Scapular cues and movement during the bench press, military press and rowing 

I speak for everyone when I say this was *the* video we were waiting for! Thanks Kjetl!

I’m so glad you make these videos! I knew the cues I was receiving from other videos just weren’t right from the feel and especially the results. These little cues opened up a world of strength opportunities and postural potential. Thank you, genuinely

Perfect! This is probably one of the most important technique videos out there. Thanks man, this should be a must watch for anyone learning lifting.

I needed this video so bad. That makes perfect sense for me. I also get the scapular winging sometimes in certain positions and resulted in some shoulder pain. I will try this especially on my over head pressing 👍

Instantly made my pull-ups and pressing feel 10x stronger and better. I’ve been f-ing up my shoulder and scapular movement with “down and back” for a long time. Thanks 🙏

Great video man. This will help save a lot of people pain and confusion 💪🏼

Instantly subscribed. Going to incorporate this information immediately, as most mainstream cues have caused me more harm than good. Thanks!

I can't thank you enough! I took your guidance and for the last two days tried to make it a habit to compliment my arm movement with scapular movement and it's basically cured my right shoulder's impingement issue that I've had for the last month and a half. I'm astounded, now I just need to make this movement a habit and never reach overhead with my scapula down and back.

Excellent video! Covered a lot of my concerns

Very well explained tried it huge difference, anterior tilt on rows were killing my shoulders.

Been waiting on this video so long!

Thank you very much for your videos and articles! When can we expect next upcoming live courses? I guess the ones on your your Website 11/12th July have already took place in 2021?

This is very good information and I feel like 99% of people just assume retracting the scapula back and down is the correct method

Thank you for your many helpful videos. I basically started weightlifting without knowing what the hell I was doing and with absolutely shitty posture from being a computer nerd. I became super imbalanced on one side, I got some major thorracic outlet syndrome (nerve numbness and clamminess down my arm into my hand) symptoms from shit posture and form. I was doing rowing wrong on my left, weak side, anterior-rotating my scapula and mainly using my rhomboid. I was also doing shitty form on benches and basically everything, since I only followed idiotic bro-science for technique. Now I have a super weak left shoulder and nerve pain, and piss-poor scapular control on that side. Doctor says I have cervicalgia which I guess is just a catchall term for neck pain. So I'm working on strengthening my neck (I definitely had/have a badly bent neck, thanks for the "cervical hinge" informative videos) and getting my posture right (standing taller, extending the neck and raising the shoulders slightly). I'm also strengthening and activating my serratus anterior muscles because I think by benching so much with the "back and down cue" I had basically killed my serratus' ability to protract my scap or to even fire. With my new scap control, I'm working on rowing (without weights for now, and never past 90 elbows degrees again unless I have a good reason) in the proper form, and it feels so damn good to turn on my lats, my serratus and my whole shoulder again. Progress feels slow at times but I am deeply thankful that you have posted so many help videos and information on your website. It's great to know why the hell my arm feels numb when lifting, so I can stop doing it, and fix it. Thank you Kjetil.

Superb video, Kjetil! Very valuable knowledge in a content rich, but very homogeneous, subject. If you don't mind sharing, what are your thoughts on rib movement(repiration) and thoracic spine position(arch) on those exercises? It seems to affect both neurological and vascular systems, even the scapula biomechanics itself.

fantastic video sir, thank you

I had to double take and make sure that you were the same person as in the "dont back and down shoulders" video. Nice transformation hahaha

These videos are absolutely amazing, thank you so much for showing the correct mechanics! I had one question, during the deadlift, or specially the RDL, should the scapula be in a slight upward and protracted position? Should the shoulders be "more" protracted aka. pulled forward during the bottom portion of the movement when the weight is pulling the arms downwards? And during the top of the movement, would a slight retraction (while keeping the scapula slightly upward) be fine?

This man speaks the scientific and common sense anatomical truths......listen to his brilliant advice !!!

I knew that there was always something horribly wrong with my bench press, but I never knew exactly what it was. If I can overcome my current state of dysfunction, I would be so excited to be able to start lifting and working out the way I want to.

