Exercise of the Week: Scapular Protraction-Retraction

Level: Beginner to Advanced

Specificity: Shoulder stability and strength

Goal: Injury prevention

Equipment: None

This week we'll continue our series on shoulder stability with Scapular Protraction-Retraction. I apologize if the name of this movement brings back haunting memories of high school geometry. The Scapular protraction-retraction movement is designed to promote stability and strength in the shoulder joint. The shoulder joint provides the greatest range of motion of any joint in the human body, but you already knew that from my last few posts. Right?

Anatomy of the shoulder and rotator cuff can be seen here:

Maintaining a healthy shoulder is crucial to success and longevity in volleyball as the shoulder is involved in all the major skills - serving, setting, digging, blocking and hitting. Research shows that weakness and fatigue of scapular-stabilizing muscles (trapezius, rhomboids, serratus anterior) can lead to pain and a decrease in rotator cuff strength. Our exercise this week will promote proper functioning of the scapula.

Start position: Assume a push-up position with hands directly under shoulders and back flat.

Keeping arms straight, retract shoulder blades by squeezing them together as if you were squeezing a tennis ball between them.

Do not go all the way down as you would with a regular push up. This is a rather subtle movement, designed to isolate and strengthen the scapula stabilizers. You will only move a matter of 1-3 inches for this exercise.

Complete the movement by protracting shoulder blades (spread them apart). Now that was easy wasn't it?

Begin with 10-20 repetitions and work up to 50.

To stabilize your scapula and reduce the strain in your neck and upper shoulders incorporate this movement into your routine 1-2 times per week.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check back next week for more beach volleyball conditioning exercises.

See you on the beach!

Eric Hand, MA, CSCS

Exercise Physiologist and Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Fast Twitch Fitness

"We're all athletes. Some of us are just farther along in our training."

Pictures from crossfitinvictus.com fitnessspotlight.com

Exercise of the Week: Y,T,W,L's

Level: Beginner to Advanced

Specificity: Shoulder stability

Goal: Injury prevention

Equipment: Physioball

This week we'll continue our series on shoulder stability with Y,T,W,L's. Again, our exercise this week is Y,T,W,L's not YMCA--sorry Village People fanatics.

The shoulder joint provides the greatest range of motion of any joint in the human body. Maintaining a healthy shoulder is crucial to success and longevity in volleyball as the shoulder is involved in all the major skills - serving, setting, digging, blocking and hitting. However, frequent use of a joint that provides such a wide range of motion can increase our risk for injury.

Our focus this week is providing a stable base for the shoulder, specifically the rotator cuff, by strengthening the scapulothoracic joint (shoulder blade, rib cage). The anatomy of the scapulothoracic joint can be seen here:

Y,T,W, and L refer to the position of the arms during each movement of this series. Although it may look simple this series is very challenging and beneficial. The start position for each movement is shown here:


Y: Lie with stomach on physioball with knees against ball. With arms relaxed in front of the ball begin by raising arms in front of you at a 45-degree angle so the body and arms form a Y. Aim for long arms and point your thumbs up, think Arthur Fonzarelli. Hey...Perform 8 repetitions and then move on to the T.


T: Lie with stomach on physioball with knees against ball. With arms relaxed in front of the ball begin by raising the arms directly to the side to form, you guessed it, a T with the body and arms. Point you thumbs up as you did in the Y. As you lift your arms retract, or draw your shoulder blades (scapula) together. Perform 8 repetitions and then move on to the W.

W: Lie with stomach on physioball with knees against ball. With arms relaxed in front of the ball bend your arms at the elbow, retract your scapula, rotate your hands back with your thumbs down, pinky fingers up while keeping your elbows tight to your ribs, forming a W. Perform 8 repetitions and then move on to the L.

L: Almost there! Lie with stomach on physioball with knees against ball. With arms relaxed in front of the ball, lift your elbows toward the ceiling and bend your arms so the upper arms are parallel to the floor. You should have a 90-degree angle at your elbows. Retract your scapula and externally rotate your arms until the backs of hands face the ceiling. Perform 8 repetitions and then relax, you deserve it!

Sets/Reps: Begin with 32 total reps (8 for each exercise) with no additional weight. These movements are much harder than they look. After 4 weeks, add 2 repetitions each week until you can complete 16 reps per exercise. At this time, if you have perfected your technique, you can consider trying this series with 1-2 pound dumbbells for 8 reps per movement.

