Kneeling Lat Stretch
What Is the Kneeling Lat Stretch?
Kneeling Lat Stretch is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the back, lengthening the latissimus dorsi and teres major on the side of the reaching arm. It is a beginner-level movement done on the floor with no equipment: from all fours, you slide one arm forward along the floor and lower your chest toward the ground while the other hand stays planted, which takes the reaching arm overhead relative to your torso and draws out the side of your back from the armpit toward the hip.
The lats pull the arm down and back and turn it inward, so a stiff lat tends to limit how far the arm travels overhead. Trainers use this stretch as a cooldown after pulling work such as the Pull-Up and Barbell Bent-Over Row, and as a short mobility drill for lifters, swimmers and other overhead athletes who need room to hold a bar overhead in the Barbell Overhead Press or Barbell Overhead Squat.
Because one arm works at a time, you can compare the two sides and give the tighter one more time. The pull runs along the outer back and under the armpit, where the teres major joins the lat on its way to the upper arm. It differs from Child Pose, where both arms reach and the hips rest on the heels, and from Puppy Pose, where both arms reach with the hips high: here a single arm reaches while the hips stay roughly over the knees, so the stretch concentrates on one side of the back.
It suits beginners and anyone whose overhead reach feels tight, as long as kneeling and bearing weight through the hands are comfortable. If they are not, the Single-Arm Wall Lat Stretch gives a similar line standing up, and the Bench Kneeling Lat Stretch rests the arm on a bench so less weight goes through the hands.
Muscles Worked
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Primary
- Teres Major
- High
- Thoracolumbar Fascia
- Medium
- External Oblique
- Minimal
Instructions
- Start on all fours on a mat with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Brace your abs lightly so your lower back stays flat.
- Slide one hand forward along the floor, palm down, until that arm is almost straight in front of your head.
- Keep the other hand planted under your chest and let that elbow bend as you lower your chest toward the floor.
- Let your hips drift back only slightly, keeping them high and roughly over your knees rather than sitting onto your heels.
- Let your head hang in line with your spine beside the reaching arm.
- Sink the reaching-side armpit toward the floor until you feel a stretch along the side of your back from the armpit toward the hip.
- Breathe slowly and hold for 20 to 30 seconds without bouncing.
- Press through the planted hand to return to all fours, then switch arms.
Common Mistakes
Letting the lower back sag
Dropping the belly toward the floor arches the lower back and moves the stretch away from the lats, so keep your abs lightly braced and your back flat.
Forcing the chest down
Pushing hard toward the floor jams the arm into the end of its overhead range and can pinch the shoulder instead of stretching the side of the back.
Shrugging the reaching shoulder
Hiking the shoulder up toward the ear tenses the neck and upper traps and takes tension off the lat, so keep that shoulder relaxed.
Bouncing in the stretch
Pulsing in and out makes it hard for the muscle to relax and can irritate the shoulder, so ease in and hold still.
Craning the neck
Lifting the head to look forward strains the neck, so let your head hang in line with your spine beside the reaching arm.
Holding the breath
Holding your breath keeps the ribcage and shoulders tense, while slow breaths with long exhales help the side of the back relax into the stretch.
Injuries
Kneeling Lat Stretch is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. Your weight rests on your knees and the planted hand, and the floor supports the reaching arm, so the main strain points are the reaching shoulder, which can pinch if you force it into the end of its overhead range, the lower back if it sags as the chest drops, and the knees and wrists, which carry your weight on a hard floor.
Lower your chest only until you feel a firm stretch along the side of your back, keep your abs lightly braced so your lower back stays flat, and ease in and out instead of bouncing. Kneel on a mat or folded towel if your knees are sensitive. If the stretch lands in the shoulder joint rather than under the armpit and down the side of your back, sink less, bring the reaching hand slightly closer to you, or let that elbow bend a little.
If kneeling or weight on the hands is uncomfortable, the Single-Arm Wall Lat Stretch gives a similar stretch standing up, and the Bench Kneeling Lat Stretch supports the arm on a bench. To take it further, walk the reaching hand a little toward the opposite side and let the reaching-side shoulder sink closer to the floor.
Stop if you feel sharp or pinching pain in the shoulder, pain in the lower back, or tingling or numbness running down the arm. Anyone with a recent shoulder dislocation or surgery, shoulder instability or ongoing rotator cuff pain should get cleared by a physical therapist or doctor before stretching the arm overhead.
- Primary Focus
- Back
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Stretching
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How long should I hold the Kneeling Lat Stretch?
Hold each side for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat 2 to 4 times, aiming for about 60 seconds of total stretching per side. Stretching on most days builds flexibility faster than two or three sessions a week.
- Q: Should I do this stretch before or after training?
Either works. Short holds of about 30 seconds are unlikely to blunt your strength, so a round or two per side can go in a warm-up before overhead pressing, while the full 60 seconds per side fits best in a cooldown after pulling work.
- Q: Is this the same as Thread the Needle?
No. In Thread the Needle one arm slides under your body toward the opposite side and that shoulder rests on the floor, twisting the upper back. Here the arm reaches forward past your head, so the stretch runs along the side of your back rather than through the upper back and the back of the shoulder.
- Q: How can I make the stretch reach more of my lat?
Let the reaching-side shoulder sink toward the floor so your chest turns slightly toward the planted arm, and walk the reaching hand a little toward the opposite side. A study of 14 healthy men that raised one arm fully overhead found the lat lengthened most along its whole length when the trunk was also rotated toward the opposite side, while bending the trunk away mainly added stretch to its lower part.
- Q: Why do I feel it in my shoulder instead of my back?
Usually the chest is being pushed down too far, forcing the arm into the end of its overhead range. Back off until the pull runs under your armpit and down the side of your back, and keep your lower back flat. A sharp or pinching pain in the joint is a reason to stop rather than push through.