5c is a mobilizing exercise for the shoulder blades - up and down on the rib cage.

In life, it is typical for the muscles that pull the shoulder blades upwards from the neck to become short and tight while the muscles pulling the shoulder blades downwards become long and weak.

The focus of this exercise is therefore to train the lower muscles to work in lowering the shoulder blades while consciously training the superficial neck muscles to relax and allow cervical elongation.

Bar Position

• Waist height

Tempo

• Move - stretch - return - relax -...

Breathing Pattern

• Inhale - Starting position.

• Exhale - Movement, stretch and return phases.

• Inhale - Relax phase.

Reach the Starting Position

• Stand close to the wall, while holding the bar close to the body.

• Upon inhalation, at the same time:

• Bring on foot close to the wall and the other as back as possible.

• tilt the straight body-line forward.

• Raise both hands up towards the wall and place the bar as high as possible.

• Allow the back heel to rise passively.

Starting Position

• Continue the inhalation.

• Lower the back heel towards the floor but not touching.

• Ensure the pelvis does not rotate and the entire spine remains in neutral position.

Movement Phase

• While keeping the body angle, exhale and slide the scapulae down upon the ribcage towards the pelvis (Scapula depression).

• With this movement, the head rises between the arms like the head of a turtle and the heel rises passively.

• During the movement keep head and neck position in neutral - don't look up.

Stretch Phase

• When the scapulae are as low as possible upon the ribcage and the head as high as possible between the hands.

• At this point, feel the activation of the lower trapezius muscle between the shoulder blades.

• Maintain this sensation for about a second while exhaling, then release for the return.

• 'Feel' the connection between good full-body alignment and a good stretch feel.

Return Phase

• Inhale and allow the scapulae to return to their neutral position.

• The heel moves downwards during the return but does not touch the floor.

• The return movement is mainly passive; allow gravity to assist.

Relax Phase

• Consciously relax the muscles in that position and start gearing the body for the next repetition.

Return to Standing

• With exhalation, place both feet together, bring the body-line to balanced vertical and flex both elbows to lower the bar to the waist.