The role of the shoulder in kettlebell fixation

 

Posted by: John Campione

Overhead lifting is an important part of many foundational exercises, but it’s particularly important for Kettlebell Sport. So what keeps lifters from reaching their goals and achieving their desired results? The most common “weak link” is the shoulder complex.

The shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) and the surrounding muscles, ligaments and tendons. The shoulder joint is called the glenohumeral joint (GHJ). This is where the ball of the humeral head fits into the socket on the scapula. The scapula sits on the back of the rib cage and is connected mostly by muscles. Other than the clavicle, the scapula does not have a bony connection to the rest of the body. This makes proper muscle function extremely important to the stability of the joint. Those muscles are the rotator cuff muscles, as well as the joint capsule surrounding the joint. The rotator cuff muscles sit on top of and underneath the scapula. They attach on the head of the humerus to provide a number of different actions, such as movement at the joint, but also to provide necessary stability to the joint. When you are attempting to achieve fixation, the rotator cuff muscles are working hard to stabilize that weight overhead.

GHJ mobility issue

As complicated as the shoulder is structurally, it’s easy to see how its function can be compromised. While there are many ways the body can be dysfunctional, here are just a few things to look for in the shoulder. Poor range of motion at the GHJ is prevalent in fitness today. Many exercise enthusiasts and athletes just don’t work on their mobility enough. One hint that the shoulder has poor range of motion is to watch a lifter press. If their arm is more forward in reference to their head, they are lacking mobility at the GHJ.

Proper GHJ mobility

A press should result in the arm being in line with the ear and, if looking from a side view, the lifters face peeking out from behind the arm.

Gothic Shoulders

Protracted scapulae or “gothic shoulders” is often a result of or cause for poor range of motion. If you’ve ever seen someone with shoulders rounded forward and a lot of space between their shoulder blades then you have seen someone with protracted scapulae and “gothic shoulders.” This is often seen in workers spending much of their time on a computer.

Shoulder Muscles

Many lifters with this posture often obtain it from overdeveloping certain muscles that attach to the shoulder blades. There are 18 different muscles (on each side) that attach to the shoulder blades, but two in particular are the trapezius or “traps” and the latissimus dorsi or “lats.” The traps, and more importantly for this discussion, the upper traps attach to the top of the shoulder blades and all the way to the base of the skull. They allow us to shrug our shoulders. Overdevelopment of the upper traps commonly results in pulling the shoulder blades out of their proper, stable position. The lats are large muscles that attach to the pelvis, span the low back including a small portion with connection to the tip of the scapula, and then attach into the inside of the upper arm. Overdevelopment of the lats often causes internal rotation of the upper arm applying stress on the GHJ. It can also result in pronation of the forearm.

Take a look at a friend standing with their arms rested at their sides. What direction are their palms facing? If their palms are facing backwards at rest then you’ve got an individual with pronated forearms. The internal rotation is most likely coming from a problem at the shoulder which is why it is important to recognize this dysfunction in lifters.

So how does any of this affect overhead lifting, and more importantly, fixation? Well, fixation can be considered one of the, if not the most important component of the overhead lifts. Without fixation, your rep does not count. Without proper shoulder mechanics, you cannot achieve fixation. Identifying the problem is the first step in fixing poor overhead pressing mechanics. Scrutinize yourself and your trainees when performing overhead movements. Look at them lifting and look at them walking around the gym during reset time. Athletes are excellent compensators, but when you know what you’re looking for, you can make the right correction and see amazing results.

Contributed by
John Campione, DC, CSCS, ART, CES, FMS, WKC
Kinetic Health, LLC
2 S 631 Route 59
Warrenville, IL 60555
630.393.0800
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