T-back squeeze with band
- Thread starter Bunbun
- Start date
endorphin_junkie
Cathlete
You could try bending over with a weight in your hand as you would for a one arm row but, instead of pulling back with your elbow, relax your scapulae so that it falls farther away from the spine and then feel the resistance of the weight as you approximate the scapulae to the spine. Do this in a slow and controlled manner (as always
) and you should start to feel it in the rhomboids. With the band you could do the T-back squeeze but leave the elbows still and do the same movement between the scapulae bilaterally opening and closing the space between the scap and spine using the resistance of the band. I'm tempted to get up and try a few to see if it makes sense but it's late and I'm definitely in low gear tonight. I'll try a few in the morning.
Take Care
Laurie
) and you should start to feel it in the rhomboids. With the band you could do the T-back squeeze but leave the elbows still and do the same movement between the scapulae bilaterally opening and closing the space between the scap and spine using the resistance of the band. I'm tempted to get up and try a few to see if it makes sense but it's late and I'm definitely in low gear tonight. I'll try a few in the morning.Take Care
Laurie
Hrm...still seem to feel it a lot with my shoulder if I try it with a weight. Seems to be hard to just isolate the rhomboids. I have a medium resistance (green) band. I can feel it just in my rhomboids and not the pecs or shoulders if I sit here and practice the t-back squeeze without the band , especially if I start out the exercise with my arms more out to the side and not so in front of my body--so maybe I need to muck around with my positioning when I use the band. I like the idea of leaving the elbows stationary.
kathryn
Cathlete
Your pecs? That's odd. SHoulders I can see.
I'd first start doing the move with no weights, to learn to really focus in on the rhomboids. Seated, widen your back and chest, then with almost-straight arms, bring your elbows back by pinching the rhomboids around your spine. Think of pinching a pencil there so it won't drop. Make sure the movement comes from the back and not from the arm movement. YOu should be able to get a nice contraction (at least eventually) of the rhomboids this way, without any stress on the chest or shoulders. This can be a good rhomboid exercise on its own, even with no added resistance, if you really concentrate on the pinch, and hold it for a couple of counts, then release slowly.
When you've got the move isolated to that muscle group, you can add the band, still keeping all the form pointers in mind, pulling with the back and lettiing the arms just follow along.
I'd first start doing the move with no weights, to learn to really focus in on the rhomboids. Seated, widen your back and chest, then with almost-straight arms, bring your elbows back by pinching the rhomboids around your spine. Think of pinching a pencil there so it won't drop. Make sure the movement comes from the back and not from the arm movement. YOu should be able to get a nice contraction (at least eventually) of the rhomboids this way, without any stress on the chest or shoulders. This can be a good rhomboid exercise on its own, even with no added resistance, if you really concentrate on the pinch, and hold it for a couple of counts, then release slowly.
When you've got the move isolated to that muscle group, you can add the band, still keeping all the form pointers in mind, pulling with the back and lettiing the arms just follow along.
kathryn
Cathlete
>That works--can feel it that way. I think the problem is that
>the band is too much resistance for a muscle group I really
>haven't worked on before. Got to get a lighter one, once I'm
>used to doing it without the band.
>
>Thanks for all the help!
Sounds like a plan! It's tough to work those smaller groups that we usually don't work: too easy for other muscle groups to take over if we go too heavy on the weights.
>the band is too much resistance for a muscle group I really
>haven't worked on before. Got to get a lighter one, once I'm
>used to doing it without the band.
>
>Thanks for all the help!
Sounds like a plan! It's tough to work those smaller groups that we usually don't work: too easy for other muscle groups to take over if we go too heavy on the weights.