This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in March of 2023. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWGGvsXs8rY
Mike: Do you suffer from shoulder pain, upper trap pain, or even headaches?
Brad: Believe it or not, it may be from a weak middle trap. We’re going to show you four simple and easy exercises to alleviate this, just like that.
Mike: We have found this one muscle, in particular, to be weak, even in weightlifters.
Brad: Yeah, so the job for this muscle is to pull the scapula into position. If it gets weak, it can actually wing out like this, as well as drop-down like this. In both of those situations, it can cause shoulder pain, neck pain, and even headaches, because it stretches out the levator scapulae muscle. So anyway, we need to get after this muscle, and it’s not very hard.
Brad: Alright, there are four different options to strengthen that middle trap. We’re going to show you all four. Try each one. Do the one that works best for you. I think you’ll get it once you actually try it. The position that you’re going to assume is lying prone or on your stomach. You’re going to put a pillow down. This could be done in a bed, probably best on a floor with carpet. Put a pillow under the head so you’re comfortable. Now this is important, your arms are going to be down t your sides, palms up towards the ceiling. Now Bob’s going to squeeze his shoulder blades together. You can see those middle traps are moving that shoulder blade in.
Brad: Okay let’s go back down and we’ll go through this step by step. Okay, the first thing you’re going to do is elevate both shoulders up. Squeeze them in. Now, if the right is the involved side or the sore side, the good side you’re going to relax, and you’re going to the right shoulder up for three breaths. And you’ll just relax and hold that, and you’ll feel the muscles fatigue. When you get done with the three breaths, down we go. All right, that’s the first one. Now, we’ll go to the second.
Mike: If exercise one seemed easy to you to progress, here’s exercise two. We’re going to do the same thing; except we’re just going to pick one side and do that. Bob is lifting his shoulder up and he’s going to hold it for three seconds. Make sure to go straight up, don’t bring your arm down during it, or up either. Keep your hand on the mat the entire time you’re doing this. Hold it for three breaths each time and do a total of five reps.
Brad: Alright, if that second option is still too easy, you need to advance it with a little more difficulty, simply do this. Bob’s going to pull up and bring the shoulder blade in and then lift up this hand one or two inches from the floor. And again, hold it for three breaths, relax, and do those five times.
Mike: And the fourth progression is a similar concept, so Bob’s going to lift the arm up off the ground. He’s going to turn his knuckles up towards the ceiling first, slightly bend the elbow, and then he is going to oscillate and do little circles. He’s going to do 10 repetitions in a clockwise fashion and then he will switch to a counterclockwise fashion for 10 repetitions. How easy is this for you? Bob says it’s hard.
Brad: All right, so you’re going to find which exercise is right for you. Do it every day, at least five to six times per week, and you’ll notice after a week or two that the shoulder blade starts to feel stronger, and then good things will happen. So once again, what can we say?
Mike: Be a good neighbor and be healthful.
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