SHOULDER RETRACTIONS

Muscle Groups & Movement:

Teres Minor / Posterior Deltoid / Infraspinatus (External Rotation)
Posterior Deltoid (Shoulder Extension)
Trapezius / Rhomboids (Scapular Retraction / Depression)
Triceps (Shoulder / Elbow Extension)
Internal / External Obliques / CAZ (Trunk / Pelvis Stabilisation)
Deep Cervical Flexors (Upper Cervical Flexion
Rotator Cuff (Shoulder Stabilisation)

Springs:

Beginner: Blue (B)
Intermediate: Blue and Yellow (BY)
Advanced: Green (G)

Props:

Long box on the carriage
Ova ball if you are passing between hands.

Setup Position:

Place the long box on the carriage up against the shoulder pads.
Sit on the box facing the straps with both feet resting on the headrest.
Ensure a lengthened and neutral spine, neutral pelvis, shoulders pulled back and down, ribcage low, and CAZ engaged.
Gently pull on the rope creating resistance with the springs to position the arms at the sides of the torso and hips.
Retract the shoulders and press behind, engaging the lower trapezius and rhomboids.
Release the shoulders and return the arms and hands to the side of the hips.

Exercise & Breathing:

Breathe in to prepare and engage CAZ, head tall, chest open
As you breathe out, draw the arms behind you to retract the shoulders, engaging the lower trapezius and rhomboids.

Breathe in to release and return the arms and hands forwards to the side of the body.

Time Goal:

45-90 seconds

Active Observation

Watch Points:

Avoid using the upper traps and lifting the shoulders to the ears, tensing up the neck.
Leaning the body weight backwards when retracting and extending the spine.
Flapping or swinging the arms.
Leading with the arms and not retracting the shoulders.
Jutting the chin forward when retracting.
Relaxed glute muscles resulting in an anterior tilt of the pelvis.
Trying to make the movement too large by initiating it from the arms rather than the shoulder blades and sweeping the hands too far back using momentum.
Not controlling the movement on the way forward, allowing the straps to pull them forward too far.
Hunching the shoulders and tensing the neck, overusing the Upper Trapezius and Levator Scapulae.
Shoulders rounding forward.
Squeezing the shoulder blades too hard and directly toward each other, overusing the Rhomboids rather than gently drawing them down and back.
Letting the Obliques relax, leading to arching the lower back and flaring the ribs.
Leaning forward or backward with the body.
Letting the chin poke out or the head come forward in front of the shoulders.
Looking up or down.
Bending and/or extending the wrists, not keeping them in a neutral position.
Turning the thumbs to face backward, overusing the Latissimus Dorsi, Pectorals, and Internal Rotators.

Alignment Cues:

Initiate the movement by drawing the shoulder blades down and back into a V shape.
Really squeeze the shoulder blades to move the arms, palms sweeping backward.
Draw the ribs toward the hips and use the abdominals as you breathe out to prevent the back from arching.
Keep the CAZ tight and the body still, avoiding any leaning forward or backward.
Keep the elbows straight and reach through the fingers toward the ground.
Keep the chin tucked in and the back of the neck long, with the eye gaze straight ahead.
Lead from the shoulder or elbow rather than the hands to prevent the shoulders from rounding forward.
Sit up tall on the box, lifting through the crown of the head, maintaining a neutral spine.
Ensure that the mid-back is working and not the lower back or the neck.
Maintain a neutral spine, stacking the upper body over the pelvis.
Keep the rib cage flat and low on the body.
Arms should be lengthened with tension on the loops and ropes.
Fingers should point down to the floor, palms facing behind, and hands engaged.
Engage the glutes to stabilise if in a high kneeling position.

Cueing

Verbal Cues:

Engage your core and keep your spine neutral.
Draw your shoulder blades down and back.
Keep your arms long and strong, moving with control.
Maintain a long neck and open chest.
Long open space between ears and shoulders all the time.
Lead the exercise with the shoulders rather than the arms; the arms follow the shoulders.

Visual Cues:

Imagine your shoulders sliding down into your back pockets.
Picture your arms as sturdy columns, only moving from the shoulders.
Visualise squeezing a pencil between in between your shoulder blades.
Imagine a soft plum between your chin and chest and don’t let it go.
Head tall like wearing a crown.
Long spine and waistline like someone is about to lift you from underneath your rib cage.
Imagine a plane of glass pressed up to the front of the body; do not let the arms come any further forward than the hips.
When retracting, create width across the chest and smile with your collarbones.
Squeeze the shoulder blades inwards like trying to squash a blueberry between them.

