The back pec stretch is a bodyweight exercise designed to stretch the lats, shoulders, and chest. It involves crossing the arms, interlocking the fingers, and raising the arms to feel a stretch across the upper back and chest.
Also Works
ShouldersChest
How to Perform
1
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2
Extend your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the ground.
3
Cross your arms in front of your body, with your right arm over your left arm.
4
Interlock your fingers and rotate your palms away from your body.
5
Slowly raise your arms up and away from your body, feeling a stretch in your back and chest.
6
Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds, then release.
7
Repeat on the opposite side.
Pro Tips
•Cross your arms and push your hands as far away from your body as possible while rounding your upper back.
•Tuck your chin toward your chest to add a stretch along the upper back and posterior neck.
•Hold for 20-30 seconds and focus on breathing into the space between your shoulder blades.
Common Mistakes
•Not rounding the upper back enough and just extending the arms, which stretches the shoulders but misses the back and pec connection.
•Holding the stretch for too brief a period to achieve any meaningful tissue release.
•Tensing the neck and upper traps instead of keeping them relaxed throughout the stretch.