Flexion and Extension of the Shoulder and Hip
Jay Thebado Asks,
Hey Brent, I could use some clarification on something - While studying I read that that lats concentrically accelerate shoulder flexion, which made sense until I read that the gluteus maximus concentrically accelerates hip extension. Wouldn’t the glute concentrically accelerate hip flexion and not extension, similar to what the lats do for the shoulder? I hope this makes sense. Happy holiday
Brent Brookbush Somewhere we have a typo. Hip and shoulder flexion happen in the same direction; forward and up. Extension is the opposite, down and back. The lats concentrically extend the shoulder, and the glutes concentrically extend the hip. Check your notes… it is likely that you read the latissimus dorsi eccentrically decelerate shoulder flexion. That is, if you shoot a basketball, it is your latissimus dorsi that slow your arm at the top of the movement to keep your arm from ending up behind your head.
To help my classes remember which way is flexion I will often joke – “shoulder into flexion if you got a question.” In other words… raise your hand.