When you meet a new client, one of the first things you should look out for is their ability to maintain proper posture.<\/p>\n
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In addition to being an aesthetic concern (i.e., that impacts your client’s self-esteem), poor posture can also increase your client’s risk of sustaining injuries<\/span> during strength training.<\/p>\n For instance:<\/span> A \u201chunched over\u201d posture can severely impact a client\u2019s shoulder overhead mobility. They\u2019ll find pressing any load straight overhead, like in the barbell overhead press, to be a challenge\u2014and will likely end up compensating for this fault by arching the lower back<\/span>. And in turn, increase the risk of disc bulges and back pain.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s just one exercise! Thus, highlighting the urgent need to fix a client\u2019s postural misalignment. But how? Find out in this article.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s impossible to explain what poor posture looks like without first covering the basics of \u201cgood posture.\u201d So, let’s start there. The key to good posture lies in the spine’s three natural curves\u2014at the neck, mid-back, and lower back.<\/p>\n Proper posture should maintain these curves but not increase them.<\/p>\n Meaning? When standing, your client\u2019s head should be squarely above their shoulders, and the top of their shoulders should be over the hips.<\/p>\n Take a look around the gym the next time you’re in, and you’ll quickly come to realize that most people struggle with the following posture problems (which you might already be familiar with but simply didn\u2019t know the corresponding terminology):<\/p>\n That said, an important thing to note is that these two poor postures don’t have to occur separately. It’s common for people to display both stooped, rounded shoulders and a bent-forward neck at the same time. There’s a name for this: “upper crossed syndrome<\/span>.”<\/p>\n The development of upper crossed syndrome comes down to two things:<\/p>\n But wait. How does this \u201cmuscular imbalance\u201d develop in the first place?<\/p>\n Barring medical reasons like osteoporosis, the primary contributing factor to the upper crossed syndrome is poor posture, specifically sitting or standing with the head forward for prolonged periods.<\/p>\n Activities that promote this problematic postural position include:<\/p>\n In some cases, a client who\u2019s overenthusiastic about training their chest can also run into this postural issue\u2014since, as mentioned, the pecs can begin to pull the shoulders into the forward position. This is particularly so when the back is relatively undertrained.<\/p>\n To address the upper crossed syndrome, you\u2019ll have to implement a routine for your client that achieves two important things:<\/p>\n Before diving in, it’s crucial first to cover the anatomy of the traps and rhomboid muscles.<\/p>\n The trapezius (i.e., \u201ctraps\u201d) is a broad, flat, and triangular superficial back muscle that extends from the back of the head and neck to the shoulder. It consists of three parts: the upper traps, middle traps, and the lower traps.<\/p>\n On the other hand, the rhomboids are upper back muscles that connect between the spine and each of the two shoulder blades. They lie deep beneath the traps. As such, exercises that help target the middle and lower traps will also activate\u2014and strengthen\u2014the rhomboids.<\/p>\n Note:<\/span> Most clients simply don\u2019t know how to train the rhomboids, plus the middle and lower traps.<\/p>\n Something useful to tell your client would be that, on any back movement, they can gauge which part of the back they\u2019re targeting by referencing their arm path. The smaller the angle between their elbows and the back, the lower the back region it targets (i.e., lower traps).<\/p>\n Accordingly, here are the best exercises you should have your client do\u2014so they\u2019ll build up the necessary strength in their mid- to lower-back region.<\/p>\n The Meadows Row is one of the best unilateral back exercises that\u2019ll help strengthen your client\u2019s middle traps in a balanced manner. To set up this exercise for your client, you\u2019ll need to secure a barbell in a landmine attachment (or simply in a corner formed by two walls).<\/p>\n If you\u2019re adding weight plates to the barbell, make sure to use smaller ones (e.g., 11 pounds instead of 25 pounds). This helps your client maximize the range of motion they\u2019d get with the exercise.<\/p>\n A few important coaching cues to give when your client is performing the Meadows Row:<\/p>\n Another exercise that helps target your client\u2019s middle traps is something called the chest-supported dumbbell row.<\/p>\n This is an especially great option for clients who struggle to get into a bent-over position (as is required in the Meadows Row) because of tight hamstrings or a weak lower back. The additional stability provided by placing their chest against the incline bench allows your client to truly initiate the row through their back.<\/p>\n Just one thing to note: Remember to set the bench angle to around 30 degrees.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because the larger the bench angle (e.g., 80 degrees), the more upright your client will be while performing the exercise\u2014and that shifts the load onto the upper traps, instead of the middle traps, since your client is now basically performing a \u201cshrugging\u201d motion.<\/p>\n Two useful cues to help your client better target their middle traps:<\/p>\n Despite its \u201csimple-looking\u201d appearance, research<\/span> shows that the prone Y-raise can elicit significantly higher lower trap activation when compared to other common lower trap exercises (e.g., chin-ups).