PlanWorkouts

Exercise 0794 · REF 1jXLYEw

Standing Lateral Stretch exercise animation

Standing Lateral Stretch

Category
Back
Equipment
Body Weight
Target
Lats

A standing side bend stretches the lats and obliques on one side at a time, a simple reset that's easy to do between sets of overhead or pulling work. It's not going to build anything, but tight lats from heavy lat pulldowns or pull-ups can restrict overhead reach, and this is a quick way to counter that. Reach up and over rather than just leaning sideways for the fuller stretch.

How to Do the Standing Lateral Stretch

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  2. Extend your arms straight out to the sides, parallel to the ground.
  3. Slowly lean your upper body to one side, feeling a stretch in your side and lats.
  4. Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds.
  5. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Muscles Worked

The Standing Lateral Stretch primarily targets the Lats, with Shoulders as the primary synergist muscle group, along with the Obliques.

More Back Exercises

Alternate Lateral Pulldown Alternate Lateral Pulldown Cable · Lats Archer Pull Up Archer Pull Up Body Weight · Lats Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Pull-Up Assisted Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Standing Chin-Up Assisted Standing Chin-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Standing Pull-Up Assisted Standing Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats

More Lats Exercises

Back Pec Stretch Back Pec Stretch Body Weight · Lats Band Assisted Pull-Up Band Assisted Pull-Up Band · Lats Band Close-Grip Pulldown Band Close-Grip Pulldown Band · Lats Band Fixed Back Close Grip Pulldown Band Fixed Back Close Grip Pulldown Band · Lats Band Fixed Back Underhand Pulldown Band Fixed Back Underhand Pulldown Band · Lats Band Kneeling One Arm Pulldown Band Kneeling One Arm Pulldown Band · Lats

Equipment Alternatives

Don't have body weight? These target the same lats with different equipment.

Alternate Lateral Pulldown Alternate Lateral Pulldown Cable · Lats Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Band Assisted Pull-Up Band Assisted Pull-Up Band · Lats Barbell Bent Arm Pullover Barbell Bent Arm Pullover Barbell · Lats

FAQ

What muscles does the Standing Lateral Stretch work?
The Standing Lateral Stretch primarily targets the lats, with the shoulders and obliques assisting.
What equipment do I need for the Standing Lateral Stretch?
The Standing Lateral Stretch is done with no equipment — just body weight.
What's a good alternative to the Standing Lateral Stretch?
If you don't have access to the space or setup it needs, the Alternate Lateral Pulldown targets the same lats using cable instead.