Perform this series once or twice per week for best results.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check back next week for part IV of our series on shoulder stabilization for injury prevention.

See you on the beach!

Eric Hand, MA, CSCS

Exercise Physiologist and Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Fast Twitch Fitness

"We're all athletes. Some of us are just farther along in our training."

Pictures from www.stacktv.com and www.shoulderdoc.co.uk

Exercise of the Week: Subscapularis Stretch

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Specificity: Shoulder stability

Goal: Injury prevention

Muscles Used: Subscapularis, Pectoralis Major, Deltoids

Equipment: Broomstick

This week we'll continue our series on shoulder stability. The shoulder joint provides the greatest range of motion of any joint in the human body. Maintaining a healthy shoulder is crucial to success and longevity in volleyball as the shoulder is involved in all the major skills - serving, setting, digging, blocking and hitting. However, frequent use of a joint that provides such a wide range of motion can increase our risk for injury.

Any program designed to promote the health and longevity of the shoulder should include a balance of strengthening and stretching exercises. For many of us the value of stretching is often overlooked. One of my clients put it best - "stretching is like the flossing of the exercise world, it's something that we know we should do but don't do enough." If it's been a while since you've "flossed" your shoulders, I encourage you to try this weeks exercise.

The anatomy of the shoulder and rotator cuff can be seen here:

Our focus this week will be on maintaining/increasing the range of motion of the internal rotators of the shoulder, including the subscapularis, pectoralis major, and deltoid muscles.

Start position: Stand and hold a broomstick or pole in your left arm.



Place your left arm against your abdomen with your left thumb up, pinky down.

Raise your right arm and reach back to grab the broomstick with your right pinky up, thumb down. The broomstick should rest against the back of your right arm.

Position your right arm so that your upper arm (humerus) is parallel to the ground and your forearm is perpendicular to the ground. You should have a 90 degree angle at the elbow.



With your left hand slowly pull the bottom of the broomstick forward until you feel a gentle stretch along the front of the shoulder and underneath your right shoulder blade (scapula).

Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds and repeat 3-5 times.

Stretching is best performed at the end of a workout after you are thoroughly warmed-up. Include the Subscapularis stretch 2-3 times per week when you get back from the beach and while you're at it, sweep up all that sand you just dragged in!

Thanks for reading and be sure to check back next week for part III of our series on shoulder stabilization for injury prevention.

See you on the beach!

Eric Hand, MA, CSCS

Exercise Physiologist and Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Fast Twitch Fitness

"We're all athletes. Some of us are just farther along in our training."

Exercise pictures from www.floota.com

Exercise of the Week: Side Lying External Rotation

Level: Beginner to Advanced

Specificity: Shoulder stability

Goal: Injury prevention

Muscles Used: Infraspinatus and Teres Minor

This week we'll begin our series on Shoulder Stability. Maintaining a healthy shoulder is crucial to success in volleyball as the shoulder is involved in all of the major skills - serving, setting, digging and hitting. The shoulder joint provides the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body which allows us to perform the skills listed above. However, frequent use of a joint that provides such a wide range of motion can increase our risk of injury.

Our exercise this week is designed to increase the strength of the external rotators of the rotator cuff. The anatomy of the shoulder and rotator cuff can be seen here:

Why spend time to strengthen the small muscles of the rotator cuff? To put it simply, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. When the rotator cuff muscles are weak, the rest of the shoulder complex is put at risk because it now has to take on an unnatural portion of the work.

The good news is a few simple exercises is all it takes to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles. Our first exercise, and one of the most effective strengthening exercises for the rotator cuff, is the Side Lying External Rotation.

Start position: Lie on your right side with a light dumbbell in your left hand.


Begin with your left arm bent 90°, your upper arm held tight against your ribcage and your forearm angled toward the floor.

Gradually rotate your left shoulder so that the forearm travels upwards, away from the floor. Raise the dumbbell as high as you can, without letting your upper arm lose contact with your ribcage.

Slowly return to the starting position. Complete 10 to 12 repetitions. Repeat on the opposite side.

Incorporate strengthening exercises like the Side Lying External Rotation into your conditioning routine once or twice per week for best results.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check back next week for part II of our series on shoulder stabilization for injury prevention.

See you on the beach!

Eric Hand, MA, CSCS

Exercise Physiologist and Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Fast Twitch Fitness

"We're all athletes. Some of us are just farther along in our training."

Exercise pictures from http://stacktv.stack.com/