<\/p>\n For this exercise, you can either get your client to lay on the floor or an incline bench set to roughly 30 degrees; both are fine.<\/p>\n Once your client is in the starting position, have them raise their arms in a Y-position with their thumbs pointing up.<\/p>\n And although research shows that internally rotating the shoulders while performing the Y-raise can lead to increased lower traps recruitment, you should still have your client stick to either neutral or external rotation.<\/p>\n This is because their poor posture already puts them at an increased risk of shoulder impingement issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n In general, you\u2019ll want to start your clients out with no weight at all\u2014and then very gradually add load (i.e., dumbbells) as their lower trap strength improves.<\/p>\n All the corrective work you\u2019ve done thus far to address your client\u2019s poor posture wouldn\u2019t be complete without helping your client \u201copen up their chest.\u201d And research<\/span> shows that one of the best ways to do so would be through thoracic extension exercises.<\/p>\n In other words, exercises that involve upper back arching.<\/p>\n All you need for this exercise is a foam roller.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve got that, have your client lay down, with the back flat on the ground, and place the foam roller across their upper to mid-back area.<\/p>\n Never position the roller across a client\u2019s lower back, as that could lead to hyperextension.<\/p>\n From there, get your client to extend their back over the roller as they reach their arms overhead.<\/p>\n Have your client try to touch the backs of their hands to the ground behind them without lifting their butt off the ground. Make sure your client holds the position for 1-2 seconds before repeating the exercise\u2014moving further up the upper back each time.\u00a0<\/p>\n Look at the camel pose, and you\u2019ll see that it\u2019s basically the opposite of what your client does all day seated, hunched over, at their desk: It\u2019s the crucial extension they need to balance out all that flexion.<\/p>\n To get your client into the camel pose, have them kneel with their body upright and hips stacked over the knees. They should then sit back on their heels\u2014while placing a hand on each heel. Then, while their hands are still on their heels, have them arch their hips “up and away,” extending their hips as they lift their glutes off the heels.<\/p>\n Make sure your client isn\u2019t simply arching their lower back to bridge up.<\/p>\n If your client struggles with this exercise, you can regress it by having them perform it with a bench behind them; this means they no longer need to place their hands on their heels.<\/p>\n In addition to being a great thoracic extension exercise in and of itself, wall slides can also serve as a \u201cprogress indicator\u201d for your client\u2014improvements in their thoracic mobility will directly translate into better exercise form.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how you can get your client to do the wall slides.<\/p>\n First, have them stand with their heels, butt, upper back, shoulders, arms, and hands against the wall. Ultimately, what you want your client to do during the exercise is slide their hands up and down against the wall.<\/p>\n A key thing to look out for as your client performs the exercise is this: At no point through the movement should you observe lower back arching.<\/p>\n That’s a sign that they’re getting the extension from their lower back instead of through the upper back.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t worry if this movement is too challenging for your client right from the get-go. You can drop the difficulty level by getting your client to move their feet further away from the wall.<\/p>\n While helpful, there\u2019s a caveat to all these exercises: Clients must be mindful of maintaining good posture in the first place. No amount of corrective work would help if the clients routinely reverted to their poor postures in their daily life.<\/p>\n On your part, select exercises that are a good fit for your clients\u2019 lifestyles.<\/p>\n Exercises that are convenient and easy to perform for your clients (e.g., wall slides in the office) would encourage adherence.<\/p>\n Most importantly, always remind your clients that it will take time to correct any postural issues. There’s no quick fix or shortcuts here. As a coach, be patient and understanding because every client faces unique challenges in their daily lives, and some will require much more work to address than others.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\nWhat Does Poor Posture Look Like?<\/h2>\n
What Causes Upper Crossed Syndrome?<\/h2>\n
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How to Fix Poor Posture<\/h2>\n
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Strengthen the Weakened Muscles<\/h3>\n
Exercise 1: Meadows Row<\/h4>\n
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Exercise 2: Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row\u00a0\u00a0<\/h4>\n
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Exercise 3: Prone Y-Raise<\/h4>\n
Focus on Thoracic Extension Exercises<\/h3>\n
Roller Thoracic Extension<\/h4>\n
Exercise 2: Camel Pose<\/h4>\n
Exercise 3: Wall Slides\u00a0\u00a0<\/h4>\n
Takeaway<\/h2>\n
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<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nReferences<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n