Tactile Cues:

Lightly press on the lower back to ensure a neutral spine.
Guide the shoulders down and back to prevent hiking.
Use your thumb and rude finger to squeeze their scapula together.
Gently pull their hair up vertical if they are poking their chin out.
Long fingers like you are trying to touch and sweep the carriage.

Modifications/Regressions:

Sit on ankles.
Sit cross-legged.
Use a lighter spring.
Hold the long loops.

Advancements/Progressions:

Remove box and perform in kneeling position.
Slower movement.
External rotation of the shoulder and arms when retracting.
Isometric hold in retraction.
Use a heavier spring.
Coordinate low to high kneeling with retractions (if kneeling).
High kneeling away from the shoulder pads.
Passing a ball or dumbbell from hand to hand each time the hands meet in front of the body or behind the body.

Remind & Repeat:

Breathe out through your mouth as you draw the arms behind you, then breathe in through your nose as you release the arms forward.

Links Well With:

Bicep Curls
Reverse Flys
Back Rowing
Seated Tricep Extensions

What To Do If Your Client Feels Pain / Discomfort:

If your client is experiencing lower back pain, ensure their lower back remains neutral by keeping the CAZ and abdominals tight; use foam pads or adjust leg positioning if needed. Cue for a more anterior pelvic tilt if slouching occurs and maintain a tall posture. Focus on exhaling to engage the abdominals and prevent rocking. Ensure proper activation of the Lower Trapezius and Rhomboids by touching the muscles to facilitate and reset as needed.
Relax the shoulders and neck, keep the shoulder blades down and back with the chin tucked, and adjust springs if needed.
If your client is experiencing knee pain, make sure they sit on the box, don’t have them kneeling.
If your client is experiencing shoulder pain, reduce the range of motion, and keep the arms very close to the body. Focus on keeping the shoulders down and back; reduce the springs if necessary and switch to alternative exercises if pain persists.
If your client is experiencing hand or wrist pain, ensure the wrists are straight, use a different grip (closed fists), and utilize wrist straps if needed.

Can This Exercise Be Performed During Pregnancy?

This exercise is generally safe throughout all three trimesters of pregnancy.
However, due to potential balance issues, it’s advisable to avoid kneeling and instead sit on the box for added stability.
In the second and third trimesters, reduce the springs to lessen the demand on the abdominals for stabilization.
If your client experiences any abdominal or pubic bone discomfort, it is best to avoid this exercise.

Programming Tips:

Ensure the client is comfortable with basic reformer strap work exercises before attempting.
Ensure clients maintain control over the movement of their arms, avoiding extending them too far back, as the straps might pull them forward, potentially leading to falls or injuries.
This exercise can be challenging for those with neck or shoulder issues, so always have an alternative exercise ready for such clients. Many clients can manage neck discomfort by pausing frequently and resetting their Lower Trapezius after a few repetitions.
Emphasise the importance of core engagement and alignment.
Best performed after a warm-up to activate the muscles.

An Example Of Putting It Altogether…

We move onto shoulder retractions. This targets your rhomboids, traps, lats and shoulder stabilisers. For beginners, use 1 Blue spring, intermediates A Blue & Yellow and advanced, go with Green. Begin seated on a long box with your feet resting on the headrest. Hands go through the short loops, wrap around and grab hold of the straps above the D-ring then place them just in front of your hips. Breathe in & engage your CAZ, lift up through your spine, head tall. As you breathe out, draw your hands past your hips behind you as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Breathe in as you release the squeeze and slowly draw the arms forward and breathe out to draw those hands back again arms straight. For our experienced clients who want a challenge, let’s progress this to kneeling. In 30 seconds, we will transition to a back row in 10, 9, 8…

Countdown & Pre-cue

In 10 seconds, we will transition to a back row where you will breathe out and draw the hands in a row to finish beside your chest, elbows behind you and breathe in as you release the straps forward. 10 seconds to go. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and as you breathe out, pull those arms back in a row. Breathe in to release and control the carriage forward. 30 seconds to go.

Breathe In

Breathe Out

Ending the Exercise

As you breathe in, bring the arms back to the starting position slowly and with control.
Make sure the carriage touches the stopper before you reconnect the straps, then you can safely move off the Reformer.
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