In last week’s post we started digging into the functional arm chains by looking at the deep front line. This week we’re going to build on that by looking at it’s partner in the crime- the deep back line. An easy way to visualize the difference between the two is to lift your arm out to the side as show in the picture below. You want to make sure your hand is point down to the floor and that your elbow is pointing backwards. In this position, the deep front line is on the front and the deep back line is on the back.
The Deep Back Line
In terms of function, this muscle chain works in two ways. When the arm is moving freely out away from your body, it works to position the scapula and rotate the humerus while also working with the front line to determine how much elbow flexion/extension is needed. In weight bearing (push up/plank) position, it provides stability from side to side. In total there are 8 individual muscles in this chain. Here’s a video to walk you through each and what they do. You will also find ways to stretch each one of them.
Remember! Don’t push through pain with the stretches. Just go until you feel a pull. If you’re bringing a lot of tightness in terms of posture, expect to feel these in a few different places! 🙂 20 to 30 second hold of each.
In total, there are four distinct chains of muscles in the arm. What I mean by “chains” is that the muscles in each chain are linked together fascially. While standard anatomy lessons can lead you to think of the body as standalone muscles with specific origins, insertions and movements, the truth is that every muscle and organ in our body is wrapped in a fibrous web known as fascia. This web connecting our muscles is what allows us to function and move the way we do. Take lifting the arm overhead for example. It would be easy to think only in terms of the muscles we know: deltoids, biceps, triceps, pecs. The truth is that before you even move that arm you muscles along the trunk positioning and stabilizing the shoulder blade. Then as you lift the arm, your elbow and forearm are working to position the hand in the direction that you want. It’s a total arm effort!
With that concept in mind, we’re going to start going through the arm chains. Like I said above, there are four separate functional chains. Two of these chains are along the front of the body and two are along the back. In this post, we’re going to be talking about one of the front chains. More specifically, we’re going to start with the deeper layer of muscles.
The Deep Front Line
In terms of function, this muscle chain works in two ways. When the arm is moving freely out away from your body, it works to orient the hand. Meaning it determines how straight the elbow is and how much the forearm is rotated. In weight bearing (push up/plank) position, it provides stability from side to side. In total there are 10 individual muscles in this chain. Here’s a video to walk you through each and what they do. You will also find ways to stretch each one of them.
Remember! Don’t push through pain with the stretches. Just go until you feel a pull. If you’re bringing a lot of tightness in terms of posture, expect to feel these in a few different places! 🙂 20 to 30 second hold of each.
In our last post, we dove into the stabilizing muscles of the scapulothoracic joint (aka the joint that holds the shoulder blade against the ribcage). These four muscles (pictured above) play a huge role in setting up the scapula to be in position regardless of whether the arm is pushing, pulling, lifting, etc. However, just like every other muscle in the body, these muscles are only one part of the chain. In this post we’re going to be moving downstream a bit to talk about the muscles that influence the spine and it’s stability.
The legs are built for stability and our shoulders are built for mobility.
I know what you’re thinking… isn’t this series about the shoulders!? It is! 🙂 Hear me out though. True trunk mobility/stability is what sets you up for good posture and healthy shoulders. Remember, the shoulder is the least stable joint in the body. That means it requires muscular support and control to set up the thoracic spine, rib cage and shoulder blade so that everything is in position before you even move that arm. Ever think about the impact of a change to your lumbar spine on all of that? My guess is no…
Here’s a visual:
Think of everything in this picture as an anchor that can pull your lumbar spine and pelvis out of position. This area is smack in the middle of your upper and lower body. Problems here will not only impact what’s going on upstream in your shoulders, arms and neck, but it will also impact how your hips and legs function as well. Remember all of those “S” curves in the spine? They are there to balance your upper body on your lower body and to help hold you upright. When you start changing those curves, bad things happen.
Starting to see why this is important? Even if you aren’t stuck behind a desk or in the car for hours each day, you know you’re already bringing tired legs to the table as an endurance athlete. Keeping this middle section healthy and mobile is the key to success for us. That’s why I wanted to take a minute to go over some strategies for loosening up those hips and backs, before moving onto the rib cage and arm itself.
In the video you’ll find the following stretches:
Hip flexor (progression is 1/2 kneeling/lunge, 1/2 kneeling with side bend, standing lunge with foot twisted out, standing lunge with foot twisted in, standing lunge with foot up on chair/couch/etc).
Adductors (progression is side lunge, side lunge with elbow to push knee out). Be sure to get both sides.
From this side lunge position you can also switch to a front lunge to better target the front of the hip.
External rotators (start with something slightly taller than knee height and build in height; ** remember to stand up straight and don’t let your hips drop. press knee down!)
Just like all of our stretches: hold for 20 seconds and repeat for reps versus longer holds. Frequency will always give you faster results, not pushing into pain. 🙂
