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Scapular maintenance

2-3 rounds of 10 scapular pull-ups, 12 band external rotations, and 8 Y/T raises.

Slot
Strength
Focus
Stability
Time
10 min
Intensity
Low
Injury risk
Low
Intervals
2 rounds, 1:00 rest
Equipment
Pull up bar, Resistance band, Floor space

How to do it

Do 2-3 rounds of: 10 scapular pull-ups (hang with straight arms and pull your shoulder blades down and back, without bending your elbows), 12 external rotations per side with a light band, and 8 Y and T raises lying face down (lift straight arms into a Y, then a T shape). Rest 1 minute between rounds. Keep it easy and tidy.

Who it’s for

Shoulders that take a lot of pulling and not much else. Ten minutes of this a week is unglamorous and does more for shoulder longevity than any single exercise on the wall.

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows on scapular pull-ups. Straight arms throughout. The movement is the shoulder blades sliding down and back, and it’s small.
  • Using a heavy band for external rotations. Light. If your shoulder shrugs up to help, the band is too strong.
  • Rushing the Y and T raises. Slow lifts, brief pause at the top. Eight good ones beat twenty flicked.
  • Doing it only when something hurts. It’s maintenance. It works when it’s boring and regular.

How to progress

Add a round rather than load. Once three rounds are easy, slow the tempo down instead of reaching for a heavier band, and keep it on a fixed day so it doesn’t quietly disappear from your week.

When it fits

The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.

  • Base Lots of easy climbing, good movement and aerobic fitness.
  • Power Endurance Keep your power through one hard move after another.
  • Endurance Climb longer before you pump out, by moving efficiently.
  • Performance Peak for a trip or a comp: focus, reading problems, trying hard.
  • Deload Train less, let your fingers recover, keep moving.

Start with a ready-made block

A six-week strength plan with a deload, as a file for the app, and seven short emails on how to run it.