Rolling a Shoulder in Pushups

When performing pushups, your shoulder joint and shoulder girdle should remain stable. If you find that your shoulder is rolling, either on the descent or ascent phase of the pushup, you need to take a look at your technique. This is commonly known as a winging scapular, which can be caused by instability or weakness around the muscles and joints.

  1. The Scapular Scenario

    • The scapular is your shoulder girdle, or shoulder blade. When doing pushups, the scapular should remain relatively stable. In the bottom position, your shoulder blades should come together in a position known as scapular retraction, and at the top, they should move apart in a position known as scapular protraction. This free motion is vital for shoulder health, notes strength coach Eric Cressey. Trouble arises, however, when your shoulder blades excessively retract or protract, making it look like your shoulder girdle is rolling.

    Keep Your Form

    • Shoulder rolling can be exacerbated with a number of other common technique errors. These include jutting your head toward the floor, letting your abs hang loose so your lower back sags and performing pushups with a limited range of motion, according to trainer Tony Gentilcore. To fix these, Gentilcore recommends keeping your chin tucked in, bracing your glutes and abs and keeping your hands at about shoulder-width apart.

    Still Winging It?

    • If fixing your technique flaws doesn't stop your rolling shoulders and fix your scapular winging, there may be other underlying issues that need to be addressed. The most common cause is likely to be paralysis of the serratus anterior muscle, according to a report by Ryan Martin and David Fish of the Department of Orthopaedics, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of California, Los Angeles. This can be caused either by a blunt trauma or a non-traumatic injury to your long thoracic nerve, which can be brought on by viral infections and even allergic reactions. If you suspect any of these are at play, visit your health care provider immediately.

    The Solution: Get Stronger

    • Strengthening the muscles around your scapular and upper back can help stop your shoulder from rolling. The most effective moves for this are ones that involve scapular retraction. Perform band pull-aparts daily to strengthen these muscles. Grab a resistance band with a shoulder-width grip and hold it at arms length. Then, pull your hands apart until the band hits your chest. Keep your elbows straight throughout and perform 25 repetitions each morning and evening using a light band. Regular back exercises, such as dumbbell or cable rows, also work the scapular stabilizers, so include these in two workouts every week. Perform sets of eight to 12 reps, focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together on each one. Keep performing pushups during this time if you can, concentrating on your technique and have a training partner assess your form and degree of shoulder roll.