Exercise Ball Lat Stretch

Setup

1. 01Kneel on the floor with the ball an arm's length in front of you.
2. 02Place one or both hands on top of the ball, thumbs pointing up.
3. 03Keep the hips stacked over the knees to start.
4. 04Set a neutral spine before sinking into the stretch.

Execution

1. 01Roll the ball forward as you sit the hips back toward the heels.
2. 02Let the chest sink toward the floor with the arms extended.
3. 03Hold at the point of a strong but comfortable lat stretch, breathing slowly.
4. 04Roll the ball back to release, and switch arms if stretching one side.

Checkpoints

• -The stretch is felt along the side of the torso and under the armpit.
• -Hips keep drifting back rather than collapsing forward.
• -Elbows stay straight or nearly straight.
• -Lower back stays long, not aggressively arched.

Common mistakes

• -Shrugging into the ears instead of letting the shoulder open.
• -Arching the lower back to fake overhead range.
• -Bouncing in and out of the stretch.
• -Placing the ball too close, leaving no room to lengthen.