Chest Out Hands Behind Hold

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and maintain a neutral spine.
2. Reach both arms behind your back and interlace your fingers together.
3. Roll your shoulders back and down, ensuring they are away from your ears.

How to do it

1. Gently straighten your arms while keeping your hands clasped behind your glutes.
2. Lift your chest toward the ceiling and pull your hands slightly upward and away from your body.
3. Inhale deeply into your upper chest and exhale as you hold the position, allowing the muscles to relax into the stretch.
4. Maintain a steady hold for the duration, focusing on expanding the ribcage with every breath.

Form checklist

• Keep your neck neutral and avoid jutting your chin forward.
• Engage your core to prevent excessive arching of the lower back.
• Keep your shoulder blades squeezed together and pulled downward.
• Ensure your elbows are straight but not painfully locked out.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'spreading' your collarbones apart to maximize the stretch across the upper pectorals.
• Press your palms together while interlaced to increase the tension through the biceps and anterior deltoids.

Make it harder

• Slowly hinge forward at the hips while keeping your hands raised toward the ceiling to add a gravity-assisted stretch.
• Try to lift your clasped hands higher away from your lower back while maintaining an upright torso.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the chest out hands behind hold work?

The chest out hands behind hold primarily targets the pectorals, and also works the abs and obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the chest out hands behind hold?

The chest out hands behind hold requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the chest out hands behind hold good for beginners?

Yes. The chest out hands behind hold is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.

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