# Cross Body Arm Swing

A standing warm-up drill where you swing both arms open to the sides and then across the front of your body. Loosens the chest and shoulders before upper-body work.

- Beginner · Mobility
- Equipment: 
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/arm-swing-side-to-side/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/cross-body-arm-swing/

## Muscles worked

- Chest: 6/10
- Shoulders: 6/10
- Front delts: 5/10
- Rear delts: 4/10
- Upper back: 3/10

## How to do the Cross Body Arm Swing

1. Stand tall, arms out to the sides at shoulder height.
2. Swing both arms across your chest, crossing in front.
3. Swing them back open to a light chest stretch.
4. Keep a steady rhythm, torso still.

### Full technique — 6 steps

1. Stand tall with your feet about shoulder width apart and your knees straight.
2. Raise both arms out to the sides at shoulder height with palms facing forward.
3. Swing both arms forward and across your body so they cross in front of your chest.
4. Swing them back out to the sides until you feel a light stretch across your chest.
5. Keep your torso still and let the movement come from your shoulders.
6. Continue swinging in a steady rhythm, changing which arm crosses on top each time.

## Common mistakes

- Twisting the torso with each swing
- Letting the arms drop below shoulders
- Flinging the arms back too hard
- Shrugging shoulders toward ears

## Form cues

- Stay at shoulder height
- Keep torso quiet
- Swing, don't fling
- Alternate the top arm

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 1–2 sets of 10–15 reps · rest 30 s · 6 reps in reserve · lower 1 s, lift 1 s
- **Muscle growth**: 1–2 sets of 10–15 reps · rest 30 s · 6 reps in reserve · lower 1 s, lift 1 s
- **Endurance**: 1–2 sets of 15–20 reps · rest 20 s · 6 reps in reserve · lower 1 s, lift 1 s

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

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Cross Body Arm Swing work?

Primary: Chest 6/10, Shoulders 6/10. Also works: Front delts 5/10, Rear delts 4/10, Upper back 3/10.

### When should I do the Cross Body Arm Swing 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 Cross Body Arm Swing?

Strength: 1–2 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 30 s, 6 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 1–2 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 30 s, 6 reps in reserve. Endurance: 1–2 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 20 s, 6 reps in reserve.

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

---
seto — Fast, simple, clever workout tracking — offline-first by design. https://seto.fit/

Video licensed for playback on seto only — copying, downloading, or redistribution is prohibited. https://seto.fit/terms/