Chest · Bodyweight
Elbows Back Stretch
How to do the elbows back stretch, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand or sit tall and bring both elbows back behind you, squeezing your shoulder blades together to open the chest. Hold the position as you breathe, feeling the stretch across the front of the chest and shoulders.
- 1A stretch opening across the front of your chest
- 2Your shoulder blades drawing together behind you
- 3Tall posture with your ribs down and chest lifted
Common mistakes
- Shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears
- Arching your lower back to push the elbows further
- Forcing the stretch into any pinching in the shoulders
Muscles worked
The elbows back stretch mainly works the mid chest, with the upper chest, mid traps, and front delts assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- Upper ChestSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the elbows back stretch for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More chest exercises
- How to do the archer push-up
- How to do the assisted dip
- How to do the resistance band chest flyes
- How to do the resistance band push-up
- How to do the barbell bench press
- How to do the paused bench press
Last reviewed June 2026.