Scap Jacked
by Grace Lin
Shoulder injuries are one of the most common to occur in our sport. With any sort of exercise, comes the risk of injury – that’s just the nature of any type of exercise. Most people have dealt or are dealing with some sort of shoulder dysfunction (e.g., muscular imbalance, pain, limited range of motion). This dysfunction cannot be masked with pain killers or K-tape. Well, it can, but only for so long before the issue becomes more serious. The root of the problem must be found. Any sort of shoulder dysfunction needs to be fixed via increasing shoulder mobility and activating/strengthening the dynamic stabilizers of the shoulder complex.
Enter Crossover Symmetry! The Crossover Symmetry (COS) system is designed to improve shoulder health and fix shoulder dysfunction. To understand how it does this, we need to understand how the shoulder and the surrounding muscles work.
Shoulder
The shoulder is comprised of three bones: the clavicle, the scapula, and the humerus. The shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket joint, similar to the hip, where the humerus meets the scapula. The joint is stabilized by the rotator cuff. During full range of motion, the rotator cuff keeps the ball of the humerus (the humeral head) in the shoulder socket. If any of the muscles in the rotator cuff are weak or fatigue occurs, the humeral head will often move upwards excessively and close off the subacromial space, which causes pain and/or impingement. COS improves muscular endurance of these stabilizing muscles so the humeral head stays centered in the socket during repetitive overhead movements, which is very common in our sport.
Deltoids
The deltoids are involved in elevating the arm overhead. It moves the ball upward in the socket, which is balanced by the opposing pull of the rotator cuff muscles. Crossfit involves a lot of dynamic overhead movements, like handstand push-ups, snatches, jerks, presses, pull-ups, etc. These exercises place a large emphasis on deltoid strength, which may cause the deltoid to develop more than the rotator cuff. This, in turn, can lead to muscular imbalance which may lead to impingement in the shoulder because the subacromial space will decrease.
Scapular Muscles
The upper traps, lower traps, and serratus anterior work together to rotate the scapula upwards, allowing the arm to move overhead. A trend we typically see in Crossfit athletes is over-developed upper traps, compared to lower traps. If the upper traps are over-developed, there will be a muscular imbalance which can cause limitations in the ability to rotate the scapula correctly when going overhead. In addition, research has shown that the risk for shoulder injury is increased when the upper trap is significantly stronger than the lower trap.
Posture
It always seems to come back to posture. And it only makes sense, because the 1-2 hours per day we spend in the gym is not going to correct the 14+ hours we are roaming around with poor posture (not including sleep). A poor posture lifestyle (e.g., shoulders rounded forward, head tilted downward) results in tight chest muscles, weak upper back muscles, and poor thoracic spine mobility. All of these alter proper movement of the scapula, which reduces the subacromial space during overhead movements. And as we have learned by now, that causes pain and/or impingement.
The COS programs are meant to regain balance in the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint. There are 4 programs: Activation, Plyometric (Activation+), Iron Scap (Strength), and Recovery. Each of these serves a particular purpose, and all are great for shoulder health. The Activation program is meant to be done pre-workout to connect the nervous system to the musculature, get blood into the tissues, and get the muscles firing in the correct way. The Plyometric (Activation+) program is similar to activation, but focuses on prepping for higher dynamic movements (e.g., snatch versus strict press). The Iron Scap (Strength) program is designed as its own workout – it’s meant to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder. And finally, the Recovery program focuses on eccentric loading in order to move extra blood to the muscles and tendons after a shoulder intensive workout to speed up recovery.
These 4 programs are designed to get the shoulders moving in the way they are intended to move. It’s a simple principle, but can be dangerous if not done correctly. If you already experience shoulder dysfunction in some way, then you are probably not moving your shoulders correctly, and moving them correctly is the crux of the COS system. So, start light and make sure your movement is correct. Also, grab a coach or a member who is experienced in COS to watch you as you do the exercises. You should always be focused on shoulders back and down, rib cage down, and belly tight. If you are not doing these things, then you are at risk for moving your shoulders incorrectly, which would defeat the purpose of the COS exercises.
Crossover Symmetry is a fantastic tool for shoulder health maintenance and rehabilitation, BUT only if it is done correctly! So, the next time you grab those COS bands, take the time and effort to perform the exercises with proper mechanics. Your shoulders will thank you in the long run!