Scapular Protraction: Understanding, Benefits, and Pressing Techniques

How do you press up scapular protraction?

Pressing up with scapular protraction involves actively pushing your shoulder blades away from your spine, engaging the serratus anterior muscle, particularly at the top of a pressing movement like a push-up or bench press, to enhance shoulder stability and range of motion.

Understanding Scapular Protraction

Scapular protraction is a fundamental movement of the shoulder blade (scapula) where it moves anteriorly and laterally around the rib cage, effectively moving away from the spine. This action is crucial for various upper body movements, particularly pressing exercises. While often overlooked, proper scapular control, including protraction, is vital for shoulder health, stability, and maximizing force production.

Key Muscle Involved: The primary muscle responsible for scapular protraction is the serratus anterior. Often referred to as the "boxer's muscle," it originates from the upper eight or nine ribs and inserts along the medial border of the scapula. Its unique fiber orientation allows it to pull the scapula forward around the chest wall, contributing significantly to dynamic shoulder stability and upward rotation of the scapula during overhead movements.

Why Incorporate Scapular Protraction into Pressing?

Integrating controlled scapular protraction into your pressing movements offers several benefits:

• Enhanced Shoulder Stability: The serratus anterior acts as a crucial stabilizer, preventing "winging" of the scapula and maintaining proper alignment of the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint.
• Increased Range of Motion: Actively protracting at the top of a press allows for a greater "reach" or extension, fully engaging the pressing muscles and maximizing the range of motion.
• Improved Force Transfer: A stable and mobile scapula ensures efficient transfer of force from the torso and limbs through the shoulder joint.
• Injury Prevention: Strengthening the serratus anterior and practicing controlled scapular movement can help prevent common shoulder issues like impingement and rotator cuff injuries.
• Functional Strength: Many daily activities and sports movements (e.g., punching, pushing open a heavy door) involve active protraction.

How to "Press Up" with Scapular Protraction

The concept of "pressing up" with scapular protraction refers to the active forward movement of the shoulder blades, particularly at the end range of a pressing exercise. This is often described as "reaching" or "punching" through the top of the movement.

The Push-Up Plus

The Push-Up Plus is the quintessential exercise for training scapular protraction in a pressing context. It specifically targets the serratus anterior.

• Starting Position: Assume a standard push-up position with hands directly under your shoulders, body in a straight line from head to heels.
• Descent (Standard Push-Up): Lower your chest towards the floor, maintaining a rigid core, until your chest is about an inch or two from the ground.
• Ascent (Standard Push-Up): Push through your hands to extend your elbows and return to the top of the push-up position.
• The "Plus" (Scapular Protraction): Once your elbows are fully extended, without bending your elbows further, actively push your hands into the floor as if trying to push your upper back towards the ceiling. You should feel your shoulder blades spread apart and your chest rise slightly as your body moves an inch or two further away from the floor. This is the protraction phase.
• Controlled Return: Slowly allow your shoulder blades to retract slightly to return to the neutral top of the push-up before beginning the next repetition.

Integrating into Other Pressing Movements

While the Push-Up Plus is the most direct application, the principle of scapular protraction can be applied to other pressing exercises:

• Bench Press: At the very top of the bench press, after full elbow extension, allow a slight, controlled protraction of the scapulae. This means you're not just locking out your elbows but actively pushing the bar slightly further away from you by engaging your serratus anterior. This is a subtle movement, especially with heavy loads, where stability remains paramount.
• Dumbbell Press (Flat/Incline): Similar to the bench press, at the top of the movement, you can achieve a slight, controlled protraction, allowing the dumbbells to move an inch or two further apart and higher.
• Cable Press/Punch: Cable presses are excellent for feeling protraction because the continuous tension allows for a more fluid and controlled "reach" at the end of the movement, mimicking a punching motion.

Coaching Cues for Scapular Protraction

• "Push the floor away from you." (For push-ups)
• "Reach for the ceiling." (For push-ups)
• "Punch through the top." (For any pressing movement)
• "Spread your shoulder blades apart."
• "Feel your upper back round slightly."

Common Mistakes and Considerations

• Excessive Lumbar Flexion: Do not compensate for lack of scapular protraction by rounding your lower back. Maintain core stability.
• Elbow Bend: The "plus" in the Push-Up Plus occurs after full elbow extension. Do not re-bend your elbows during the protraction phase.
• Loss of Control: Protraction should be a controlled, deliberate movement, not a collapse.
• Over-reliance on Protraction: While important, it's crucial to understand that the scapula also needs to retract and depress during the eccentric (lowering) phase of pressing movements. The scapula should move dynamically throughout the entire range of motion, not just protract. For very heavy lifts, maintaining a slightly retracted and depressed scapular position for maximum stability might be preferred over full protraction at lockout.
• Ignoring Full Scapular Rhythm: The scapula moves in complex ways (protraction, retraction, elevation, depression, upward rotation, downward rotation). Focusing solely on protraction without considering the full rhythm can be detrimental. Ensure you train all scapular movements.

Progression and Regression

• Regression (Easier):
  • Kneeling Push-Up Plus: Perform the Push-Up Plus from your knees.
  • Wall Push-Up Plus: Perform against a wall, reducing the load.
  • Scapular Push-Ups: Focus only on the protraction/retraction movement from the top push-up position, without the full push-up.
• Progression (Harder):
  • Elevated Feet Push-Up Plus: Increases the load.
  • Weighted Push-Up Plus: Add a weight plate to your upper back.
  • Single-Arm Cable Press: Challenges stability and protraction dynamically.

Conclusion

Incorporating controlled scapular protraction into your pressing exercises, particularly through movements like the Push-Up Plus, is a highly effective way to strengthen the serratus anterior, improve shoulder stability, enhance your range of motion, and build more robust, functional pressing strength. By understanding the mechanics and actively cueing this often-neglected movement, you can optimize your training and safeguard your shoulder health for the long term.