Shoulder Adductor / Lat Stretch (Supine Overhead Reach)

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Tilt the pelvis to flatten the low back and hold it flat.
3. Place both arms overhead and try to reach the arms toward the table with elbows straight.
4. Bring the upper arms as close to the sides of the head as possible.

Form cues

• Do NOT allow the back to arch
• Keep elbows straight while reaching overhead

Why this exercise helps

The shoulder adductors — latissimus dorsi, teres major, and pectoralis major — shorten when the upper back rounds and the arms spend extended time in front of the body. In the supine position, the pelvis is tucked to keep the low back flat, removing the option of arching the lumbar spine to gain false shoulder range. Reaching both arms overhead in this supported position provides a gentle length challenge through the full thoracohumeral chain without loading the spine or fatiguing postural stabilisers.

Stop or modify if

• Letting the low back arch away from the surface to reach the arms lower — this transfers load to the lumbar spine instead of stretching the shoulder adductors.
• Bending the elbows to get the hands closer to the floor — keep elbows straight so the stretch travels through the full lat and teres major.
• Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears — allow the arms to relax outward and downward rather than elevating the scapulae.

Modifications and progressions

• If the arms barely reach past vertical, angle them 30–45° out from the body and work toward the sides of the head gradually over sessions.
• Place a folded towel under the upper back to reduce the required shoulder range for those with significant restriction.

Muscles worked

Stretches: shoulder adductors, latissimus dorsi, teres major, pectoralis major

Helps with

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