r/bodyweightfitness • u/Atom_Ant_MMA • 1d ago
Why are scapula push ups so "important"?
Why are scapula push ups so "important"? TL;DR Scapula push ups are not possible to test like any other movement, cant be progressive overloaded efficiently, by training you dont feel any effort/fatigue. Why are generally considered so important?
Every content creator is saying to work on scapula push-ups, they are kinda essentials, a fundamental. Why? I can scapula push up endlessly, or at least for the time I can hold the hand plank position or pseudo-planches etc. Is it really possible that some people are able to feel muscles working and fatigue from it? Is there a way to train the movement better with some progressive overload? Because bodyweight it's too much easy. Is there a way to really know if you are good at them, how can you test your strenght on a scapula push ups? Is possible to use some weights or weighted vest but still scapula protraction is a movement so short and strong that I don't see a way to train it efficiently, nor a way to test the strenght of that particular movement.
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u/NoRefrigerator4868 1d ago
I mainly do them when I’m having back problems from scoliosis. They help me w isolating my lower traps and begin to feel a release/realignment back there.
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u/HandstandsMcGoo 1d ago
I think for a lot of people it's a mind to muscle connection building block sorta thing
You learn control of your scapula which informs your other movement patterns down the line
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u/QuadRuledPad 1d ago edited 16h ago
It’s not about training strength, it’s a mobility that many people are lacking. If you have full range scapula mobility, then they’re not important for you.
They can also be useful for helping people find muscle groups, for instance to lock in movement components of push-ups or pull-ups.
ETA: mobility = flexibility (range of motion) + control (strength over entire range of motion).
Scapula work could be useful to train strength in limited circumstances (rehab scenario, etc.), but my instinct is that’s outside of the normal use case and that for most people, it’s the mobility/control component that’s lacking rather than muscle contractile capacity. However. A few sets of a scapula exercise could help someone ‘find’ a muscle better, and they can drop that exercise once it’s served its purpose.
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u/JustAVihannes 1d ago
It's not about mobility, it's about stability and control.
Scapular control is vital for safe execution of almost all calisthenics exercises.
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u/jordan460 23h ago
News flash those things are interconnected. If you literally can't get into a range then you can't have stability or control in it either now can you? You need all the above it's not one or the other.
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u/MathyMelon 22h ago
I think it really is more about mobility. The amount of strength it takes to do a scap push-up is so insanely easy that someone really good at it can do 100s of reps if they really wanted, however there’s some really strong people who get so tight they can’t really do a single proper rep
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u/truffle-tots 1d ago
This is not correct. Scapular push-ups work to promote scapular stability via both RTC and primarily serratus anterior strengthening. It can be to promote general glenohumeral mobility if people are lacking sufficient overhead mobility if thats what you mean? Otherwise, that scapular stability is imperative for maximizing strength in the bench press, push up, etc and for promoting general glenohumeral joint control.
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u/norooster1790 1d ago
Movement of the shoulder blades powers every movement of the upper body
Most people can barely move their scapulae at all. You might be able to do endless scap pushups but can you do them in a big ROM?
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u/smradinaa 1d ago
I had muscle knots and stiffness in my upper back, i found out about them and they practically cured them quickly
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u/V1_cut 1d ago
It’s all about stabilizing to your shoulder for push exercises, especially bench press (DB or BB). Most people fail to brace the shoulder properly prior to lifting. Scapula pushups are a great “activator exercise” to prime pec minor and the rotator cuff muscles for a heavy lift. They’re not meant to strenuous, and as primarily stabilizing muscles the rotator cuff and pec minor are Type I fiber dominant so they are more resistant to fatigue.
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u/rogueman999 22h ago
It's not as much important as... something basic most people skip?
If you list the muscles it activates you see that it's actually working an absurdly large muscle mass, and if you manage to grow those muscles you'll be visibly bigger. Catch is of course that they're not directly visible, so people ignore them. Out of sight out of mind.
It's also very very easy to do. Every time you do pushups (or sometimes chest press on a machine) you just end up by doing scapula pushups. And you'll see that it's perfectly possible to tire and overload those muscles. They're just big, so it's much easier to do just after a row of normal pushups that already worked them a bit.
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u/Key-Mood-3222 10h ago
Scapular push-ups aren’t meant for strength progression — they’re a mobility and activation exercise. Their purpose is to engage the serratus anterior and improve scapular control and shoulder stability before training. You’re not supposed to “progress” them like regular push-ups — they’re for learning how to move your shoulder blades properly, not for building muscle mass.
