Your serratus anterior (SAnt) muscle helps to keep your shoulderblades under control and keep them flat against your chest wall. They are great stabilisers particularly when you’re weightbearing through your arms.
Your rotator cuff (the infraspinatus, supraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis in the picture above!) helps control where your arm and your shoulder blade is.
The deltoid muscle is the big chunky one on the outside which is your power muscle around all the delicate structures of your shoulder. This needs to work hard when the going gets tough and the hill gets nasty and everything wants to give up!
Your trapezius (all of the parts of it) are in charge of your shoulderblade position in terms of going up/ down and in.
Your big pectoralis muscles on the front of your chest also help with the control of your arm and shoulderblade. This is a big meaty muscle and is also your champion when the going gets tough to help you control your upper body.
Training these areas:
SAnt: Push plus, weighted punches
Rotator Cuff: Cables/ Theraband exercises
Deltoids: Weights/ theraband
Traps: Wall angels (make sure your back is flat against the wall along with your forearms), pull downs (yes these work your lats too), shrugs
Pecs: Chest press (weights machine), press ups, planks, plank to press up
Good whole body exercises:
Superman’s
Superman’s over a ball
Plank to press-up
BOSU planks
BOSU press ups
BOSU mountain climber series: Exercise 1a and 1b, Exercise 2a and 2b
These are only just a suggestion for you, and by no means the Holy Grail, but I never met anyone who didn’t feel better being stronger, and it definitely will make a difference on the bike.
Best of luck with your cycling this year!
Kate
Lead Physio
The Derbyshire Sporting Joint