Muscle Of The Month
Living in a world that is
constantly changing and evolving, it is good to know that at least one thing
does not change as fast as everything else: our anatomy! Anatomy is not a scary
topic. As an aquafitness instructor, you do not need to know the name of every
bone and muscle in your body in order to create safe, fun, and well-balanced
workouts. Knowing the basics, however, will help you become more aware of how
the body moves; it will also increase your confidence level when using
anatomical terms while teaching a class.
MUSCLE GROUP: RHOMBOID MAJOR AND MINOR Location: Upper-middle back
Description: 
Two rectangular muscles located underneath the trapezius. The
rhomboid minor is the superior muscle. They originate, respectively, from the
6th and 7th cervical vertebra, and from the first 4 thoracic vertebra to the
medial (inside) border of the scapula (see diagram.)
The rhomboids, along with the middle fibers of the trapezius, are
shoulder girdle adductors. They help draw the scapula toward the spine, while
supporting it and drawing it upward; they also play a big role as one of the key
stabilizers of the scapula. They have been called 'postural muscles,' because
they pull the shoulders back, when contracted. This action opens the chest and
straightens the back - resulting in good alignment.
Question:
How do we focus on these muscles?
Answer:
Use the supine hand position (palm facing up as if you are
holding 'soup' in the palm of your hand) and/or keeping an external rotation at
the arm.
Exercise:
Horizontal shoulder joint abduction (same as shoulder girdle
adduction) of the arms in a standing position.
Starting
position:
Stand with feet on pool bottom, with one foot in front of the
other, to stabilize the body.
Keep pelvis in a neutral position, with a long spine and
shoulders back and down.
Activate the abdominal muscles - all 4 of them.
Flex shoulders and lift arms to chest level. Keep arms and
hands under the water.
Action:
Open the arms (horizontal shoulder joint abduction/shoulder
girdle adduction) while keeping hands in a half-supine position until the hands
and the elbows are just past the shoulder line.
Hand options:
Hands are in an open ('flat hand' or closed ('fist') position.
Explanation:
It is difficult to perform this exercise correctly while
keeping a round back; therefore it is imperative that the spine is erect with a
level pelvis and open chest. If the thumbs are facing up throughout the
exercise, the rhomboids will be solicited at the end of the movement. The same
exercise, performed with the thumbs facing down, allows those with poor
upper‑body strength to compensate by using the latissimus dorsi muscles
while opening the arms and simultaneously pulling them down and back toward the
bottom of the pool.
Variation:
Start the exercise with arms in a 'T' shape. The emphasis will
then be primarily on the retraction phase of the scapula. Remember to cue your
participants to contract the abdominals otherwise they may over-arch (hyper
extend) their backs.
Application:
By maintaining perfect posture all day long, the rhomboid
muscles will be isometrically activated. The general population has a tendency
to round the shoulders and release the abdominals - a good reason to include
rhomboid-specific exercises in the aquafitness class. The resistance of water
makes it simple to effectively train this muscle group. Add on clear and concise
verbal and visual cues and you have the formula for successful exercise
execution. This will ensure our participants know not only where their rhomboids
are, but also how to use them and why they are an important muscle group in
daily living.
The CALA quarterly WaveLink newsletter
features articles on movement and anatomy.
- Muscle
- Description
- Joint Action
- CALA Movements
- Complementary Arms or Legs
- Variations
- Cues
- Audience
- Sample Choreography
- References
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