Shoulders · Bodyweight
Seated Open Wings
How to do the seated open wings, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPull
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit tall on a chair with your arms raised out to the sides at shoulder height, elbows slightly bent. Pull your arms back like opening a pair of wings, squeezing your shoulder blades together, then return to the front with control.
- 1Feel your shoulder blades drawing together as your arms open back
- 2Keep your arms at shoulder height the whole time
- 3Work the muscles across your upper back and rear shoulders
Common mistakes
- Do not let your arms drop below shoulder level
- Avoid shrugging your shoulders toward your ears
- Do not swing or use momentum to fling the arms back
Muscles worked
The seated open wings mainly works the rear delts and mid traps, with the lower traps and external rotators assisting.
- Rear DeltsPrimary
- Mid TrapsPrimary
- Lower TrapsSupport
- External RotatorsSupport
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the seated open wings 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.