How To Perform The Forearm Wall-Slide at 135 Degrees

ByMike Collins

Listen up, my fellow fitness aficionados! When it comes to resisted scapular slides, there's no time for dilly-dallying. I personally use a cable pulley in a seated position – it's like a hot knife through butter, baby! But let me warn you, improper shoulder mobility can cause back hyperextension and leave you looking like a fish out of water. Don't worry, I've got your back. Simply focus on proper breathing patterns and you'll be roasting those shoulders in no time. Experience the refreshing summer breeze of the Forearm Wall-Slide at 135 Degrees. Strengthen arms and shoulders, improve posture, reduce shoulder pain and tension in neck/upper back. With regular practice, feel a difference in everyday movements – energizing, calming and revitalizing. Enjoy!

Exercise Instructions

  1. Spread your shoulder blades as you would two wings of a superhero, and press your forearms firmly to the wall like it is the steel frame of a battleship; this is your foundation for battle!
  2. Push off the wall as if you were a missile fired from an aircraft carrier, and then slide back down towards its embrace.
  3. Make sure you maintain a constant connection with the wall throughout your movement, like impenetrable chainmail armor.
  4. Be sure to keep your down and away from your ears as if you are heeding ancient battle command not to be tempted by any distractions! Do not shrug them as if submitting defeat. You are a superhero! Be bold and unafraid.

Now, don't go thinking it's a walk in the park, folks. Most people struggle to score even a measly “2” and have a greater chance of causing a right/left asymmetry than hitting a bullseye blindfolded. And I think we can all agree, no one wants the blood of a baby seal on their hands. So, let's exercise caution and do some corrective exercises, shall we? Contract those back muscles with every rep and challenge those middle-back, shoulder, and core muscles. And if you're looking for a little something extra, try adding them at the end of your workout, once you've sweated out the hard stuff.

To perform these forearm wall slides, stand against the wall with your heels, butt, upper back, shoulders, arms and hands all in cahoots. Slide those hands up and down like you're pressing to the heavens, but be warned – this isn't for the faint of heart. I once had a close call and couldn't lift my arm higher than my hips without feeling like I'd stepped on a Lego, but with a little soft tissue work to my chest, forearms, biceps, and traps, I was back in business. Don't be fooled by their simplicity, though – if not done right, these wall slides can be as problematic as a porcupine in a balloon factory.

Don't get too comfy in your comfort zone, folks. Once you've mastered the wall slides, it's time to take things up a notch. Get down (literally) with some incline movements and baby-step your way back up to standing against the pull of gravity. And don't forget about your thoracic mobility – it's the key to those sweet, sweet shoulder gains.

Last but not least, let's talk about those muscles, baby! Biceps brachii and brachialis are working overtime to slow down that elbow extension and forearm pronation. Meanwhile, traps, serratus anterior, and rhomboids are flexing their muscles to decelerate that shoulder girdle like a superhero stopping a train. So, let's get abducting, rotating and adducting those arms like there's no tomorrow!