Duration exercise

Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The cross-body shoulder stretch is a static stretch in which one arm is drawn horizontally across the chest, lengthening the posterior deltoid and the posterior shoulder capsule. Lifters use it after pressing or throwing sessions to maintain internal-rotation and horizontal-adduction range, since tightness in the back of the shoulder is a common contributor to pinching and impingement-type discomfort during training.

Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch illustration

How to do Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch

  1. 1Stand or sit tall and extend one arm straight across the front of your chest at shoulder height.
  2. 2Hook your opposite forearm or hand above the elbow of the stretching arm.
  3. 3Gently pull the arm closer to your chest until you feel a stretch in the back of that shoulder.
  4. 4Keep the shoulder of the stretching arm pulled down away from your ear rather than letting it shrug or roll forward.
  5. 5Breathe slowly and hold for 20 to 30 seconds, then release with control and repeat on the other arm.

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Track Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch in Plates

Save this movement to a workout template, log sets and rest periods, and keep your training history in one focused gym tracker.