Sitting Scapular Adduction
Sitting Scapular Adduction Exercise Description
Sitting Scapular Adduction is a bodyweight drill that teaches precise shoulder‑blade control while you maintain an upright, neutral spine. The movement is scapular retraction with slight depression—drawing the shoulder blades toward the spine and gently down—without using the arms or arching the lower back. Primary emphasis is on the middle trapezius and rhomboids; the lower trapezius assists, while the rotator cuff and posterior shoulder musculature stabilize the glenohumeral joint. This reinforces shoulder positioning used in rowing and other pulling patterns and builds motor control before adding external load. Because motion occurs at the scapulothoracic joint, the elbows and hands remain quiet and the chest opens only slightly as the scapulae approximate. Use a smooth, controlled range and keep the neck long and ribs stacked over the pelvis for clean mechanics.
- Muscle Groups: Back, Traps
- Target Muscles: Rhomboid Major, Rhomboid Minor, Trapezius - Middle Fibers
- Assisting Muscles: Trapezius - Lower Fibers
- Stabilizing Muscles: Deltoid - Posterior, Infraspinatus, Subscapularis, Supraspinatus, Teres Minor
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Back, Mid Back, Upper Back
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Scapular Retractors
- Joint Involvement: Single-joint
- Muscle Location: Mid Traps, Upper Back
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Sitting Scapular Adduction Exercise
‘- Sit tall on a bench or chair, feet flat and hip‑width, ribs stacked over pelvis, neutral spine.
– Bend elbows to 90 degrees, upper arms at your sides, forearms forward, palms facing each other.
– Set shoulders “down and back” lightly: depress them away from the ears without arching your back.
– Initiate the movement by sliding the shoulder blades toward the spine (scapular adduction/retraction).
– Keep elbows pinned to your ribs; avoid pulling with the arms or squeezing them behind you.
– Maintain a relaxed neck with a slight chin tuck; do not jut the chin forward.
– Stop when the chest opens slightly and tension is felt between the shoulder blades—no shrugging.
– Return with control by allowing the blades to glide apart (protraction) without rounding the upper back.
– Breathe steadily; keep torso still and movement isolated to the scapulae.
– Move only through a comfortable, pain‑free range of motion.
Sitting Scapular Adduction Tips
‘- Sit tall with feet flat, ribs stacked over your pelvis, and maintain a neutral spine.
– Lightly set the shoulders “down and back” by depressing them away from your ears without arching your back.
– Initiate the movement by sliding your shoulder blades toward your spine, not by moving your arms.
– Keep your elbows pinned to your ribs so the forearms and hands stay quiet.
– Maintain a relaxed neck with a slight chin tuck; avoid jutting your chin forward.
– Stop when your chest opens only slightly and you feel tension between the shoulder blades, with no shrugging.
– Return with control by letting the shoulder blades glide apart without rounding your upper back.
– Keep your torso still and focus on moving only at the scapulae while breathing steadily.
– Move only through a comfortable, pain‑free range of motion.
Sitting Scapular Adduction Beginner Introduction
Sitting Scapular Adduction is a seated bodyweight drill that highlights how the shoulder blades glide on the ribcage while the torso stays tall and steady. It is performed in an upright position on a bench or chair, with the upper arms close to the sides and the elbows bent, so the movement centers on the shoulder blades rather than the arms. As the blades slide closer together and slightly downward, the upper back muscles between them take on most of the work, with help from the lower part of the back and the small stabilizers around the shoulders.
Because the motion happens around the shoulder blades, the elbows and hands largely stay in place and the chest changes position only mildly. The neck remains long and relaxed while the ribcage stays balanced over the hips, encouraging clean, efficient alignment. This drill resembles the shoulder position used in rowing and other pulling actions, making it useful for learning precise control and stability before adding weighted pulling exercises.