Shoulders
Cross Body Shoulder Stretch
The Cross Body Shoulder Stretch is a stretch with no equipment for your shoulders. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: rear delts 48%, rotator cuff 17% and rhomboids 11%.
How to do it
- Stand tall with feet hip-width and shoulders relaxed.
- Bring one straight arm across the front of the chest at shoulder height.
- Hook the other forearm over the upper arm, just above the elbow.
- Draw the arm gently toward the chest until you feel a stretch in the back of the shoulder, then hold for 30 to 45 seconds, breathing slowly.
- Release the arm and switch sides.
Tips
- Keep the stretched shoulder pressed down, away from the ear.
- Pull on the upper arm, not on the elbow joint or the forearm.
Common mistakes
- Turning the torso to follow the arm instead of keeping the chest square.
- Hiking the shoulder up while pulling.
Muscles worked by the Cross Body Shoulder Stretch
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
Arm pulled across the chest: the rear delt is the target. Pulling the arm across the body lengthens the rear delt; rotating it inward (sleeper) targets the posterior rotator cuff, which is then coloured as the target.
Cross Body Shoulder Stretch alternatives
Same equipment
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Cross Body Shoulder Stretch work?
Mainly the rear delts. The rotator cuff, rhomboids and mid traps assist.
Is the Cross Body Shoulder Stretch good for beginners?
Yes. The Cross Body Shoulder Stretch is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.
What is a good alternative to the Cross Body Shoulder Stretch?
For example the Posterior Shoulder Stretch on Wall and Thread the Needle. They train mostly the same muscles.
Log your sets in Zulta
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