The latissimus dorsi, or the lats for short, play a huge role in shoulder function and health. Oftentimes, these muscles become tight and stiff after injury, surgery, immobilization, a lack of stretching, or repetitive lat overuse/overdevelopment! Because they act to extend and internally rotate the shoulder as well as depress the shoulder girdle, they can severely limit your ability to achieve an optimal overhead position. This is a very important position for just about anyone who does anything with their arms overhead: weightlifters, swimmers, mechanics, athletes, gymnasts, you name it – the overhead position is important for a lot of people! Because so many individuals need full overhead mobility, stretching the lats is a part of many athletes [P]rehab programs. This article will show you some of the best lat stretches out there, and more importantly, how to maintain your overhead mobility after lat stretching!

Lat Anatomy 101

While most people seem to “know” how to stretch each muscle, to really maximize your stretches you have to move the origin of the muscle (where it starts) as far away from the insertion of the muscle (where it ends) as possible. When it comes to muscles that cross multiple joints and have multiple attachments like the lats, you have to take up this extra tension at each available joint to truly maximize your stretching!

In the case of the lats, they have multiple origins! The lats originate on:

• The spinous processes of vertebrae T7-L5

 

• Thoracolumbar Fascia

 

• Iliac Crest

 

• The inferior portion of the 3rd or 4th rib

 

• The inferior angle of the scapula

 

How To Stretch – Tips And Tricks

When it comes to stretching, the most important origin that we have control over (i.e. what we can voluntarily move) is the iliac crest. The iliac crest is the top portion of your hip bone. When you put your hands on your hips at your side and feel that boney ridge, that’s your iliac crest! The muscle fibers of the lats all eventually make their way to the shoulder and turn into a tendon. This tendon then attaches into the front of the shoulder onto the intertubercular groove of the humerus.

When muscles contract, they typically will move the insertion closer to the origin. Thus, to stretch the lats, you want to move the lat’s origins as far away from the insertion as possible! So to optimally stretch the lats, you need to:

• Abduct the shoulder

 

• Flex the shoulder (get the arm overhead!)

 

• Externally rotate the shoulder

 

• Posteriorly pelvic tilt the pelvis

 

• Side bend to the opposite side

 

These actions above should hold true in every form of the best lat stretches to fully optimize it!

 

Take The Guesswork Out Of Improving Your Lat Mobility!

The lats are one of the most important structures needed to achieve optimal overhead mobility. Overhead shoulder mobility is not only a necessity for simple day to day tasks, but it is a prerequisite for many exercises, lifts, and functional activities. Without it, your body can and will compensate from many other body regions when doing things overhead, which can expose these areas to potential unnecessary strain. If your mobility is limited due to an injury/surgery in the past, or you’re just dealing with a stiff upper body that is limiting your workouts and athletic performance, this program is appropriate for you as long as you have general workout experience! Learn more HERE.

 

Active vs Passive Stretching For The Lats

In general, when it comes to any form of muscle stretching, there are passive stretches and active stretches. Passive stretches are what most think of when it comes to stretching. Passive stretching simply involves trying to stretch the desired muscle by elongating it and holding the stretch for the desired amount of time. The key to passive stretching is you must be able to relax!

 

Want To Learn How To Properly Stretch Your Lats? Watch This Video!

 

Best Passive Lat Stretches

I find hanging on a rig or doorway to be the single best passive lat stretch. You are able to perform all the necessary movements to maximize your overhead lat stretch and relax at the same time.

The single best cue for this lat stretch is to “look under your armpit”

 Passive Doorway Lat Stretch

Sample Lat Overhead Mobility Programming Video

Keys to the exercise:

• Keep your palms facing up. This externally rotates the shoulder which stretches the lats even further

 

• Drop your back leg and hip further down to the floor to accentuate the stretch

 

READ: Exercises To Improve Thoracic Spine Mobility

 

Best Active Lat Stretches

After any sort of passive stretching, you need to actively move through the desired range of motion to “lock-in” the mobility gains you made. It’s essentially showing your brain that you now have more mobility and teaching your brain how to use it! No matter how good of a passive lat stretch you do, if you don’t follow it up with active mobility work you’re shortcutting your gains!

Keys to the stretch:

• Back and shoulders must stay against the wall

 

• Don’t arch your back

 

• You must keep your elbows touching the entire time

 

• Drive your elbows in a forward and overhead motion

 

• To increase the stretch, try and separate your hands – while keeping your elbows together!

 

The Prehab membership is the anti-barrier solution to keeping your body healthy. Access state-of-the-art physical therapy, fitness programs, and workouts online in the comforts of your own home or gym! Taking control of your health with exercise & education from the palm of your hand has never been easier. Get access to 50+ programs, 100+ unique workouts, and 3000+ exercises to build your own workout routines. Trial it for free, and learn how to get out of pain, avoid injury, and optimize your health with [P]rehab!

 

Best Lat Stretches: Active Foam Roller Lift Offs

Sample Overhead Mobility Overhaul Program Exercises

The foam roller liftoff is personally my favorite active lat stretch. Using a foam roller, really sink into your chest. This will open up the chest and increase the amount of flexion at the shoulder. Rotate your hand out, into external rotation, as you roll out. This will preferentially bias stretching the lats, as they perform internal rotation. Hold this position for a few seconds, then try and lift your hand off the foam roller for a few seconds. A good cue to use for this is to “put your scapula in your back pocket” to facilitate the lower traps and posterior tilt of the scapula. If you can’t lift your hand, don’t worry! The goal is to activate your scapular muscles at the end range and learn to control the movement.

 

Combination Of Best Lat Stretches: Doing Soft Tissue Work First

The first part of this video shows Arash performing some active self-myofascial release to his lat region. Because he is moving through his range of motion in an attempt to stretch his lats, we’re going to consider this an active lat stretch.

LISTEN: DECREASING RISK OF OVERHEAD SHOULDER INJURIES

 

Putting It All Together For The Best Lat Stretches: Passive & Active

While there are many different ways to stretch your lats, the best lat stretches are combinations of a passive lat stretch followed by an active lat stretch. Hopefully, by understanding what goes into the best lat stretches, you can now formulate a stretch for just about any muscle of body region, like the hip flexors!

 

Take Control and Master Overhead Mobility 

We refuse to live in a society in which posters are hung only to shoulder level height, stale food accumulates at the top of the cupboard, and walls are only halfway painted! Whether your goal is to be able to reach overhead to help us prevent the previously described society or earn the pre-req of full shoulder flexion before lifting weights overhead then this is your program!

 

About The Author

Michael Lau, PT, DPT, CSCS

[P]rehab Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer

Michael was born and raised in Northern California but now currently resides in Sunny SoCal ever since attending the University of California, Los Angeles as an undergraduate majoring in physiology. After his undergraduate studies, he received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from cross-town rival the University of Southern California. As a licensed physical therapist with a strong background in strength and conditioning, Michael likes to blend the realms of strength training and rehabilitation to provide prehab, or preventative rehabilitation, to his patients. A common human behavior is to address problems after they become an issue and far often too late, which is a reactionary approach. He believes the key to improved health care is education and awareness. This proactive approach-prehab-can reduce the risk of injuries and pain in the first place. He is a huge proponent of movement education and pain science. Clinically, he has a special interest in ACLR rehab and return to sport for the lower extremity athlete.

 

 

DISCLAIMER – THE CONTENT HERE IS DESIGNED FOR INFORMATION & EDUCATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.