The lower trapezius muscle is crucial to pain-free shoulders and in this video you'll learn a new exercise to get it firing that doesn't bother your shoulders like many other lower trap exercises can.

There are 2 key reasons the lower trapezius muscle is important:

1) It helps prevent shoulder impingement.

Along with the serratus anterior muscle, it works to keep the scapula (shoulder blade) in a good position as you move your arm around.

If either the lower trap or serratus anterior (or both) aren't activating, are weak or have poor endurance, you may experience a "pinchy" and/or "kinda sharp, achy" feeling at the front of your shoulder when you lift your arm up overhead.

2) Research has shown it activates less in those WITH shoulder pain vs. those with pain-free shoulders. Especially compared to the upper trapezius.

Here's one such study:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8430934/

There are many others that show the same thing.

It makes sense, especially considering the upper trap tends to activate in isolation when a person is experiencing stress.

Modern humans are ripe for excessive upper trap / insufficient lower trap activation patterns.

Thankfully, there are solutions.

This exercise provides one path to getting the lower trap working better and having the upper trap chill out.

IN THIS VIDEO

00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Study #1: Shoulder-Muscle Activation in Individuals With Previous Shoulder Injuries
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25559480/
01:52 - Lower Trapezius Activation Exercise
06:05 - Link to the posterior scapular tilt exercise: https://youtu.be/o9fiTFfW4uU?t=1015
07:45 - Study #2: Scapular Retraction under Adduction Load https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8430934/
09:00 - Join the "Shoulder Pain Solution" Waitlist: https://www.precisionmovement.coach/shoulder-pain-solution/waitlist/

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED

ROM Coach app (free!):​ https://www.precisionmovement.coach/rom-yt - our beautiful mobile app to improve your mobility and help you achieve movement longevity, includes the Daily Movement Tuneup and gives you 3 new exercises that will activate every muscle and mobilize every joint in your body every 1-2 weeks (only 3-5 mins/day!)

Shoulder Pain Solution: https://www.precisionmovement.coach/shoulder-pain-solution/ - address the root causes of issues like shoulder impingement, rotator cuff tears, AC joint dysfunction, scapular winging, serratus anterior dysfunction and more - for lasting relief.

Medical Disclaimer

The medical information on any/all of our content is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. Please consult your health care provider before making any health care decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition.