Shoulder Packing - #1 Most Important Thing When Exercising Your Arms

So as I walk around the gym, and in various places within Portland, I notice how people have

rounded shoulders.  What this means is that the shoulders pull forward, just a little bit (sometimes a lot depending.  Maybe you notice this about yourself.  Maybe you see, in your peripheral vision, a little more of your shoulders than you should.  Well, there is a simple motion you can practice that will help lengthen and strengthen the appropriate muscles to give you a straight back (and let's face it) a sexy, shoulder look.

Lie supine (on your back).  You can have your legs close to your butt so your knees are up, or you can have them flat on the floor, since this involves mainly the shoulder muscles.  Your arms should be at your sides.  The first move is to tighten your ab muscles by pretending someone is about to punch you.  This will help support your lower back and help prevent further lower back pain (also important for many other exercises).  Next, press your shoulders to the floor and make your shoulder blades flat with the floor.  The last move in this exercise is to depress your shoulders, and this simply means to move them (if you were standing up) down towards your feet/butt.  Hold this for 15 - 20 seconds and repeat 5 - 6 times.

Now you know how to pack your shoulders!  This will hopefully help train your body to do this whenever you have to pick up something heavy, but you should also try to remember to do this whenever you do arm exercises like a chest press, shoulder raise, biceps curl, all of it!  I know it is kind of hard to tell from this picture from ACE Fitness, but this woman is demonstrating shoulder packing, by depressing her shoulders down and squeezing back to make her shoulder blades flat.

If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a question and I am sure to answer!  Take care, and keep moving!