Don't be fooled by 'The Scapula is Key!' Why doesn't anything change even though you stretch every day?
Hello everyone, it's Yoshi, the Flipper President!
"Move your shoulder blades!"
"Let's increase the range of motion of your shoulder blades!"
These are voices often heard on the pool deck. Haven't you been told this at least once?
And many people are loosening their shoulder blades with foam rollers almost every day, working hard on shoulder blade stretches...
But wait a minute.
Is that effort really leading to results? Is your shoulder movement improving dramatically every day?
Today, I will talk about the "scapula trap" that many swimmers fall into, based on cases I have actually seen in the field of finswimming instruction. Please read to the end so you don't fall into the trap.
Why are shoulder blades alone limited?
"I do shoulder blade exercises every day, but the tightness in my streamline doesn't really change..."
This is a consultation I often hear in the field. When I actually look, the movement of the shoulder blades is certainly much better than before. But when I have them form a streamline, there isn't much change and it still looks somewhat cramped.
Have you ever had an experience like this?
Even though I continue shoulder blade stretches, it doesn't improve as much as I thought
The range of motion for my stroke doesn't really expand
My upper body doesn't move smoothly during the dolphin kick
Actually, the cause of these is overwhelmingly often in places other than the shoulder blades.
Do you know the law of "Phenomenon ≠ Cause"?
What I often tell athletes is that "where the phenomenon is occurring is not necessarily the problem".
For example, suppose you feel "knee pain." Most people massage their knees or stretch their knees, right?
But in fact, there is a possibility that the cause of knee pain is in the lower back or shoulder blades. Because the body is all connected, problems in distant parts often appear as symptoms in completely different places.
Shoulder movement is the same.
Even if you feel like your shoulders are stiff,the actual cause is often in a place other than the shoulders.
What is the 'true culprit' that is often overlooked?
So, what is the problem if it's not the scapula?
The answer isthe part right in front of your eyes.
It is...
the muscles around the ribs
the muscles around the collarbone
Did you think, 'Wait, such a familiar place?'
That's right.
Because the scapula is on the back and invisible, it's easy to be conscious of it as 'important,' but the ribs and collarbone area on the front of the chest are surprisingly easy to forget, even though you see them in the mirror every day.
My 'leaking bucket' experience
Actually, I myself was completely trapped by this in my student days.
I wanted to make my streamline more comfortable, so I continued scapula exercises almost every day. I loosened them up thoroughly with a foam roller and stretched them carefully.
Thanks to that, my scapula improved to a level whereit couldn't possibly get any smoother. I even showed off my stretches at the gym as if to say, 'Look, aren't my shoulders flexible?' (laughs)
But... the comfort of the streamline, which was the main point, didn't change that dramatically.
'Why? Even though I worked so hard...'
At that time, I happened to be taught an approach for the rib and collarbone area at a completely different time.
And then, what do you know?
Until then, no matter how much time I spent on stretches and exercises, I didn't see improvements proportional to my effort, as if water were leaking from a bucket, but the more I did it,the more comfortable my streamline became right before my eyes!
I still can't forget that excitement!
Why is the chest area important?
Imagine this.
When you form a streamline, you raise your arms above your head, right? At this time, it is not just the scapula that is moving.
The collarbone rises
The ribs expand
The chest muscles stretch
And as a result, the scapula moves
In other words, if the area around your collarbone and ribs is stiff, no matter how much you loosen your scapula, the entire movement of raising your arms will not be smooth.
To use an analogy, if you only oil the door hinges (the scapula) but the door frame (the area around the ribs and collarbone) is warped, the door will not open smoothly.
You can start today! An integrated check method
So, what should you do?
It's simple. Don't just check the scapula; check the entire chest area.
[Simple Check Method]
-
Streamline Check
Try forming a normal streamline
Check for areas or parts that feel tight or uncomfortable
-
Collarbone Area Check
Slowly rotate your shoulders forward and backward
Check for parts where you feel catching or stiffness
By doing just this, won't you find areas of concern other than the scapula, such as the chest area, sides, and collarbone area?
Once you find a place that catches or doesn't move smoothly, the rest is easy. Just like when you are loosening your scapula, try using a foam roller or your hands to loosen it up.
That alone will dramatically change how easily you can form a streamline!
If you change your perspective, you can have a breakthrough
This discussion is not limited to shoulder movement.
“I've been working hard and consistently on the same thing for so long, but I just can't seem to improve...”
In times like these, it's important to try changing your perspective.
Your kick isn't improving → It might actually be caused by your upper body posture.
Your stroke isn't rotating → It might actually be caused by how you use your core.
Breathing is difficult → It might actually be caused by tension in your kick.
By not getting hung up on just one part and looking at things from multiple angles, you might be able to achieve a breakthrough all at once.
Cultivate an eye for discerning the essence
In today's world, overflowing with information, superficial advice like “the shoulder blades are key” tends to take on a life of its own.
But what's important is to cultivate an eye for discerning the essence: “Why are they important?” and “Are there any other parts I'm overlooking?”
Please take a moment to re-evaluate your own training as well.
Are you only approaching the same areas? Perhaps a hint for improvement is hidden in an unexpected place.
With that said, thank you for reading this far once again.
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Also, I will continue to share information that will be useful to all my readers through introductions to training and explanations of swimming techniques that you won't hear anywhere else, so please enter your “questions or topics you're curious about” in the “comment section” and let me know!
See you next time!
Bye for now
Finswimming Specialist
Finhin President Yoshihide Sekino
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