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Cross-body shoulder stretch

4 holds of 30 s per side, pulling the arm across your chest with the shoulder blade pinned back.

Slot
Mobility
Focus
Mobility
Time
5 min
Intensity
Low
Injury risk
Low
Intervals
4 × 30s on, 10s off
Equipment
Floor space

How to do it

Stand tall or lie on the side you're stretching. Bring one arm straight across your chest at shoulder height and use the other hand above the elbow to pull it further across, until you feel the stretch in the back of the shoulder. Keep the shoulder blade pulled back and down; if it slides forward you're stretching nothing. Hold 30 seconds, switch sides, and do 4 holds per side. The back of the shoulder gets stiff from all the pulling climbers do, and a stiff back capsule pushes the ball of the joint forward, a common cause of front-of-shoulder pain. Physios compared this with the sleeper stretch; the cross-body version worked as well or better.

Who it’s for

Climbers whose shoulders feel tight when reaching across the body or behind them, and anyone who does a lot of pulling with very little stretching. It’s a simple way to keep the back of the shoulder from stiffening up. If the front of your shoulder already hurts, a physio’s opinion is worth more than any stretch.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the shoulder blade slide forward. This is the big one. Set the shoulder blade back and down first, then pull the arm across.
  • Pulling on the elbow joint. Put your hand above the elbow, on the upper arm.
  • Turning the body toward the arm. Rotating the chest makes the arm travel further while the shoulder stays where it was. Keep your chest facing forward.
  • Pulling into a pinch. You’re looking for a stretch in the back of the shoulder. A pinching feeling at the front means ease off.

How to progress

Little and often beats pulling harder. Once you can keep the shoulder blade in place standing, try the version lying on the side you’re stretching, where the floor helps hold the shoulder blade back.

When it fits

The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.

  • Base Lots of easy climbing, good movement and aerobic fitness.
  • Strength Stronger fingers and pulling, with weight you control.
  • Power Explosive moves, momentum and coordination.
  • Power Endurance Keep your power through one hard move after another.
  • Endurance Climb longer before you pump out, by moving efficiently.
  • Performance Peak for a trip or a comp: focus, reading problems, trying hard.
  • Deload Train less, let your fingers recover, keep moving.

Start with a ready-made block

A six-week strength plan with a deload, as a file for the app, and seven short emails on how to run it.