"Hunched" Shoulders - Exercises Please !

[sandra_j]

Hi Cathe,

I am 36, quite fit (thanks to you), but my shoulders are quite rounded forward. No matter how hard I try to push them back, they still are rounded. When I try to push them back and down, it feels very unnatural and they do not look straight even then.

My dad, grandfather & great aunt all have a "dowager's hump" (for lack of a better explanation). I have recently been diagnosed with osteopenia and am taking Fosamax. I have seen several specialists, I see a chiropractor almost weekly because I have scoliosis and several chronic painful spots, plus I visit a massage therapist once a month. No one has been able to tell me how to address my shoulders. It's like my chest really needs to expand and my shoulders need to relocate to the back of my body.

I use Pure Strength series regulary & am just about to start your Slow & Heavy (I also have BodyMax, MIC, MIS & want to order Power Hour & CTX). I also run 3 times per week (4 miles each time).

Are there any specific exercises you can recommend to loosen the chest muscles to let the shoulders "unround"?

I really welcome your response, as you are my idol in fitness (seriously). I just don't know where else to turn for this problem, and I am not willing to accept the "stooped" look at the prime of my life. I have 3 kids, am active, and want to be healthy and attractive.

Thanks, Cathe!

Sandra

PS: And so many congratulations on your pregnancy! I posted a congrats to that thread, as well. You really are great and an unbeatable role model.

 

[boxermk]

Hi, though I am by no means an expert and certantly not Cathe, I did recently read that if you overdo chest excercises such as the bench press without balancing it out with back excercises as well as chest stretches before and after you do the excercises, your chest muscles may actually pull your shoulders in. It is necessary to really stretch out your chest, and perform maybe a warmup set of pushups or light bench presses before you actually start training. Still, what you have may be genetic, so even though you are in great shape and in good health (thanks in a large part to Cathe's excellent workouts!) this may not be enough. I hoped this helps a little and remember, I really am not qualified to say much since I'm only a home excerciser and only saw this information in a magazine.
Best of luck!
boxermk

 

[kathryn]

Rear shoulder raises (bent over at table top position or 45-degrees) and rhomboid pinches (same position, heavy weights, squeze the shoulder blades together, ie: back) are two good exercises for improving posture.