← EXERCISE LIBRARYMobility
Scapular Push-Up
Plank position with the elbows locked, moving only the shoulder blades. Strengthens the serratus anterior and mid-back, the weak half of the upper cross pattern in desk workers.
- 01Set up in a high plank with the hands under the shoulders and the body in one line, or on the knees to start.
- 02Keep the elbows completely straight for the whole set.
- 03Let the chest sink between the shoulder blades so the blades pinch together.
- 04Push the floor away and spread the shoulder blades apart until the upper back rounds slightly.
- 05Move slowly between the two end positions for eight to twelve repetitions.
- 01Elbows locked — if they bend, it becomes a push-up.
- 02Push the floor away at the top and hold for a count.
- 03Keep the hips level, do not let them dip with the chest.
- 01Bending the elbows — the pecs and triceps take over and the shoulder blades stop moving.
- 02Only doing the top half — the pinch position is where the mid-back actually loads.
- 03Letting the low back sag — the trunk gives out and the range appears at the spine instead of the scapula.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.