Seated Reverse Shoulder Stretch — how to, muscles worked, alternatives

How to do the Seated Reverse Shoulder Stretch

Sit with legs straight, palms flat on the floor behind your hips.
Point your fingers toward your feet and keep your arms straight.
Lean back slowly, keeping your hips on the floor.
Stop when you feel a stretch across the front of your shoulders.
Hold and breathe slowly, then walk your hands forward to come out.

Full technique — 8 steps

Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you and your torso upright.
Place your palms flat on the floor beside your hips with your arms straight.
Walk your hands back behind your hips, fingers pointing toward your feet.
Lean your torso back slowly, keeping your elbows straight and your hips on the floor.
Stop when you feel a stretch across the front of your shoulders and chest.
Let the shoulders stay down instead of shrugging toward your ears as you settle in.
Breathe slowly and hold the position without forcing deeper range or arching your lower back.
Walk your hands forward slowly to come out of the stretch.

Common mistakes

Shrugging shoulders toward ears
Bending the elbows to go lower
Dropping too fast into the stretch
Lifting the hips off the floor
Forcing range past control

Form cues

Keep arms straight
Shoulders away from ears
Fingers toward your feet
Hips stay on the floor

Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

This exercise Seated Reverse Shoulder Stretch Beginner
Harder Box Reverse Shoulder Stretch Beginner

Quick answers

What muscles does the Seated Reverse Shoulder Stretch work?

Primary: Front delts 8/10. Also works: Mid chest 5/10, Biceps 4/10, Rhomboids 3/10.

When should I do the Seated Reverse Shoulder 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 Seated Reverse Shoulder Stretch?

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