Shoulders
Floor Slide
The Floor Slide is a mobility exercise with no equipment for your shoulders. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: rotator cuff 21%, serratus anterior 18% and lower traps 16%.
How to do it
- Lie on your back on a mat with the knees bent and feet flat.
- Press the lower back gently into the mat.
- Place the arms on the floor in a goalpost shape, elbows at shoulder height and bent to 90 degrees.
- Slide the arms up along the floor toward a Y overhead, keeping the backs of the hands and elbows in contact, breathing out.
- Slide back down to the goalpost and repeat slowly for 30 to 45 seconds.
Tips
- Draw the shoulder blades down toward the back pockets as the arms return.
- Stop the slide where the hands start to lift off the floor.
Common mistakes
- Arching the lower back to keep the arms down.
- Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears at the top.
Muscles worked by the Floor Slide
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
Sliding the arms up a wall trains upward rotation of the shoulder blade. Controlled circles, slides and dislocates move the shoulder through its range: the cuff centres the joint while the delts and scapular muscles move it.
Floor Slide alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Floor Slide work?
Mainly the rotator cuff, serratus anterior and lower traps. The side delts, front delts and rear delts assist.
Is the Floor Slide good for beginners?
Yes. The Floor Slide is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.
What is a good alternative to the Floor Slide?
For example the Scapular Wall Slide, Wall Angel and Wall Slide. They train mostly the same muscles.
Log your sets in Zulta
Zulta tracks your sets, weights and muscle load next to your running, riding or Hyrox training. The app opens soon.