Shoulders · Bodyweight
Shoulder Backbend Stretch
How to do the shoulder backbend 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
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand tall and reach both arms behind you, clasping your hands together at your lower back. Straighten your elbows and gently lift your hands away from your body, opening the front of your shoulders and chest, then hold and breathe.
- 1Feel a stretch across the front of your shoulders and chest as your hands
- 2lift behind you
- 3Keep your chest tall and your shoulder blades drawing down and together
- 4Breathe steadily and let the stretch open gradually instead of forcing the arms higher
Common mistakes
- Do not round or hunch your upper back to reach the hands higher
- Avoid shrugging your shoulders toward your ears while you hold
- Do not crank into sharp pain at the front of the shoulder joint
Muscles worked
The shoulder backbend stretch mainly works the front delts, with the mid chest assisting.
- Front DeltsPrimary
- Mid ChestSupport
- BicepsMinor
- Upper ChestMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the shoulder backbend 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 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.