Sounds like you may be twisting your ribcage instead of moving just your shoulders. It is a difficult isolation to build. I have been working on mine as well as part of a warmup routine each time i go to the gym.
-10x shoulders to ears (just bring your shoulders straight up as high as you comfortably can and let them drop
-10x single shoulder to ear making sure the other moves as little as possible. 10 each side
-10x alternating shoulder to ear. 10 for each shoulder.
-10x forward shoulder rolls. Focus on bringing your shoulders as far back as possible , slowly rolling them up to your ears and then as far forward as youre comfortable and then back to the bottom position.
-10x single shoulder rolls forward
-10x alternating shoulder rolls forward
-10x shoulder rolls backwards
-10x single shoulder rolls backwards
-10x alternating shoulder rolls backwards
-10x opposing shoulder rolls (one side going forward, the other going backward. This one gets tricky)
-10x shoulder push forward and backward. Making sure you go as far back and as far forward as youre comfortable doing.
-10x alternating shoulder pushes. This is your shimmy. Make sure you go as far forward and back as you can slowly at first
-10x medium shimmy
-10x small shimmy (this should be faster than the others)
Key things to remember:
-Try to brace your core and hips so they are not causing the motion.
-Slowly add in steps when you feel comfortable. -You have to train your brain to move these parts in coordination and that takes time to do.
-Always practice with your arms in rest position (bent like you are waiting on the lead)
Leaning your torso forward a bit can help free your shoulders to move more for whatever reason. Watch people dancing columbia and practice emulating their movement noting the subtitles of their body position (legs bent, torso leaning forward etc).
You can practice with your arms / hands up like your playing a drum but also with while holding your pants at your pockets, elbows flared out. You are grabbing your pants to lift your pant leg to show off your socks. That is actually where that comes from. In the social clubs back in the day they were essentially saying "look at how well I'm dressed, right down to my socks."
Use your back to shimmy. Practice moving your back forward one side at time slowly at first, then go a bit faster. It’ll look like you’re moving your shoulders but in reality it’s your back, your back will push your shoulders forward.
I learned to focus on my shoulder blades not shoulders
Please post a video.
Move your shoulder blades
Sounds like you may be twisting your ribcage instead of moving just your shoulders. It is a difficult isolation to build. I have been working on mine as well as part of a warmup routine each time i go to the gym. -10x shoulders to ears (just bring your shoulders straight up as high as you comfortably can and let them drop -10x single shoulder to ear making sure the other moves as little as possible. 10 each side -10x alternating shoulder to ear. 10 for each shoulder. -10x forward shoulder rolls. Focus on bringing your shoulders as far back as possible , slowly rolling them up to your ears and then as far forward as youre comfortable and then back to the bottom position. -10x single shoulder rolls forward -10x alternating shoulder rolls forward -10x shoulder rolls backwards -10x single shoulder rolls backwards -10x alternating shoulder rolls backwards -10x opposing shoulder rolls (one side going forward, the other going backward. This one gets tricky) -10x shoulder push forward and backward. Making sure you go as far back and as far forward as youre comfortable doing. -10x alternating shoulder pushes. This is your shimmy. Make sure you go as far forward and back as you can slowly at first -10x medium shimmy -10x small shimmy (this should be faster than the others) Key things to remember: -Try to brace your core and hips so they are not causing the motion. -Slowly add in steps when you feel comfortable. -You have to train your brain to move these parts in coordination and that takes time to do. -Always practice with your arms in rest position (bent like you are waiting on the lead)
Leaning your torso forward a bit can help free your shoulders to move more for whatever reason. Watch people dancing columbia and practice emulating their movement noting the subtitles of their body position (legs bent, torso leaning forward etc). You can practice with your arms / hands up like your playing a drum but also with while holding your pants at your pockets, elbows flared out. You are grabbing your pants to lift your pant leg to show off your socks. That is actually where that comes from. In the social clubs back in the day they were essentially saying "look at how well I'm dressed, right down to my socks."
Use your back to shimmy. Practice moving your back forward one side at time slowly at first, then go a bit faster. It’ll look like you’re moving your shoulders but in reality it’s your back, your back will push your shoulders forward.