Also, just a heads-up that Pete Dupuis and I also ran some live Q&As on the business of fitness on my Facebook page last week. We plan to do more in the future, but in the meantime, you can check this week's recordings below:
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Hey Eric,
I have question about a possible issue I’m having when doing overhead presses. I’m getting some “rib flare” at the top of the movement (lockout), but very little if any lumbar extension. I seem to be able to control my hips and low back from going into extension pretty well, but its quite difficult and requires alot of conscious effort to keep my ribs down. As far as I can tell my thoracic spine mobility is pretty good( I pass the back to wall shoulder flexion test, keeping my low back flat and head in contact with the wall. And also checking myself in minor when doing ohp, my t spine looks pretty good (not to rounded). It’s almost as if my lower core strength is good but upper core not so much. Do u think I’m ready to overhead press? I definitely feel my core working alot during the movement, just I can see some rib flare at the lockout. Any exercises u can recommend that may help with this?
Edit: and also forgot to mention that my shoulder flexion during the overhead press is good I’m pretty sure, as I can get my shoulders/arms behind and in line with my ears with neutral head position.
Without seeing a video, it sounds like what you described is scapular hypermobility. When you have some sort of restriction in one or multiple muscle groups around the shoulders, your body will often compensate by bringing more posterior tilt to the scapula in order to bring the weight overhead. Check your pecs and lats for tightness, and even your traps and levator scapula.
Tight pecs and lats will pull down on the shoulder and bring the joint into internal rotation. Tightness in the traps and levator scapula region, will sometimes physically block the joint from moving into full flexion and the scapula will tilt back instead to allow for that mobility.
I know I’m not Eric Cressey, but that’s what it sounds like is happening.
May 6th, 2016 at 11:19 am
Hey Eric,
I have question about a possible issue I’m having when doing overhead presses. I’m getting some “rib flare” at the top of the movement (lockout), but very little if any lumbar extension. I seem to be able to control my hips and low back from going into extension pretty well, but its quite difficult and requires alot of conscious effort to keep my ribs down. As far as I can tell my thoracic spine mobility is pretty good( I pass the back to wall shoulder flexion test, keeping my low back flat and head in contact with the wall. And also checking myself in minor when doing ohp, my t spine looks pretty good (not to rounded). It’s almost as if my lower core strength is good but upper core not so much. Do u think I’m ready to overhead press? I definitely feel my core working alot during the movement, just I can see some rib flare at the lockout. Any exercises u can recommend that may help with this?
Edit: and also forgot to mention that my shoulder flexion during the overhead press is good I’m pretty sure, as I can get my shoulders/arms behind and in line with my ears with neutral head position.
Thanks!
May 6th, 2016 at 6:27 pm
Really tough to say without seeing you, James. Any shot you could upload a video to YouTube to demonstrate?
May 6th, 2016 at 7:11 pm
Without seeing a video, it sounds like what you described is scapular hypermobility. When you have some sort of restriction in one or multiple muscle groups around the shoulders, your body will often compensate by bringing more posterior tilt to the scapula in order to bring the weight overhead. Check your pecs and lats for tightness, and even your traps and levator scapula.
Tight pecs and lats will pull down on the shoulder and bring the joint into internal rotation. Tightness in the traps and levator scapula region, will sometimes physically block the joint from moving into full flexion and the scapula will tilt back instead to allow for that mobility.
I know I’m not Eric Cressey, but that’s what it sounds like is happening.
May 7th, 2016 at 3:33 pm
Thanks for the reply! Here are the links to both left and right side
https://youtu.be/SE37y4_mw04
https://youtu.be/Vk7ypQE1mSs
May 7th, 2016 at 7:00 pm
Honestly, James, they look fine. I wouldn’t sweat it.
May 7th, 2016 at 7:13 pm
That’s good news. I was alittle worried about my spine being alittle too straight, hopefully I’m good there too. Thanks for the free evaluation, Eric!