How long should a partner hold the assisted overhead lat stretch?

Twenty to thirty seconds per pass, two or three passes, and if you are biasing one side at a time give each side its own pass. Keep the pressure constant through the hold rather than building it, and finish once a pass stops producing extra reach. If the trainee cannot breathe slowly in the position, the pressure is too high, whatever the clock says.

What can I do instead of the partner-assisted overhead lat stretch alone?

Side-reaching child's pose gets at one lat at a time with your own hands doing the walking. The bench lat stretch is the closer match for depth, since the bench holds the arms where the partner's hand would be and your body weight replaces their pressure. A band anchored overhead adds traction the partner cannot supply.

Why do this lat stretch with a partner instead of alone?

The partner sends the hips back and the chest down at the same time, lengthening the trunk from both ends, which is difficult to coordinate on yourself. That makes it a good fit for coached settings before overhead training. It is a poor choice for a trainee whose shoulder pinches overhead, and for anyone who cannot sit their hips near their heels because of knee or ankle restriction; the bench version suits them better.

Beginner

Partner-Assisted Overhead Lat Stretch

Tight lats limit overhead reach and pull the ribs down, which shows up as a poor overhead position in pressing and pull-up work. With the trainee in a child's-pose-style kneel and arms extended, the partner eases the hands and hips in opposite directions to draw a long stretch down the sides of the back. It is a great fix before overhead training.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Back, Lats
Type: Stretching
Browse by muscle: Latissimus Dorsi

How to do it

1
Have the trainee kneel and sit the hips back toward the heels with both arms stretched forward on the floor.
2
Cue the trainee to press the chest toward the ground and reach the fingertips away.
3
Kneel beside them and place one hand between the shoulder blades and one on the hips.
4
Gently encourage the hips back and the chest down to lengthen the trunk as the trainee exhales.
5
Hold for 20 to 30 seconds feeling a stretch along the sides of the back and armpits, then ease off slowly.
6
For a one-sided version, have the trainee walk both hands to one side and repeat on the other; communicate throughout.

Tips

Cue a long spine and reaching fingertips so the stretch runs the full length of the lat.
Guide the hips back and the chest down together rather than shoving on the upper back alone.
Walk the hands to one side to bias a single lat if one is tighter.
Keep pressure light and stop if the trainee feels the shoulder joint pinch overhead.

Variations

Common mistakes

The trainee's hands are set much wider than the shoulders, which spreads the pull across the upper back and takes it off the lats.
The trainee holds the shape by bracing the shoulders, so the partner is working against active muscle; ask for a breath out and a soft upper back before adding anything.
The hips lift away from the heels as the chest goes down, so the trunk is being stretched from one end only and the lats stay short.
The one-sided version gets set up by twisting the trainee's hips instead of walking their hands across, which loads the low back rather than biasing one lat.
The hold runs past a minute because the position is comfortable, and comfort is not the aim; 20 to 30 seconds of real length beats a long, vague rest.

Frequently asked

How long should a partner hold the assisted overhead lat stretch?: Twenty to thirty seconds per pass, two or three passes, and if you are biasing one side at a time give each side its own pass. Keep the pressure constant through the hold rather than building it, and finish once a pass stops producing extra reach. If the trainee cannot breathe slowly in the position, the pressure is too high, whatever the clock says.
What can I do instead of the partner-assisted overhead lat stretch alone?: Side-reaching child's pose gets at one lat at a time with your own hands doing the walking. The bench lat stretch is the closer match for depth, since the bench holds the arms where the partner's hand would be and your body weight replaces their pressure. A band anchored overhead adds traction the partner cannot supply.
Why do this lat stretch with a partner instead of alone?: The partner sends the hips back and the chest down at the same time, lengthening the trunk from both ends, which is difficult to coordinate on yourself. That makes it a good fit for coached settings before overhead training. It is a poor choice for a trainee whose shoulder pinches overhead, and for anyone who cannot sit their hips near their heels because of knee or ankle restriction; the bench version suits them better.

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