiliating story from my weekend.

I took last Friday off, because we had a friend in town from Columbus, Ohio. I don’t really take time off, so it was kind of weird to wake up in daylight.

The first thing on the agenda for the day was a hike in Malibu. Jess and I hadn’t done any hiking since we’ve been here, so I was pretty excited to get out and see what the big fuss was over what everyone in LA seems to do (besides brunch and honking, of course).

It was unnaturally hot, so I was sweating bullets before we even got out of the car. We decided to take the “Scenic Trail”, because the main point of our hike was to get some epic views of the ocean and Malibu.

Little did we know the Scenic Trail was pretty much Mordor. The beginning of the hike took us through a bunch of burnt forest…not exactly the plush greenery I had envisioned. It was all good though, because I enjoyed making LOTR jokes with people who actually understood what I was talking about.

After about a mile of moderate incline and some solid views, I was getting into it. My arms were pumping and I was enjoying activity that didn’t involve picking up a really heavy bar off the floor.

That was until we discovered an alternate trail…

This “detour” was a path that led at what could best be described as a vertical angle up the mountain.

The reward?

Epic views and a breeze.

It looked pretty tough to get up, but I was game to give it a shot. After getting about a quarter of the way, my shoes were starting to lose traction.

And I don’t know if it’s because of my height or because of all the weight I have gained recently, but I could not for the life of me stand up straight. I looked like an ape trying to get up this thing.

Jess and Carly were having no issues though, as they continued to scale it like they were walking the aisles at the grocery store. I was forced to stop, because the mountain wasn’t getting any flatter. I was slightly bummed, but my heart was beating outside of my chest and I felt like an America’s Funniest Home Video was around the corner, so I came to peace with my decision.

After they made it up, I decided I might as well just go back down.

Yeahhhh….about that.

I quickly realized there was no way I could walk back down without falling face first. After losing my footing for the second time, I landed on my butt and proceeded to slide down the mountain, grabbing the occasional branch to slow down my speed. I could feel my shorts ripping apart and I had to ditch my water bottle because it was preventing me from grabbing branches.

I didn’t know it was possible to bobsled without a bobsled, but that’s basically what I did. I could hear Jess and Carly laughing at me from above after I finally hit level ground.

Wow.

That’s the last time I ever try to scale a mountain in worn-out Nikes.

Once we were all back down, we continued on with the Scenic Trail and ended up getting a really cool view at the end, where we got quite a few pics (see below).

In honor of surviving that hike, I would like to share with you an exercise that works wonders for posture and shoulder health (with better posture, maybe I could have controlled that descent a little better?). It’s one I use with nearly everyone because it works so well and attacks a lot of key issues.

The Prone YT

What’s the big deal?

The majority of us are pretty upper-trap dominant. If you didn’t know, you also have middle and lower traps that tend to get stomped on by the upper traps.

This happens because of how we sit at our desks all day and the poor breathing patterns we employ (breathing through the chest vs. the diaphragm). The upper shoulders are just where we carry a lot of our stress.

As a result, we become very good at being able to shrug the shoulders (the primary role of the upper trap), and not that great at keeping the shoulders down and back (things the middle and lower traps help with).

This negatively impacts our posture and the technique used with virtually any upper-body exercise (try doing a single-arm cable row with an elevated shoulder versus a shoulder that is packed down and tight). Plus, this muscular imbalance can lead to a whole host of potential shoulder injuries because it screws up your scapular positioning (scapular dysfunctions play a massive role in shoulder pain)

As an example, go ahead and relax your shoulders.

Feel that??

My guess is that most of you felt quite a bit of relief. A lot of times we don’t even realize we are all bunched up through the shoulders!

You cannot let your upper traps dominate any longer! We need a way to give the lower and middle traps some strength to even out the playing field.

Guess what the Prone YT does???

That’s right, when done correctly, it strengthens the lower and middle traps, as well as the rest of your shoulder retractors (e.g. rhomboids). It will help you press big weights pain-free, force you to stand a little taller, prevent shoulder injuries, and potentially help you scale mountains better.

In other words, there are few other exercises involving 5-pound dumbbells that do so much good.

That being said, If you thought 5 pound dumbbells were for sissies, prepare to be amazed at the sheer burn this move elicits all around the base of your neck, shoulders, and upper back.

Check out the video of me performing the exercise (I’m in all black, so yes I am lying facedown on an incline bench, I am not holding myself in mid-air) and then I will dive into a few technique points.

The Form

YTs are done in many ways, but I like the incline bench version because it doesn’t allow for much cheating.

Keep these 4 points in mind;

#1: Focus on keeping the shoulders down and back on each raise

The biggest error you can make with this exercise is letting the shoulders shrug when you do your Y and T. This defeats the purpose of the move. Lock the shoulders down and back from the start and let the arms go from there.

#2: Thumbs should always point to the ceiling

Keeping the thumbs up gives the shoulder the most room to breathe and avoid impingement. When the thumbs are turned down or even horizontal, the sub-acromial space narrows and can create friction with the rotator cuff over time.

#3: Go slow

There is no point in rushing this exercise. It’s all about the quality of the repetitions and getting the right muscles contracted on each raise. Use a 2 count going up and going down to get the most out of this one.

#4: Keep the chest glued to the bench

This is the other big cue that I am always giving, especially toward the end of a set. As your shoulders fatigue, you will naturally want to start using a little momentum in the form of hiking the chest up off the bench.

In the words of Arnold,

“Don’t do dat.”

#5: Keep the head neutral

Don’t let the head drop down excessively or point up too much. This places too much stress on the neck. Find a point about 6 inches in front of you and keep your focus there.

Programming the YT

YTs are great as a “filler” when you are doing any vertical or horizontal pressing. They are also a solid option at the end of a session to help reinforce the muscles you need to be using in your daily life.

Keep the reps in the 6-8 range (a YT being one rep), making sure not to go heavier than what is needed. Like I said, 5 pounds is probably a good starting point for most of you.

Give the YT a shot in your next workout and let me know what you think!

Take the Leap,

Kasey, CSCS

Learn more about what I am all about and pick up some great tips to transform your physique by signing up for my 5-day e-course HERE