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Muscles of the Shoulder

Muscles of the Shoulder

The muscles surrounding the shoulder girdle, including the clavicle and scapula, primarily stabilize the scapula. This stable base allows other muscles to move the humerus effectively. Scapular movements often mirror those of the humerus and extend its range of motion. For instance, raising the arm above the head would not be feasible without simultaneous upward rotation of the scapula.
Anterior Thoracic Muscles
The anterior thoracic muscles include the serratus anterior, subclavius, and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 22, 2025

Muscle Function Obtained with Motion Mode Ultrasound and Surface Electromyography during Core Endurance Exercise

Muscle Function Obtained with Motion Mode Ultrasound and Surface Electromyography during Core Endurance Exercise

Published on: August 25, 2022

Shoulder electromyography activity during push-up variations: a scoping review.

Katie L Kowalski¹, Denise M Connelly², Jennifer M Jakobi³

¹School of Kinesiology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.

Shoulder & Elbow

|May 23, 2022

Summary

Push-ups variations significantly impact muscle activation, with unstable surfaces yielding the greatest global muscle activity. This research helps tailor push-up (PU) exercises for specific muscle targeting and rehabilitation outcomes.

Keywords:

Push-up electromyography exercise rehabilitation

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Area of Science:

Biomechanics
Exercise Physiology
Sports Medicine

Background:

Push-ups (PU) are fundamental closed-chain exercises for shoulder girdle stability.
Variations in PU exercises modify difficulty and muscle engagement.
Understanding muscle activation patterns is crucial for effective exercise prescription.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify common push-up variations.
To describe muscle activation levels during these variations.
To provide a framework for exercise prescription in rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

Scoping review of literature from January 2000 to November 2019.
Searched databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, SPORTDiscus.
Analyzed 30 articles, focusing on six PU types and five key muscles.

Main Results:

Weighted mean electromyography (EMG) amplitude analyzed for muscle-specific and global activity.
Triceps and pectoralis major showed high EMG during standard, unstable, suspension, and ball-incline PUs.
Serratus anterior activation was highest during PU plus and incline PUs.
Unstable surface push-ups demonstrated the greatest global EMG amplitude.

Conclusions:

Clinicians can use these findings to prescribe targeted PU exercises.
Exercise difficulty can be scaled based on muscle activation profiles.
Facilitates optimized rehabilitation outcomes through informed exercise selection.