I Did Scapular Push-Ups For 30 Days: Here’s What Happened

If you’ve been following my other articles, you’ll know that I love push-ups. I regularly perform different push-up variations as part of my bodyweight training routine. They’re simple to perform, require little equipment, and can be done in most places. 

The scapular push-up is a variation I haven’t actually done before. You set up like a normal push-up in a high plank position. However, your arms stay extended while you spread your shoulder blades apart. 

For this challenge, I’m going to perform scapular push-ups every day for a month. I aim to get 100 daily scapular push-ups split into even sets. With this being said, let’s see how I go! These are my scapular push-up benefits after a month of doing them. I share my thoughts, feelings, and the benefits I found. 

Doing Scapular Push-Ups Every Day For A Month — My Experience

In this section, I’ve documented my experiences throughout the challenge. I’ll also share any challenges I faced and any smaller weekly aims. 

Week 1

Push-up challenges are not new to me. In a previous article, I looked at the benefits of doing push-ups every day for a week. During this, I aimed to do 100 daily push-ups and see what happened. 

As I mentioned above, the scapular push-up is a new movement for me. Even though it’s called a push-up, the movement pattern is quite different. Because of this, I’m going to start slow and spend this week learning the correct technique. 

I aim to perfect the technique and slowly build the volume. My main goal is usually to build or maintain muscle so this is a great way to do this. I’ll start with three sets of 20 repetitions and look to add one set in the following weeks. 

At the end of week one, this movement is taking some getting used to. I keep wanting to bend my elbows into a normal push-up. When I get the movement right, I can really feel it on my trapezius and shoulder muscles. 

I’ve been using a mirror to help but still not getting the movement completely right. I’ll keep the volume the same for week two and work on my technique before implementing a push-up progression.  

Week 2 

In week two, my goal is the same. Perform three sets of 20 repetitions while perfecting my technique. I’ll keep using a mirror and focus on contracting my shoulder blade muscles. 

If I can’t get the technique this week, I might kneel to reduce the difficulty. However, I’m a few days in and I think I’m getting better.

One thing I’ve noticed is how much I feel the movement in my middle back and shoulders. If you’re looking for a challenging push-up variation that isolates them, this is the one to do. Even with all my push-up experience, I’m loving the challenge! 

I guess one thing that will help is focusing on my mind-muscle connection. I need to think about pushing the floor away while spreading my shoulder blades at the top. It’s also a great way to enhance muscle growth if I do it correctly. 

Now that I’m halfway through the challenge, I’m starting to get the hang of things. I’m not bending my elbows as much and I’m feeling it more where I should be. It’s time to add an extra set for week three. Hopefully, I’ll have enough discipline to keep the correct technique. 

Week 3 

One thing that I’ve noticed at the start of week three is just how much I’m enjoying the challenge. I never expected a push-up movement to give me this. However, the other challenges have developed my mental toughness so I know I can do it. 

Adding the extra set in has been hard but very worth it. I feel much more aware of my shoulder and back positions during my other exercises. This is also helping to improve my posture when I’m walking around and sitting to work. 

With the prevalence of shoulder injuries when lifting at 7.4%, I’m making sure I do my specific shoulder warm-ups every day. Even when doing this, my shoulder mobility feels better than at the start of the challenge. 

I would say that this week has been a success overall. I managed to add the extra set without too many issues. Let’s add some more progressive overload by performing five sets of 20 for week four. 

Week 4

At the start of week four, I’ve perfected the movement. It took a while to get used to not bending my elbows. I think having better muscle activation awareness will benefit me in all my training going forward. 

Performing five sets of 20 is honestly really tough. Even though it’s a small movement, it takes a lot of shoulder and core strength. Because of this, I’ll admit that I’ve struggled to keep the correct form towards set five. 

Throughout the challenge, I’ve made sure to split the sets throughout each day. This has helped me to reduce the potential fatigue and overtraining. Even with this, I did have to take a quick break towards the last sets. 

At the end of the challenge, this movement has been a pleasant surprise. It worked muscles I never even thought about and required real determination to get it done. For me, it’s a great exercise that’s worth adding to your bodyweight routine. 

Results And Key Changes

These are the five main results and key changes I experienced during and after the challenge. You may experience some of these yourself alongside others I haven’t mentioned.

I Improved My Shoulder Stability

Having good shoulder stability is vital when resistance training. It refers to the ability of your shoulder joints to maintain their normal positions during movement. 

My shoulder stability is generally quite good. I regularly exercise with great form and haven’t had any shoulder injuries yet. However, there’s always room for improvement. 

