I have wings

[lampwick]

For a while, I was trying to create a flat upper back by holding my shoulders back and down. I can do this, but it was creating too much of a strain in an already tense upper body. I've now been instructed to simply hold my shoulders straight down and concentrate more on keeping my chest and eyes projecting outward (basically--not collapsing the chest) while keeping the abdominals nice and held inward.

 

I have "wings" though. Is this considered an aesthetically/technically bad? I'm doing some girl pushups on my knees and keeping my elbows pointed back to hopefully strengthen some muscles under the scapulae . Is there anything else I can do with a theraband? I'd like to not have wings. I don't think it looks so good.

[Mel Johnson]

You're probably about the only person who's noticing them. I can only recall a couple of students whose shoulderblades stuck out without something else somewhere else sticking out on other side! You are correct in thinking that a building of muscle alongside the scapulae and on either side of the spine will help.

[lampwick]

Oh..this really helped. I did nothing with my shoulders this weekend other than to relax them and make sure they stay down. My shoulderblades are quite sore. Seems like I ended up working the right muscles by simply using correct posture. They never felt sore when I *thought* I was working them. My pirouettes were 100 percent better too.

[ashatNYU]

Hi lampwick, a stretch we learned at ADC came to mind when I read your post. Take your left arm and wrap it wround your front grasping the top of your right arm (just below the shoulder) and do the same with the right grasping your left arm. You should look like you are hugging yourself. Slowly "walk" the handstoward the center of your back until you are at a comfortable point, then have a partner come from behind and, placing one hand on each of your elbows, pull the elbows away from each other (making you "hug" yourself even more). THe purpose is to align the scapulae and allow them to help the arm rotate properly. If that wasn't clear, PM or ask me to explain further!