Thoracic Spine Adhesion Break Up

Sorry, you need to be a member to access this video.
You Are Just Seconds Away - Become a member here!
Already a member? Log in now

The first step to more rotation is breaking up muscle adhesions that bind to the fascia and keep your muscles from gliding freely. This exercise will do just that.


Alright guys, so we have our smash technique here for thoracic spine.

So we have two different options here.

So if you're not used to mobility exercises, that is somewhat invasive, where you're going to use a stiff object to kind of break up muscle knots, I probably suggest you guys want to start off with a foam roller.

I got this on Amazon for 20 bucks.

Nice and soft and if we want to get more invasive, kind of a deeper into that muscle a little bit more.

If you have a lot of tightness that this foam roller is not quite doing the job, you want to kind of graduate onto a lacrosse ball or a tennis ball.

So what we're going to do is we're going to show you both techniques here, One with the foam roller and also one with the lacrosse ball.

And we're going to use the ball and the foam roller to kind of get underneath of that shoulder blade.

So we want to kind of start mid to upper trap and kind of work our way down underneath the shoulder and kind of right below where that sliding shoulder blade is.

So we're really kind of working on the space between the shoulder blade that slides and the spine right there in the middle.

We're going to kind of work that happy medium space right there.

So bear in mind here we are breaking up muscle adhesions, so it is somewhat painful.

Just kind of think of how a deep tissue massage feels where somebody is kind of prodding in on you.

You're basically kind of doing that to yourself.

So grit your teeth and kind of get through it.

Your efforts will definitely be rewarded once you do this, and it will be a big, noticeable difference in your ability.

To kind of pull those shoulder blades back and just maintain, you know, good posture.

So let me show you with the foam roller first.

Get a good view here.

So we're going to lay that sucker on the ground and we're going to work on the right side here.

So what I want to do is pull my arm far across my body here, and I'm going to position it kind of right in between my spine and shoulder blade.

And I'm going to keep my feet on the floor and drive my hips up to apply some weight, and I'm going to roll against that.

And I'm going to get all kinds of different angles.

You want to kind of take the approach of your muscles being like plywood, and that is how they're aligned.

It's kind of all over the place.

It's not just an up and down motion here.

We kind of want to get creative with a little bit of rocking back and forth, a little bit up and down, And just really kind of working out those muscle knots, and it won't take you a whole lot of time to kind of find that.

So my suggestion here would be probably four to five minutes per side.

This is something that you want to do when you're at home, you know, watching TV or something where you can really kind of take some time to relax.

So that's the foam roller and a little bit more invasive technique here is going to be with the lacrosse ball.

Just like I said, bear in mind this guy does not feel the greatest, But you will see a big, noticeable difference in your range of motion and your ability to kind of slide the shoulder blade back to where it needs to be and toward the spine.

So ball goes on the ground.

And like I said, I'm going to position it right in between the spine and the shoulder blade.

So I may have a little bit of an obstacle kind of getting down there and finding that right spot, but it won't take you a lot of time to find those, those nasty knots.

So I'm going to wrap this arm across and I'm going to do the same thing I did this foam roller here.

Put it right there.

I'm going to rock.

I'm going to kind of roll it underneath the shoulder and I'm going to breathe through this.

So if you make a pain face here, it's going to translate through your body and your whole body is going to kind of stiffen up.

So you want to try to be as relaxed as possible here as you go through this.

So I'm kind of taking really deep breaths into the nose and deeply exhaling through the mouth.

And I really feel a good stretch and it does get nice and deep underneath there.

So we're going to go four to five minutes with that ball.

This is option one.

The second option here is going to be kind of mobilize this shoulder.

All sorts of range of motion you can kind of get all the way over the head, all the way down and back, kind of disco thing across the body and up.

And I'm getting creative with my angles.

I'm rotating my hand.

I'm still applying pressure down.

So that area kind of loosened up quite a bit.

So what I'm going to do is just kind of work down a little bit.

Yep.

Definitely feel it there.

And we do the same thing, kind of hugging the chest with it, moving the arm around, mobilizing that shoulder and taking my time and breathing.

Okay.

So the cross ball and also foam roller is going to be the tools needed for this.

And And And And you guys will definitely see an immediate range of motion improvement in your ability to kind of slide those shoulder blades back to where they need to be.

So really enjoy this one.

Take your time on this.

Like I said, you want to spend time when you're not at the gym.

You just time where you can just spend and kind of dig deep into this.

This is probably the most important of the three of the videos.

So don't move on until much of the lengthening stuff until you kind of really got intimate with your lacrosse ball or your foam roller there.

And really mobilize and open up those areas.

Okay.

Must be Premium Member to Comment

64x64
Cameron
Do you lift your hips when using the ball? Similar to the foam roller
April 16, 2019
64x64
Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Cameron. Yes.
April 16, 2019
64x64
Cameron
Hi Craig, Is doing this upright against a wall ok? I find it easier to do and still reasonably firm pressure
May 2, 2019
64x64
Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Cameron. You can do it against a wall. The floor helps with using your own body weight and relaxing. But, I used to do this against a wall with a tennis ball.
May 2, 2019
64x64
richard
I have a 4 degree rotator tear in the back of right shoulder Will these exercises strengthen the movement of my shoulder glide I definitely feel the sensation in a full back swing doing the shoulder glide repetitions Is that normal ? or with my codition of the rotar cup tear, is it making it worse
November 8, 2018
64x64
Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Richard. The exercise above will do more for mobility, but not that much strengthening. I tore my labrum and cuff in my trail shoulder. I feel your pain.
November 8, 2018
64x64
Larry
Christian, is there a stretch 'test' that we can do first so we can then see our progression?
June 13, 2017
64x64
Christian
Excellent video series. Exactly what I need. I am sitting in front of the computer all day long. How long / many sessions should I do before I progress to the next video? Or should the exercises all be in one session? Thanks.
June 13, 2017
64x64
DAMIEN
Hey Christian You can do all three in one session. However I would spend the majority of your time with the smash. That is your bread and butter for really making a dent in adding extra mobility.
June 13, 2017

We're after one thing: Real Results - Real Fast. And that's exactly what our members achieve. And that's why they say the AXIOM is: Mind-blowing. Game changing. Revolutionary.

Check it out ...

Here at RotarySwing, talk is cheap and the proof is always in the pudding. Come see the massive transformations we can achieve together in your swing.

See for yourself ...

From beginner to pro, we have what you need to get you where you want to go.

See how inside ...

RotarySwing was founded out of frustration with the current state of golf instruction. Quinton knew a better way had to exist to learn this game we all love.

Learn more ...