This is fascinating. I wonder if you've ever done lectures, or are you currently trying to get this information out there so that more Physios and Orthopedists can adopt this new information? It seems pretty crucial.

Nice video very informative! Thank you

Excellent video , worth the wait :)

So, I noticed when you were demonstrating the rowing movement, as well as the bench movement that you would demonstrate bad form by rounding at the shoulders. Now, for example, the rowing exercise, I've always been taught to keep the chest big and not letting it collapse when bringing the elbows back. Is it safe for me to continue bringing the elbows back as long as I don't round my shoulders and collapse my chest, essentially keeping the scapula from rotating the way you showed? Would be appreciative for some advice, thanks!

Completely opposite to what I read before. Thank you. I will try. I hope my neck will feel better !!!!

Some questions (not related to this vid)- in which cases in the neck is it allowed to stretch it because it sounds like you are against it completely? Can I train my neck muscles every day or do I need days off in between? And why do all physiotherapists say it is worth stretching are they less experienced and less researched? I would be happy if you answer

I have a question, during the bench press it’s right that my traps are flexed/shrugged to maintain the position that you show? Do you have another tip maybe to get the position right? Very informative video, shoulder pain is better with your position but when bench pressing I feel too much my traps more precisely the region close to the neck.

Would you say that these bench press cues cater to regular gym goers and not so much powerlifters, who have to lift a pretty insane amount of resistance and get into an extremely stable (and almost mechanically harmful) position? Thank you for posting! I had anticipating for a while.

This is GOLD

Thank you.

Your stuff is wonderful! Thank you. Can you please comment about bench press and how scapular positioning would change for a powerlifter using a strong upper back arch? Because then it is closer to a decline bench, so it seems like maybe as in one of your older videos, the scap could follow the arm with less risk?

If my serratus anterior hurts when using him, does that mean that muscle is very weak and need significant strenghtening? Thanks in advance Kjetil :)

Should we be aiming to bench with neutral thoracic spine or try to maintain a slight arch still?

Hi , your videos are fantastic . I have a question , do you think that the push ups are superior movement than bench press ? I think during the bench the serratus anterior is only for stability and it isn’t an active muscle that press like the chest , on the other part during the push ups I think the serratus press and lower traps too . I feel the weighted push-ups more stable in the back and strong than the bench press , what do you think ?

Is it the same with Pullups? The military press que? Up on the way up and up on the way down? Thanks

So glad this info is getting more prevelant l. Its a shame this is not yet common knowledge

“And we’re gonna need some coffee for this one” 1:04 😂😂

Can anyone make a video of this movement (pushups)? I've watched the video 3+ times and still don't get it :(

Why does everyone else say to retract scapula? I’m going to try this since I’m having pain. Thanks

Would you recommend doing a DB bench press from the floor? Is there any issue in opting for this over using an actual bench? Thanks

Can you make a video on how to stretch the chest properly too?

Hi you're fantastic ! Question please : When you say " keep your scapulas up, just like a sort of lat spread" Does it mean in an another Way that we basically push each scapulas away from each other ? Cause i feel that pushing scapulas to the sides make them Also come up, like you on the video Thanks

really wish we could see a proper benching (military press and rowing) demonstration

I've been doing "renegade rows" which everyone goes beyond the point of arm being pararell to body and it's injured now :/

Ive been dealing with shoulder impingement for a while now, and have always felt uncomfortable in my shoulder during the down and back scalpula que… Gonna start trying these ques during my floor presses and other “getting back to my normal exercises exercises” and see how this affects my shoulders going forward.

Should our shoulders always be up, or are there times when they should drop

Hello! How can I do a zoom meeting with you? Both of my ears are clogged and Im having TMD isues that causes me vertigo and ETD. Please help me.

Sir, should I always be posterior tilting my shoulder? Is that what good posture is?

Are there ever any exercises/times you would want to retract and depress shoulders. (for calisthenics or gymnastic movements as well)?

Doing Pull ups or deadlifts commonly uses the scapula back and down cue. What scapula movement/cue would you recommend for pull ups and deadlifts?

Does this apply when doing pull-ups?

