Could you talk more about the lower 5 serratus and how they function in the shift to down dog? Obviously, it's a complex tensegrity, but since the lower 5 aren't square to the sternum like the upper 4 but point increasingly towards the navel, they'll have a different role... but what is it? Maybe you've already done a turorial about that, which I haven't found yet. Thank you so much, and especially thanks for the beautiful demonstration of the line in the upper ribs.
(Edited by Moderator - Ted Johnson
on July 22, 2019)
The anatomy of the SA would indicate that the upper part of the SA (upper 4 slips) is best suited for scapular abduction or protraction movements. The lower part of the SA seems to be more suited for upward rotation of the scapula. The results of this study corroborate this premise. The 3 muscle tests, where upward rotation of the scapula was primarily resisted, were those that produced significantly greater EMG activity in the lower part of the SA as compared to the upper part.
https://www.jospt.org/doi/pdf/10.2519/jospt.2004.34.5.235
Thank you, Lesley. This information is life changing to someone who has struggled unsuccessfully with the “get your shoulders down” cue for years. This way of stabilizing the shoulders helps with everything on the reformer. I felt so flat lying on the carriage when I prepared for short spine massage that I thought I’d left my headrest up. I hadn’t. My shoulders and upper back had flattened and widened that much! I felt my abs more in several exercises most notably knee stretches.
Could you please teach a reformer class focused on the shoulders and Serratus anterior? It’s my new favorite muscle. Thanks so much!