08/27/2026
Shoulder cues from Coach Eric
Whether it’s a barbell or a handlebar we can use the same cues, or verbal reminders, to improve posture, decrease discomfort and increase performance.
If we consider a bent over barbell row, it’s not uncommon for poor technique to allow the shoulders to rise and the cervical and thoracic spine to round forward. The same thing can happen late in a ride when we’re fatigued or when overwhelmed by the difficulty of the effort.
In the gym we would instruct an athlete to squeeze their shoulder blades together and then down their back. This engages the lats, supports the shoulder infrastructure and opens the chest improving posture, decreasing discomfort, and increasing performance in both our ability to resist the forces of the terrain and opening the area the lungs have to expand.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull them down your back.
Try this in your next ride 🚲