For the starting position for the military press should we have a slight posterior tilt with the elevation or keep them neutral with elevation of the scapula ?

This is it chief.

Hi. I am sorry if I am repeating a question if it has been asked before. But would you recommend avoiding touching the chest with the bar on the bench press? It seems like that range of motion would pull the scapula back, and elbows end up behind the body. On the rows you said not to pull the elbows behind the body. Would that principle also apply to the bench press? Would it be safer stopping 2-3 inches away from the chest?

Thank you so much for your videos and content. You have saved me from lower back pain. One question. On overhead press we should not bring the bar down to our upper chest/shoulders. Does that mean we should also avoid front squats and cleans? Those are exercises that place the bar on the upper chest/shoulders?

Just 2 questions: 1: I have trouble to do a lat spread if I lying on the bench. Any (cue) advise for that? 2: If I train my back with rowing pulling exercises and I do that like you do, should I actively retract my scapula at the end, when I'm in the parallel position? (thanks for your content and knowledge sir)

Can you do a vid on temporal arteritis?

I’ve been looking for the answer for my upper back rhomboid achiness and honestly they’ve drilled the whole “down and back” thing in me so much that it’s undoubtedly the case that it is faulty mechanics since I have not improved. And I began questioning especially with rowing, how can it be anatomically optimal to keep the scap down and back through the whole movement? These ridiculous physios got me to the point where my upper traps are actually atrophied now and I can barely shrug any weight. Going to try what this guy is saying.

And what about the squats?

you have any tips on scapular winging? is it okay to bench press with scapular winging?

Too bad I didn't know about it 4 years ago. After many repetitions of Dumbell & barbell shoulder press + Farmer's walk with depressed shoulders, one morning I got seriously injured (felt like a neck spasm, I couldn't sit back then because of pain in the shoulder blade area) from a DB shoulder press resulting in a Neurogenic Vascular Thoracic outlet syndrome /some kind of nerve entrapment. And oh boy, it doesn't go away (Even with the provided protocol) My lumbar & cervical spine is perfectly fine, so there are only a few suspects. Unfortunately, about 6 months after the injury, I started to notice signs of mild one-side (same side) hip labral tear (deep wide weighted barbell squats, probably due to muscle imbalance). I also noticed I'm unable to sit without having buttock pain. I fixed the hip pain with PT but the awful both-sides buttock pain while sitting never went away and I'm unsure who is the culprit that needs attention (TOS/hip). I wish I could solve it without surgeries

Are you still available for skype consults? How do i go about it?

Hey. I have a question. When i do rows with a wide grip my left shoulder shrugs up to the ear as i move my arm backwards and lowers back down when my arm moves forward. It also pops at The coracoid region. When i sit relaxed The affected shoulder sits a little higher than The nonaffected one. Also... The affected shoulder sits a little more retracted than The nonaffected one. Is this pec minor weakness?

Bench demostration pls 👍

Tried this cue and... damn, I was doing push ups with just bw and I felt my chest for the first time in a long time.

Excellent information. How would you translate these scapular kinematics to doing dips?

I’m sorry maybe you guys call it different than in my country, but what rowing muscle are you talking about? Latissimus Dorsi?

I have a question separate from this about proper neck posture, when you say to bring the back of the head up to the roof and pull the chin down. Do you mean to tilt the head forward/nod forward causing the neck to come forward slightly? Or do you mean to pull the chin back while lifting the back of the head up so that it tucks the chin down and back?? Asking because when I try to have a long neck I end up tilting down and forward, thank you 🙏

Wouldn't having the scapula in a position that isn't retracted make you have a less stable connection to the bench and make you leak energy?

So basically in over head press its okay to push it back a little bit if upward rotation occured? Seems like Chinese weightlifters do it in such way.

Hey Kjetil, I just noticed your website is down :( Will it be back online soon? Hope all is well.

I mess up my shoulder following advice of Pavel Tsatsoulin, Starret and other people telling that you should let elbow touch ear when doing weighted dips and similar advices. Total supraspinatus tendon and SLAP tear including insertion of biceps long tendon. Of course that was after a few years of wrong advice after another.

