Shoulders · Bodyweight
Seated Jack with a Towel on a Padded Stool
How to do the seated jack with a towel on a padded stool, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- VerticalPull
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Sit tall on a padded stool holding a towel overhead with both hands, arms straight. Open your arms out and down to the sides like a jumping jack while keeping the towel taut, then bring them back overhead, moving rhythmically to warm up the shoulders and upper back.
- 1Shoulders and upper back opening as the arms sweep down
- 2A light stretch across the chest at the bottom
- 3Smooth, rhythmic motion that loosens the shoulders
Common mistakes
- Arching the lower back as the arms go overhead
- Letting the towel go slack and losing tension
- Jerking the arms instead of moving with control
Muscles worked
The seated jack with a towel on a padded stool works the upper traps, mid traps, side delts, lats, lower traps, and rear delts.
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- LatsSupport
- Lower TrapsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the seated jack with a towel on a padded stool 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 shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.