Spending long periods of time sat at a desk, hunched over a computer or driving can result in pulled forward or protracted shoulders and a rounded upper back. In addition, a badly designed exercise program that involves too many pushing exercises...
Your pec muscles make up your chest, which include the pectoralis major and minor, according to manual therapist Thomas Myers, author of "Anatomy Trains." These muscles work with your shoulders, back, abdominals, arms and hips to produce the...
Your shoulder girdle is made up of your clavicle and scapula bones, which connect together to form a ring that sits on top of your rib cage. According to "Principles of Anatomy & Physiology," by Sandra R. Grabowski & Gerald J. Tortora, there are...
The side of your chest contains muscles responsible for protraction of the scapula, or movement of your shoulders over the rib area. Movements in which your arms extend out in front of your chest work these particular muscles. Complete development...
The trapezius is the large, superficial triangular muscle that extends from the base of the skull to the upper back. Its upper, middle and lower fibers move the shoulder blades up, down and toward the spine, rotate the shoulder blades so that the...
The shoulder blades are the area of the body where the rotator cuff muscles are found. These include the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis. Cumulatively, they are referred to by the acronym "SITS." Exercises for the...
The pectoral muscles make up your chest. Although they aren't seen on women because they are positioned behind the breasts, they are very prominent on men and are even considered a vanity muscle for them, as they give men a stronger-looking...
Upper back pain is less common and more complex than lower back pain. It is usually caused by muscle strain and joint injury due to poor posture, over use, strain, sports injuries and vehicle accidents. According to the Nicholas Institute of...
The serratus anterior is a muscle on either side of your ribs near your armpits that works with other muscles to move the shoulder blade and shoulder joint in different directions, such as in protraction and retraction. It also stabilizes the...
The rhomboids are two muscles -- the rhomboid major and rhomboid minor -- that span the area between the scapula bones within your upper back and your spine. Both muscles serve the same function: retracting, or pulling back, the scapula bones and...
Pushups are bodyweight exercises that are designed to increase strength in your upper body. Pushups work the chest muscles, the shoulder muscles and the triceps muscles. Shoulders do a lot of work during pushups, making variations of them an...
Stretching the muscles of your upper back and shoulders can increase arm, neck and scapular ranges of motion and might help prevent and treat injuries or pain. Perform either dynamic stretches, which involve moving your joints repeatedly in a...
Your shoulder girdle consists of two bones -- the clavicle and scapula. These two bones form a framework that sits on top of your ribs like a set of football shoulder pads. The shoulder girdle is capable of four primary movements -- retraction,...
Exercise balls strengthen a variety of muscles in the body while adding an element of core work to all your exercises. The ball itself is the only tool you need to strengthen your core, back, chest, legs and shoulders. Another idea is to...
A pec muscle is one of a group of muscles that forms your chest, which is active during shoulder-girdle movements. Activities that flex your shoulders and spread your shoulder blades apart, including bench pressing, activate most of your pec...
The scapula is a flat bone in the back of the shoulder that is often referred to as the shoulder blade. Pain in this region is often the result of tight muscles or injury to the rotator cuff -- a small grouping of muscles that allow you to move...
The supraspinatus is a muscle on the top of your shoulder blade that helps to elevate the arm and move it away from your body. The muscle works with three other muscles whose tendons form the rotator cuff to support the arm at the shoulder joint....
The term "pecs" refers to the muscles located on your chest, also called pectoralis muscles. For women this means the muscles that lay just under the breasts. The term is plural because this part of your muscular system consists of two different...
The upper trapezius refers to the upper portion of the muscle that extends from the base of your skull through your upper shoulders and into your shoulder blades. The trapezius works with the shoulders to elevate, depress, protract and retract the...
Stretching the pectoralis minor and major muscles helps decrease tightness in your upper chest. Stretching elongates the muscles and releases tension that can build up within the muscles fibers. The pectoralis minor and major can be stretched...
Incorporating any variation of a pushup into your workout regime provides a total body workout. If you are specifically looking to improve your arms and shoulders, include pushups to enhance your upper body strength by pushing and stabilizing your...
Swimming is a great exercise that develops a lot of the major muscle groups in the body, but it can place a lot of strain on your shoulders. The rotator cuff provides a stable platform for a full range of shoulder motion, but must be strengthened...
Mountain climbers, in which you put your hands on the floor and mimic the motion of climbing with your legs, combine dynamic and isometric force to produce an overall body workout. This is a cardiovascular type of exercise, and it will give you...
The bench press and overhead press are two pushing exercises in separate planes of movement, such that when comparing them, it becomes much like comparing apples to oranges. They each have their benefits and work your body in different angles. The...
According to the University of Washington School of Medicine, range of motion (ROM) is the amount of flexibility in your joints. ROM is usually measure in degrees from the starting position to the position at the end of its full range of movement....
A strong upper body is not only nice to look at but is also beneficial when engaging in everyday activities. The muscles of the arms and chest tend to be of particular importance when training in the gym. Complete your chest, biceps and triceps...
Combining fat burn with toning muscle seems as if it fulfills two requirements of your exercise program with just one activity. However, you must chose the right exercise because doing upper body cardio can result in fewer calories burned due to...
Poor posture is the primary source and the most overlooked factor of many muscular, skeletal, and neural pains and discomforts in the body. When your body is in optimal alignment, your joints, muscles and tissues get an equal amount of force...
Kinesis is a piece of exercise equipment that is unlike many others. Usually dedicated to an entire room, these exercise devices are cable pulleys that are hidden behind wood paneled walls. These cable pulleys allow for a natural full range of...