Kjetil, vil du være så snill å hjelpe meg? Jeg snakker bare litt norsk :P My complaint is my right side just doesn't feel or contract like my left side. I am right arm dominant. It's hard to get a pump on my right side when I work out, though I can get through the motions. I notice weakness all over my right side especially in bench press. My right shoulder is lower than the left, the shoulder is rolled forward and down. I have no pain, with the exception of when I sleep on it but it fades away fast. I believe I have scapular dyskinesis on the right. I have a compound bow and can't draw it properly for fear it will dislocate. Also, when I do wide grip pulldowns, I feel a pop in my lower lat, as though a muscle is grinding over a bone. I have been to physical therapy and nothing is working. What do you recommend, if you can? I feel really down because I feel like I cannot progress without fixing this.

So pull ups have same scapula movement as overhead press but reversed movement? For dips it's same scapula position as bench press?

Could you do a follow up to this video in the gym ? Atleast just for the bench press 😅. Or a camera view of what your back is doing ?

Any ideas on flat t spine?

Hello. How do I book a skype consult with you ?

Quick question KJETIL : Are we ok to say that it is biomechanically impossible with alien's arms to touch the chest during bench press or rows using the "lat spread's cue" instead of the "Back and down's cue" ? Because everyone thinks that I'm a noob in the gym for not touching the chest :'( and I tell them that I am from the future and that they can't understand ^^

Should you arch during bench presses?

when doing pulldowns or pullups we should avoid touching the chest or the clavicle with the bar, just like when rowing we shouldn't go full ROM, to avoid that forward rounding of the shoulders, is that correct?

What's your thought on neurokenetic therapy? And do you have a therapist to recommend in Sweden?

How do the mechanics differ in dips? Sounds like there would be a lot of anterior tilting doing them. How can one ensure healthy technique doing them?

Take that Athlean x Mr know it all.

HOW TO POSITION THE SCAPULA FOR CHEST EXCERCISES PLEASEE (benche press, dumbell press, inclinated,etc)

So on the bench you wouldn't touch the chest right, otherwise the scapulae would have to be pulled back to accomodate this. Furthermore movement of the scapula while the bench is restricting it wouldnt be ideal.

should i just lat spread when doing bench press

but for rows, wont pulling behind your back sttimulate rear deltoids? I've read rear delt are stimulated in hyperextension

We need to come up with a better cue than 'back and down', a lot of people also understand the 'back and down' thing as shoulder packing technique where you're basically setting the scapulas up for push movements. It's not literally depress it so far down which most people understand wrong about the 'back and down' cue

Hey man, I appreciate the video. A large majority of resources continue to recommend scapular depression and retraction and I have yet to find an issue with this method (for myself). However, I realize that although I initiate the movement with this initial retraction and depression, I have zero problems reaching an optimal level of shoulder protraction and achieving a strong chest contraction. It’s sort of like I am rowing the weight back to my chest to achieve scapular retraction, and then allowing my scapula to move as I reach full horizontal adduction. I guess my question is, is this correct? The scapulohumeral rhythm means we must allow a certain degree of scapula movement in order for the arm to move (in the case of the bench press across the body horizontally). Although I return to the retracted and depressed position after each rep, I feel as though I am still able to protract the scapula for a good amount of ROM. I’ve only seen you, and Eugene Teo cover this subject, and I’d be interested to hear more about it. Happy holidays!

Does the bench press setup change in any way when doing incline press?

during rowing , why dont we just retract ? is it bad ?

Slight elevation in a "semi latspread" basically? Interesting, been waiting to hear about your knowledge regarding these movements. Would like to know your opinion on scapula movement in a chestfly.

Bench press @3:20

damn I was two years late into discovering this video

Will you reopen your clinic any time soon

If this guy can bench his bodyweight for reps with his technique, ill follow the info

9:21 Did you just say wide grip bench press is good??! Wide grip bench press is horrible for the shoulder.

10:41 😂😂

Shame you’re incapable of showing an actual form video, I don’t see any elite pressers using your techniques and feel they’d lose lbs off their max if they did

Pls explain better !!!