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Shoulders

Scapular Wall Slide

The Scapular Wall 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%.

Level: BeginnerEquipment: Bodyweight

How to do it

  1. Stand facing a wall with a foam roller held horizontally against it at chest height.
  2. Place the pinky side of both forearms on the roller, elbows shoulder-width apart.
  3. Press the forearms into the roller so the shoulder blades wrap forward.
  4. Roll the forearms up the wall until the arms form a Y, keeping the pressure, then lift the hands slightly off the roller at the top.
  5. Roll back down to chest height and repeat slowly for 30 to 45 seconds, breathing steadily.

Tips

  • Let the shoulder blades travel up and around the ribcage as the arms rise.
  • Keep the ribs down and the body still.

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears.
  • Leaning the body into the wall instead of pressing with the arms.

Muscles worked by the Scapular Wall Slide

  • Rotator cuff Primary21%
  • Serratus anterior Primary18%
  • Lower traps Primary16%
  • Side delts Secondary10%
  • Front delts Secondary10%
  • Rear delts Secondary8%
  • Mid traps Minor7%
  • Upper traps Minor5%
  • Upper chest Stabilizer5%

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.

Scapular Wall Slide alternatives

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Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Scapular Wall Slide work?

Mainly the rotator cuff, serratus anterior and lower traps. The side delts, front delts and rear delts assist.

Is the Scapular Wall Slide good for beginners?

Yes. The Scapular Wall 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 Scapular Wall Slide?

For example the Floor Slide, Wall Angel and Wall Slide. They train mostly the same muscles.

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