Fixing Rounded Shoulders: Pec Minor Release and Prone Y Raises.

Rounded shoulders usually come from a stiff, short pec minor muscle working alongside a weak lower trapezius, according to Squat University. When the pec minor tightens, it pulls the shoulder blade (scapula) forward off the rib cage instead of letting it sit snug against it. Seen from the back, this looks like the scapula tipping or rolling forward rather than lying flat.

This isn't just a cosmetic issue. Squat University explains that posture migrates stress amongst the body's tissues — so when the scapula sits in this rolled-forward position, it creates stress concentrations in certain areas. For some people that stress sparks pain in the shoulder and/or neck.

Stretching the pec minor by itself isn't the full fix because rounded shoulders are also often tied to a weak lower trap, not just a tight chest muscle. Squat University points out that even if you loosen the pec minor, without a strong lower trap pulling the scapula back, the shoulder blade has nothing counteracting the forward pull.

On top of that, the pec minor is genuinely hard to stretch solo. Because of how it attaches on the shoulder blade, a standard self-stretch doesn't reach it effectively — which is why a different release method is needed.

Fix rounded shoulders by combining soft tissue release for the pec minor with strengthening work for the lower trap. Squat University lays out the approach as two paired steps:

1. Release the pec minor with soft tissue work using a ball instead of a traditional stretch, since the muscle's attachment to the shoulder blade makes it hard to lengthen by hand.
2. Strengthen the lower trap with prone Y raises, performed lying flat on your stomach, to actively tip the scapula backwards against the rib cage.

Do these together rather than in isolation — you should feel the Y raises working in your mid-back if you're performing them correctly.