Lying Back Opener

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Lie on your side with your hips and knees bent at 90 degrees in a fetal position.
2. Stack your arms straight out in front of your chest with your palms touching on the floor.
3. Keep your knees stacked directly on top of each other and pressed firmly into the ground.
4. Rest your head on the floor or a small pillow to maintain a neutral cervical spine.

How to do it

1. Exhale as you lift your top arm and rotate it in a wide arc toward the floor behind you.
2. Follow your moving hand with your gaze, rotating your head and ribcage while keeping your hips and knees glued to the floor.
3. Inhale and hold the end position for a moment, feeling the stretch across your chest and mid-back.
4. Exhale as you slowly reverse the movement to return to the starting position with palms stacked.

Form checklist

• Keep your knees pressed together and touching the floor at all times.
• Rotate from the mid-back (thoracic spine) rather than just pulling the shoulder back.
• Maintain a slow, rhythmic tempo coordinated with your breathing.
• Ensure your hips remain stacked and do not roll backward with your torso.

Pro tips

• Place your bottom hand on top of your knees to help anchor them to the floor during the rotation.
• Focus on reaching 'long' through your fingertips to maximize the stretch in the pectorals and anterior deltoids.
• Imagine wringing out your spine like a wet towel, initiating the movement from the core and ribcage.

Make it harder

• Perform 'Windmills' by circling your arm in a full 360-degree arc along the floor overhead.
• Hold a very light dumbbell or weighted ball in the moving hand to add gentle resistance to the rotation.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the lying back opener work?

The lying back opener primarily targets the pectorals and trapezius, and also works the erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the lying back opener?

The lying back opener requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the lying back opener good for beginners?

The lying back opener is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Bodyweight Kneeling Push-Up RowBeginner · lats, pectorals, and trapezius
• Crocodile CrawlAdvanced · abs, hamstrings, obliques, pectorals, and trapezius
• Decline Pike Press Between BenchesAdvanced · pectorals and trapezius
• Dumbbell Deep Push-Up And Renegade RowAdvanced · lats, pectorals, and trapezius