Workout Wednesday: Why Scapular Wall Slides are Great for Riding Posture March 04 2015

Scapular wall slides are great for riding posture

Why bother?

These may sound hard and painful but they’re actually pretty easy. And if you’ve ever worried that you look a little bit like Donkey Kong when you ride, then wall slides will be a great exercise for you. They’ll help strengthen your upper back, which will prevent your shoulders from rounding forward as you ride and leave you with terrific riding posture.

How do I do it?

  1. Begin with your butt, shoulders and knuckles against a wall, with your hands in a ‘high five’ position and your elbows bent at 90 degrees (position A).

  2. Maintaining these points of contact, slide your hands up over your head (position B).

  3. Return past your starting position, sliding your elbows down towards your sides as far as they can go.

  4. Repeat for 3-4 sets of 15 reps.

When should I do it?

Because all you need to do a scapular wall slide is a wall (duh), they’re a great standalone exercise. They’re also a great way to follow a pushup workout, as they’ll help counter the training of your chest.