Posture correction

[AlexanderRakitin]

I have far less than perfect posture. Not being able to focus on it all day, I am not making any progress in correcting it by simply keeping my shoulders spread all day long.

Oddly enough my back is far more developed than my chest. You would think that well developed muscles on the back would improve my posture. That is not the case however.

Are there any exercises that involve weights that could benefit my posture?

Thank you in advance.

[Phaedrus49er]

1. What does your stretching routine--if any--involve?

2. Define "far more developed" (examples? pictures?).

We can go from there

[Keith S.]

Where does your posture "go wrong"? Are your shoulders slumping forward (like what happens to so many people who sit at computers/desks all day)? Maybe a few pictures would help as Phaedrus suggested...

[Tony Gentilcore]

Check out the article series that Jimmy Smith and I co-wrote for t-nation last year titled "De-Constructing Computer Guy." That may be a step in the right direction. Not only do we suggest programming alternations, but we also go into detail on protocols, etc that one can do OUTSIDE of the gym to help correct any postural issues.

[AlexanderRakitin]

1. My don't have much of a stretching routine at all. (ding ding ding)
as far as disparity in development: My back looks like that of an amateur bodybuilder while my chest looks like i've never done more than push-ups.

2. The posture deficiency is that my shoulders are slumping forward. It is probably not related to the fact that I have a desk job. I remember my mom telling me that I am slouching when I was 11.

3. Tony, do you have a link?

[Phaedrus49er]

Here's a series of articles titled "Neanderthal No More" that a few people around here have used (I linked to #5 so you can click back and get all the articles in the series). Here's the link to TG's article as well.

Hypertrophy (being all muscley) doesn't necessarily equate to strength/stability, so though you may have a visually developed back, the underlying support doesn't sound like it's there.

It is probably not related to the fact that I have a desk job.

I'm willing to bet that, causal or not, it's a huge contributing factor.

[Aiken Steve]

Originally Posted by Tony Gentilcore

Check out the article series that Jimmy Smith and I co-wrote for t-nation last year titled "De-Constructing Computer Guy." That may be a step in the right direction. Not only do we suggest programming alternations, but we also go into detail on protocols, etc that one can do OUTSIDE of the gym to help correct any postural issues.

Thanks for that link, I picked up some valuable information. While I was already doing most of the things that were suggested, there were several ideas that were completely new to me.

[Keith S.]

FYI: The computer shoulders thing isn't only computers. I find that when I play PS2 for an extended period of time, lots of times I wind up leaning over causing my shoulder to slum forward and my back actually starts to hurt (under my scapula). So this whole bad posture thing may have more years on it than you realize...