Sit on the side of a bench and place your hands on the edge, by your hips.
Slide your bottom forward, off the bench, so that your body weight is supported by your arms. Your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle.
Execution
Keeping your torso upright and arms straight, inhale as you allow your torso to move down towards the floor, letting your ears meet your shoulders.
Inhale as you drive your shoulder blades down to push your torso back up to the starting position.
Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.
Comments and tips
The scapula dip is a great exercise for strengthening scapular depression, which is important for shoulder health and stability.
‘Scapula’ is the medical term for ‘shoulder blade’.
The pectoralis minor, the target muscle of this exercise, pulls the scapula downward and against the rib cage, which helps to keep the scapula stable. Scapular depression also prevents the shoulder blades from being rounded over and pulled forward.
Keep your chest tall and your shoulder blades pulled back throughout the exercise.
To make this exercise more challenging, put a weight plate on your lap.
