Rear Hand Clasp
Rear Hand Clasp
Muscle Group(s) Stretched: Shoulders (shoulder extension)
Muscle Group(s) Strengthened: n/a
Type of Stretch: Passive Static
Difficulty: All-Levels
Suggested Prerequisites: none
A classic exercise to stretch shoulder extension (reaching the arms behind you). For students who cannot grasp their hands together, you can use a strap!
How To
Step 1
Interlace your fingers behind your back, pulling your knuckles down towards the floor to straighten your arms. If you can’t straighten your arms, or it’s uncomfortable to clasp your hands, grab a towel or a strap with hands about hip-width apart (or wider, if needed).
Step 2
Pull your hands away from your butt - you should feel a stretch in the front of your shoulders.
Hold this stretch for 15-30 seconds.
Modifications
Need to make it easier?
Hold onto a strap instead of clasping your hands together.
Lift and lower your arms for reps instead of holding the sustained stretch.
Want to make it harder?
When clasping the hands, bring your palms together to touch.
Add a forward fold, reaching your hands towards the ceiling (or if you have a deep forward fold, overhead towards the floor).
Add an additional active shoulder engagement. You could choose to activate the outside of your shoulders by acting as if you were going to pull your arms apart (while your hands are still clasped). Or you could activate the muscles between your shoulder blades to actively pull your arms closer together as you reach them away from your back.
Related Content
Blog Post: Beginner-Friendly Shoulder Conditioning
