Sitting Scapular Adduction
Sitting Scapular Adduction Exercise Description
Sitting Scapular Adduction is a seated drill that practices drawing the shoulder blades toward the spine (scapular adduction/retraction) with slight depression. It primarily engages the middle trapezius and rhomboids, with assistance from the lower trapezius for controlled downward glide. Performed with a tall, neutral spine and relaxed arms, it reinforces scapulothoracic control without loading the shoulders. Many people also notice a gentle “opening” across the front of the shoulders and chest when the upper arms are slightly externally rotated. The focus is precise shoulder-blade motion: glide them medially and slightly down without shrugging, craning the neck, flaring the ribs, or arching the low back.
- Muscle Groups: Back, Traps
- Target Muscles: Rhomboid Major, Rhomboid Minor, Trapezius - Middle Fibers
- Assisting Muscles: Trapezius - Lower Fibers
- Stabilizing Muscles: Iliocostalis, Multifidus, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Back, Mid Back, Upper Back
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Stretching
- Functional Grouping: Scapular Retractors
- Joint Involvement: Single-joint
- Muscle Location: Mid Traps, Upper Back
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Sitting Scapular Adduction Exercise
‘- Sit tall near the front of a chair, feet flat and knees bent about 90°, pelvis neutral.
– Stack ribs over pelvis; maintain a long spine and slight chin tuck (neutral cervical alignment).
– Let arms rest at your sides with elbows bent ~90°; rotate thumbs outward to lightly externally rotate the shoulders.
– Inhale to grow tall through the crown of your head without lifting the ribs.
– Exhale and glide your shoulder blades toward the spine (scapular adduction), adding a small downward slide toward the “back pockets.”
– Keep shoulders away from ears; avoid shrugging or pressing the ribs forward.
– Maintain elbows by your sides; do not pull with the hands or arch the low back.
– Stop at a comfortable end range where you feel mid‑back engagement and the chest opens naturally.
– Briefly pause while breathing smoothly; neck stays long and jaw relaxed.
– Release with control, letting the shoulder blades return to neutral without collapsing into a rounded posture.
– Reset posture and repeat only as long as you can maintain smooth, controlled scapular motion.
Sitting Scapular Adduction Tips
‘- Sit near the front of the chair with feet flat, knees at about 90°, and pelvis neutral before you start.
– Stack your ribs over your pelvis and keep a long spine with a slight chin tuck.
– Let your arms rest by your sides with elbows bent around 90°, then turn your thumbs outward to gently externally rotate the shoulders.
– Inhale to “grow tall” through the crown of your head without lifting or flaring the ribs.
– On the exhale, glide your shoulder blades toward your spine and slightly down toward your “back pockets.”
– Keep your shoulders away from your ears the whole time; avoid shrugging as you retract.
– Maintain your elbows by your sides and avoid pulling with your hands or arching your low back.
– Move only to a comfortable end range where you feel mid‑back engagement and a natural opening across the chest.
– Release the shoulder blades back to neutral with control, keeping the spine long and avoiding a rounded posture.
Sitting Scapular Adduction Beginner Introduction
Sitting Scapular Adduction is a seated posture drill that highlights how the shoulder blades glide on the ribcage without stressing the joints. From an upright, relaxed sitting position with the arms resting by the sides, the movement centers on sliding the shoulder blades inward toward the spine with a gentle downward component. This action emphasizes the muscles through the middle of the upper back, with help from the lower part of the traps, so the work is felt between and slightly below the shoulders rather than in the neck.
Because the spine stays tall and the arms remain passive, the exercise trains coordination between the shoulder blades and ribcage instead of relying on arm strength. A subtle outward rotation of the upper arms often creates a comfortable sense of space through the front of the shoulders and chest. The theme is precise, smooth motion: the blades travel inward and slightly down while the neck stays long, the ribs stay quiet, and the low back maintains its natural curve. This makes the drill especially useful for building awareness of shoulder positioning in everyday sitting.