How many reps of the ape reach should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 2 sets of 5 to 6 reaches per side, holding the bottom of the squat the entire set instead of standing up between reps. Once the position feels stable, add a two-second pause at full rotation before adding more reps.

How do I make the ape reach easier or harder?

If the deep squat is the limiter, narrow your stance slightly or slip a rolled towel under your heels so you can sit lower without the heels lifting. To make it harder, hold a light object in the reaching hand or extend the pause at the top of each rotation.

What is the ape reach good for and who should avoid it?

It builds squat-bottom mobility, rotary trunk control, and shoulder strength in a weight-bearing position, useful before heavier squats or as part of a ground-flow warm-up. Skip it if your wrists cannot bear weight in extension or your knees are irritated by deep, sustained flexion.

Intermediate

Ape Reach

The ape reach lives in the bottom of a wide squat, where the quads and adductors hold the position while you plant one hand and reach the other across your body to open the shoulders and rotate the trunk. It builds squat mobility, rotary control, and weight-bearing shoulder strength at the same time. Use it to prime the hips before heavier lower work or as a component of a ground-flow sequence.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Quads, Shoulder
Type: Balance, Functional
Browse by muscle: Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Deltoid Anterior
Browse by movement: Rotation, Squat

How to do it

1
Stand with feet wider than shoulders, toes turned slightly out, and drop into a deep squat.
2
Plant the left hand on the floor inside your left foot, keeping the chest tall.
3
Reach the right arm up and across the body, rotating the trunk to follow the hand.
4
Keep the heels down and the knees tracking over the toes as you rotate.
5
Return the reaching hand to the floor and switch to reach with the other arm.
6
Alternate for the prescribed reps, staying deep in the squat throughout.

Tips

Push the supporting hand into the floor to help pry the chest open on the reach.
Keep the weight in the midfoot and heels; rolling onto the toes collapses the position.
If the heels lift, elevate them slightly or narrow the stance until your ankle mobility improves.

Variations

Common mistakes

The knees cave inward toward each other as the trunk rotates, undoing the wide stance that is supposed to protect them.
As the reach gets bigger, the hips rise out of the squat, turning the drill into a standing twist instead of a loaded rotation.
The reaching arm swings from the shoulder alone while the trunk stays square, so the thoracic spine never actually rotates.
Rushing between sides skips the pause at full rotation, so the shoulder never spends time under an open load.
The chest drops and rounds forward instead of staying tall, turning the reach into a forward lean rather than a rotation.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the ape reach should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 2 sets of 5 to 6 reaches per side, holding the bottom of the squat the entire set instead of standing up between reps. Once the position feels stable, add a two-second pause at full rotation before adding more reps.
How do I make the ape reach easier or harder?: If the deep squat is the limiter, narrow your stance slightly or slip a rolled towel under your heels so you can sit lower without the heels lifting. To make it harder, hold a light object in the reaching hand or extend the pause at the top of each rotation.
What is the ape reach good for and who should avoid it?: It builds squat-bottom mobility, rotary trunk control, and shoulder strength in a weight-bearing position, useful before heavier squats or as part of a ground-flow warm-up. Skip it if your wrists cannot bear weight in extension or your knees are irritated by deep, sustained flexion.

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