Arms · Bodyweight
Standing Overhead Shoulder Stretch
How to do the standing overhead shoulder 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 tall and reach one arm overhead, then bend the elbow so your hand drops behind your head. Use your other hand to gently press the bent elbow back and down until you feel a stretch through the shoulder and triceps. Hold, then switch sides.
- 1A stretch through the back of the shoulder and triceps
- 2Tall posture with your ribs down, not flared
- 3An easing of tension as you breathe into the hold
Common mistakes
- Arching your lower back to reach further
- Cranking the elbow hard or forcing the stretch
- Shrugging the shoulder up toward your ear
Muscles worked
The standing overhead shoulder stretch mainly works the triceps, with the lats assisting.
- TricepsPrimary
- LatsSupport
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the standing overhead shoulder 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 triceps exercises
- How to do the bent-over tricep extension
- How to do the crossbody tricep extension
- How to do the cable katana tricep extension
- How to do the cable single arm tricep extension
- How to do the kickback
- How to do the lying tricep extension
Last reviewed June 2026.