PA-0152
At a glance
A small-range strength and mobility exercise from Plank Pose, moving only the shoulder blades, protracting them apart and retracting them together, while the elbows stay straight throughout. It's a precise, isolated movement that builds control often missing in more dynamic shoulder work.
“Let the shoulder blades do the moving, not the elbows.”
Essence
Keeping the elbows straight throughout is what isolates this movement to the shoulder blades specifically. Bending the elbows turns this into a small push-up, working different muscles entirely and missing the scapular control this exercise is actually meant to build.
Intention
To move only the shoulder blades from a Plank position, elbows staying straight, building isolated scapular control and strength.
What this pose develops
Physical
- •Scapular protraction and retraction strength
- •Shoulder stability that supports many weight-bearing poses
- •Isolated control, distinct from broader pushing strength
Mental
- •Attention to a small, precise, easy-to-miss movement
- •Patience with an exercise that looks understated but builds real function
Teaching concepts
- •Cueing the straight elbows explicitly, since bending them is the most common way this exercise loses its actual target
- •Treating small range as a feature, not a limitation
How to practise
- 1Come to Plank Pose, wrists under shoulders, body in one line.
- 2Keeping the elbows completely straight, let the shoulder blades spread apart, the chest sinking slightly toward the floor.
- 3Then squeeze the shoulder blades together, pressing the floor away and lifting slightly between them.
- 4Continue this small, controlled movement for several repetitions, elbows staying straight throughout.
- 5Return to a neutral Plank position, or lower to rest.
Alignment exploration
Instead of searching for the “correct” position, notice:
- •Elbows stay completely straight throughout, the movement isolated entirely to the shoulder blades.
- •The rest of the body maintains Plank Pose's alignment, one line from crown to heels.
- •The range of motion is small and controlled, not a large push-up movement.
Breath
Exhale as the shoulder blades press together and the chest lifts slightly, inhale as they spread apart and the chest sinks.
Teacher’s eye
The elbows deserve close attention. Any bending there means the exercise has shifted away from isolated scapular movement and into a small push-up, which trains something different.
Student practice
Reflect after practising:
- •Keep the elbows locked straight. If they're bending, even slightly, this has become a different exercise than the one intended.
- •The range of motion here is meant to be small. That's not a limitation, it's the actual design of the exercise.
Common movement strategies
Rather than mistakes, you may notice:
- •Practice on the knees instead of the toes if maintaining a straight-arm Plank throughout the movement is too demanding initially, isolating the scapular movement without the added core demand.
Modifications
- •Knees down instead of toes, reducing the overall demand while preserving the isolated scapular movement.
Completion check
- ✓Lower to rest, or transition into the next pose in a flow sequence.
Related poses
Prerequisites
Prepares for
Complements
Alternatives
Progressions
Regressions
Related movement concepts
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