Scapular push-ups really focus on your serratus anterior muscles, with some engagement from the shoulders and middle back. They’re an unforgiving exercise that requires proper focus. Because of this, I had to focus on my shoulder positioning. 

At the end of week four, my shoulder stability felt great. My shoulders felt stronger and more stable during my other press-up variations. The small but effective shoulder movements were a big enough training stimulus to improve it. 

My General Posture Felt Great

Keeping good posture is something I’ve always prioritized. I have two herniated discs so I have to keep good posture during moving and activity. I do this by having a strong core and focusing on my body position.

Studies on the association between posture and lower back pain suggest that it may not be a primary factor. However, they do say that keeping good posture during movement and activity may help reduce the likelihood of symptoms occurring.

Scapular push-ups mainly work the serratus anterior muscles. The shoulders and trapezius muscles act as secondary movers. Each of these plays a key role in postural control. 

Four weeks of dedicated work really helped my posture. I felt more aware of my body position and improved my muscle activation. By the end of the challenge, my core felt better and my lower back pain symptoms were not so bad. 

With this, I’ve learned that I need to prioritize functional exercises such as scapular push-ups alongside traditional ones. While they won’t form the bulk of my training, I’ll add them in to improve my functional movement.

Even if you don’t have back pain, keeping good posture and maintaining function are things that should be non-negotiable. 

I Found The Movement Very Challenging

Even though I’m experienced in bodyweight movements, performing daily scapular push-ups was hard. It’s an unforgiving movement that requires strength and focus. It’s something I didn’t expect when learning about the movement before starting. 

Training intensity is key to improving strength. Performing 100 daily scapular push-ups was a hard challenge that I really enjoyed. Additionally, it improved my upper body strength along the way. 

I’ve always been someone who likes trying new things. Because of this, I’m glad I chose this movement and will look forward to other challenging variations in the future.

If you’re performing the normal push-up, we answer the question “How many push-ups should I be able to do?” here. This offers a more detailed guide on how to set your volume for normal training.  

I Loved How Versatile It Was

Being versatile in terms of exercises means that a movement can be used for different goals and performed in different places. As I perform challenges, versatility is something that I’ve realized is very important. 

Scapular push-ups are a versatile movement for many reasons. They require little set-up time and no equipment and can be adapted to different ability levels. These are all common barriers to exercise. 

Because of this, I could perform them anywhere and adapt them when I wanted. At the end of the challenge, I realized just how versatile this movement was. If you’re looking for an exercise to perform on the go throughout the day, this exercise ticks all the boxes. 

My Muscle Activation Awareness Got Better

Having a good mind-muscle connection is something that I keep trying to develop. It refers to how you think about the muscles you’re working. Some exercises help to develop a good mind-muscle connection while others are not as easy.

Scapular push-ups are an unforgiving exercise. If you don’t think about activating your shoulders and trapezius muscles, you won’t perform the right technique. Because of this, doing them daily really helped to improve my muscle activation. 

At the end of the challenge, I felt much more confident in activating them. I feel like this could improve my technique in my other exercises and with it, their effectiveness. I also think that I’ll focus more on my primary movers in other exercises. Scapular push-ups have taught me to be more aware of my body position and the muscles I’m working. 

How To Do A Scapular Push-Up 

How To Do

1. Find a suitable mat or padded area. Assume a high plank position with your arms fully extended. Your hands should be stacked directly under your shoulders with your legs extended behind you. 
2. Inhale and engage your core. There should be a straight line from your heels to your head. 
3. Exhale and slowly contract your shoulder blade muscles to raise your upper body. Your arms should stay in the same position while your shoulders move. 
4. Pause briefly at the top position, focusing on bringing your shoulder blades apart. This means that they come away from the spine. 
5. Inhale and come back to the starting position under control. Your arms should stay extended throughout the movement.

Tips

• Focus on retracting your shoulder blades before going into the push-up position. This ensures targeted muscle activation. 
• Performs a suitable shoulder warm-up consisting of dynamic shoulder stretches and aerobic exercise. This helps to reduce injury risk when exercising. 
• Make sure your elbows stay extended throughout the movement. Your shoulder blades should be the main movers.
• Keep your core engaged throughout the movement. This ensures that your hips don’t dip or your back doesn’t round. 
• Avoid tucking your head or excessively extending it. This reduces potential neck strain and injury. 

Final Thoughts

While scapular push-ups use a small movement pattern, they certainly pack a punch. They offer a great way to target your shoulders and trapezius muscles. 

Performing them correctly takes some time. However, with a bit of perseverance, they’re worth it. Add them to your routine and you won’t regret the benefits!

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