Should You Pin Your Shoulder Blades Back & Down for Resistance Training?

Last week, an online 1-on-1 client hit me with a classic.

'Hi Susie! I know that sometimes you use the cue ‘shoulders back and down,’ but you also preach to let the shoulder blades move freely. How do I know which exercises to squeeze the shoulder blades down and back, and for which ones they shouldn’t be?’

First of all, excellent question. Second, welcome to the eternal battle of biomechanics. This question pops up all the time – from clients, members in my group training program, and even people sliding into my DMs like, ‘soooo…, scaps???’

The answer? IT DEPENDS. But more often than not, you want those shoulder blades gliding and sliding freely like a well-oiled machine. First, some quick & dirty anatomy.

Your shoulder (aka the glenohumeral joint) is a true ball-and-socket joint. It’s made up of the humeral head (your upper arm bone) and the glenoid fossa of the scapula (your shoulder blade). It’s the most mobile joint in the body—and also the least stable – fun combo, right?

But wait! There’s more!

Sternoclavicular joint – where your collarbone meets your chest

Acromioclavicular joint – where your collarbone meets your shoulder blade

Scapulothoracic joint – where your shoulder blade chills on your rib cage 

All FOUR of these joints need to work together for proper shoulder movement. Your shoulder can only move about 120 degrees of movement when lifting your arms overhead. The rest of the motion? That comes from the other three joints pitching in—mainly your scapula (shoulder blade) rotating up and out.

This is called scapulohumeral rhythm—aka, the reason you can reach for your favorite snack on the top shelf without your body imploding. Your arm and shoulder blade are designed to move together, like the ultimate biomechanical duo.

But what happens when you pin your shoulder blades back and down?

 Let’s put it this way. Imagine a four-person team. Now, take three of those members out of the game. Congrats. You’ve got one poor sucker trying to do all the work, and he can't even get the job done alone. That’s exactly what happens when you lock your shoulder blades in place instead of letting them move. For most upper-body movements, your scaps should be free—not held hostage.

So, when should you keep your shoulder blades back and down?

LAT PULLDOWNS — NOPE

Pull-ups, chin-ups, and lat pulldowns start with your arms overhead. If you pin your shoulders back, congrats—you’ve just limited your overhead movement AND reduced the stretch on your lats. That means less mechanical tension, fewer gains, and a very sad back day.

BENCH PRESS — YES

Finally, a time when locking the scaps makes sense! Pinning them back and down creates a solid pressing base so your shoulders so your pecs, triceps, delts, and rotator cuffs can move the load efficiently. A natural lower back arch will also form with the more squeeze those blades and puff that chest – this is a natural and safe position to be in as it further helps the shoulders get into a solid position.

OVERHEAD PRESS — NOPE

Like we discussed earlier, the shoulder joint gives you about 120 degrees of overhead motion. The rest? That’s your scaps doing their thang. If you pin them down, your arms literally can’t move fully overhead, meaning your ribcage will compensate. Not ideal unless you enjoy looking like a flared-out cobra mid-press. However, letting your shoulder blades move does not mean shrugging up like you’re auditioning for a turtle impersonation.

BENT-OVER ROWS — NOPE

Your arms are moving horizontally, which means your scaps need to move too. On the descent, they should reach down toward the floor. On the ascent, they should squeeze back.

Want to have some fun with these? Add in some shoulder rotation like this.

DEADLIFT VARIATIONS: NOPE-ISH

You’ll hear some coaches cue shoulder blades together and down for conventional deadlifts and RDLs, however this position isn’t feasible to hold. The amount of weight you lift with your legs to deadlift will be entirely too much for the small muscles between your shoulder blades to stay squeezed together. However, you DO want to ‘pack the lats’ so the arms can act as ropes on the bar. To do this, think about squeezes oranges in your armpits before the pull. This will essentially pull the shoulder blades down.

Check out the post I made on this.

BARBELL BACK SQUATS: YES-ISH

In order for a strong squat, you’ll want to create upper back tension. To make this happen naturally, assume a grip on the bar where your hands are as close to your shoulders as you can comfortably get them. In this position, your shoulder blades will naturally squeeze together. This also helps to create a shelf out of the upper back muscles for the bar to rest on for high bar back squats. Be sure your wrists are straight and elbows are in line, or a little behind, your torso.

Final Thoughts – FREE THE SCAPS

Yes, there’s a time and place for 'shoulders back and down.' But for most movements, your shoulder blades should be doing their job—moving. Locking them down when they need to be mobile is like tying your shoelaces together before a sprint – counterproductive and potentially catastrophic.

Got questions? Fire away! Hope ya learned something today. Now go forth and let those scaps be free.

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