Standing Wall Shoulder Opening Stretch
A one-arm wall stretch: the palm plants at shoulder height and the chest turns away so the front shoulder opens.
How to do it
- Stand beside a wall, feet planted, spine tall.
- Reach one arm straight out at shoulder height and plant that palm flat on the wall.
- Keep the elbow locked and the planted shoulder down, not shrugged.
- Rotate the chest away from the planted hand until the front of that shoulder and chest open.
- Keep the free arm relaxed at the ribs and the feet still.
- Hold, then switch arms.
Key technique cue
Arm straight, shoulder down; turn the chest away from the wall, don't arch the back.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Bending the planted elbow; this version keeps the arm straight.
- ✕ Facing the wall square-on instead of standing beside it and turning away.
- ✕ Shrugging the planted shoulder up toward the ear.
- ✕ Arching the low back to fake more opening instead of rotating the chest.
Benefits
- ✓ Opens the front shoulder and chest after pressing or desk work.
- ✓ Uses only a wall, so it fits cool-downs in any room.
- ✓ The one-arm setup lets each side be dosed on its own.
Progression: from easier to harder
-
Step 1 You are here - Standing Wall Shoulder Opening Stretch
- Doorway Chest Stretch
About the exercise
This wall opener is a single-arm chest and front-shoulder stretch. A bent-arm wall version puts the palm and inner arm on a wall or doorway at shoulder height with the elbow bent to about 90 degrees, then the chest presses through. This straight-arm version plants an extended hand on the wall at shoulder height and turns the body away: one palm flat on the wall, elbow locked, torso rotated away from the planted hand, free arm at the ribs. It stretches the front deltoid and the same-side pec, and suits desk posture and pressing cool-downs, not the bent-elbow doorway hold.
Updated
Similar exercises
A week of training and meals built for you
Workoutify plans workouts around your days, time and equipment — and a menu for your goal and macros.