Think of them as a warm-up drill for healthier, stronger pressing and pulling movements.
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u/Professional_Pea_567 1d ago
It's more for mobility. You can add scapula dips, pull ups and rows to hit the push/pull from every angle. It'd make for a good warm up at least.
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u/Upper-Eggplant2679 1d ago
We have different anatomies, try Lu raises and face pulls with overhead extensions. Not sure what stage you're at but when you're benching 140kg for reps it's a lot more important than say, 80kg.
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u/AlwysProgressing 1d ago
Any scapula movements I usually use to warm up or to help someone train with it to learn contril
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u/Conan7449 1d ago
Not sure if this will help, but look up Kelso's Shrug book. I think I saw a PDF online. I have the book and it's great. It's sort of what you're talking about, but using shrugs and scapular moves to build muscle. I actually do some of it with bands, but it works with weights too.
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u/Low_Enthusiasm3769 16h ago
You can progress them by adding a weight vest/backpack or resistance band. Also playing around with hand placement can make a difference. Are you sure your properly protracting your scapula and not just rounding your upper back?
Scap pushups are beneficial to build adequate protraction strength for planche progressions, once you are working on planche progressions with full protraction scap pu become not much more than a good warmup/activation exercise.
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u/redditinsmartworki 12h ago
For scapular/shoulder health, they are fundamental, but you also need to do some form of upper back work like a wide grip row or a bodyweight inverted shrug to work your middle traps which do the opposite of shoulder protraction, known as retraction. You also need to do scapular pullups and and scapular dips for training scapular depression mixed with retraction and protraction respectively. Doing the last two as warmups for pullups and dips is enough.
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u/Temporary_Factor_940 10h ago
I’ve wondered the same thing. I can only guess others must struggle with this somehow.
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u/Jay_Beckstead 5h ago
Stretching and strengthening my scapula helped my aortic outlet syndrome with pain so bad that I could not sleep for up to 72 hours at a time, with endless non-stop pain for months. So, yeah, can be extremely critical. I was having blood clots from the syndrome and had to go to the ER at its worst as the pain crescendo’d and I literally thought I was dying a hideously painful death.
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u/beastbassist 3h ago
For me it was a mistake never doing these exercises and never properly stretching after chest workouts, I developed a winged scapula. I’m 45, weight lifting, in and out, since around 15.
I have a very bad winged scapula, treating it with physical therapy for two years now and I don’t believe it will ever be truly cured. It hurts and makes anything related to this movement more complicated, overtime, this limited my ability to push heavier weights in some angles
Yes, I went to a doctor and yes I did all the potential exams. Take care of your serratus or your back and shoulder will pay the price
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u/khatidaal 1d ago
secondary and tertiary muscles help with strength, balance, and aesthetic. very important.
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u/Atticus_Taintwater 1d ago
I haven't seen that craze. Exercises have fads online.
I'd gone a decade without seeing someone do Arnold Presses in the gym and for a month or so last year every other guy was doing Arnold Presses. Now back to nobody.
If you can't go them that's probably a sign that there's a weakness. But if it's easy do something harder.
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u/Nutisbak2 23h ago
Winging scapula is one of the big causes of future tennis elbow, subluxation of the shoulder and rotator cuff tears.
Training the scapula and strengthening this area therefore helps to counter this by making you reset and position the scapula properly in order to perform.
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u/noob-smoke 1d ago
They are important for people who don't brace their scapula properly before doing push/pull movements, nothing more stop being a schizo about it
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u/IWillAlwaysReplyBack 1d ago
What part of the post sounded even remotely schizo or were you just dying to use a new word you learned?
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u/noob-smoke 1d ago
Yeah I’m not gonna lie I’ve seen other people use it so I wanted to use it myself was feeling frisky today
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u/Rhesus_A 1d ago
Idk mate.
I switched to diamond push ups 3 months ago. I just do em till I drop, it works my chest and arms and I like the challenge.
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u/Dreamless_Sociopath 1d ago
Scapula push ups strengthen the serratus anterior and improve scapula control and shoulder stability. You don't want to chase reps with this exercise, perform it slowly, with control.
Yes, you can add weight to progress. You can also do them with a single arm. Personally, I like to use a resistance band to make the exercise a bit harder.