# Arms Wide Chest Stretch

A standing chest stretch with both arms held out to the sides and palms facing forward. Opens the chest and front shoulders without equipment.

- Beginner · Mobility
- Equipment: 
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/arms-wide-chest-stretch/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/arms-wide-chest-stretch/

## Muscles worked

- Upper chest: 7/10
- Mid chest: 6/10
- Front delts: 5/10
- Biceps: 3/10
- Rhomboids: 3/10

## How to do the Arms Wide Chest Stretch

1. Stand tall with arms at your sides, feet hip-width apart.
2. Raise both arms out to the sides, just above shoulder height.
3. Turn your palms forward and reach back to open your chest.
4. Hold the stretch, breathing steadily, without shrugging.

### Full technique — 5 steps

1. Stand tall with feet about hip-width apart and arms hanging at your sides.
2. Raise both straight arms out to the sides until they are just above shoulder height.
3. Turn your palms forward and reach your hands back until you feel a stretch across your chest.
4. Keep your shoulders down away from your ears and your ribs in line with your pelvis.
5. Hold the position with steady breathing, then lower your arms to your sides.

## Common mistakes

- Shrugging shoulders toward ears
- Overarching the lower back
- Letting the elbows bend
- Pushing the head forward

## Form cues

- Keep shoulders down
- Palms face forward
- Keep ribs down
- Reach long through fingers

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 1–2 sets of 20–30 reps · rest 30 s · 6 reps in reserve
- **Muscle growth**: 1–2 sets of 20–30 reps · rest 30 s · 6 reps in reserve
- **Endurance**: 2–3 sets of 30–45 reps · rest 20 s · 6 reps in reserve

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Arms Wide Chest Stretch work?

Primary: Upper chest 7/10, Mid chest 6/10. Also works: Front delts 5/10, Biceps 3/10, Rhomboids 3/10.

### When should I do the Arms Wide Chest Stretch in a workout?

Warm-up. Done at the start to get the body ready. ≈ 2 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Arms Wide Chest Stretch?

Strength: 1–2 sets of 20–30 reps, rest 30 s, 6 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 1–2 sets of 20–30 reps, rest 30 s, 6 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 30–45 reps, rest 20 s, 6 reps in reserve.

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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