Strong lats are critical for any athletic movement, in other words, so it’s important that we understand the interplay between them and posture, injury prevention, and performance. When we consider how often dancers are in spinal extension—think arabesque or the standing posture we often associate with ballerinas—then we begin to understand the delicate balance between latissimus dorsi strength and latissimus dorsi mobility.

Jason HarrisonApril 27, 2019Present Tense Fitnesslats, latissimus dorsi, spinal extension, shoulder flexion, shoulder health, shoulders, spineComment

Serratus Anterior and Dancer Shoulder Health

Sahrmann goes on to write that she “has found that impaired control of the scapula by the serratus anterior muscle is common.” My young dancer client for right now is asymptomatic, but my job as a strength and conditioning coach is to make sure she learns how to use her serratus anterior so that we can avoid any problems before they start. Otherwise, she’ll be the dancer who complains of shoulder issues, or worse, hurts herself lifting a heavy bag above her head when she’s traveling to perform or audition.

Jason HarrisonMarch 9, 2019Present Tense Fitnessserratus anterior, shoulder health, shoulders, back, back extension, scapula, humerus, scapulohumeralComment