Kneeling Lat Stretch
Chasing muscle you built on purpose? Kneeling Lat Stretch uses pure bodyweight leverage to get there.
How to do Kneeling Lat Stretch
- Kneel on the ground with your knees hip-width apart and your toes pointing back.
- Extend your arms overhead and interlace your fingers.
- Keeping your back straight, slowly lean to the right side, feeling a stretch in your left lat muscle.
- Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds, then return to the starting position.
- Repeat the stretch on the left side, leaning to the left and feeling a stretch in your right lat muscle.
- Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.
Kneeling Lat Stretch Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 6-8 reps at your hardest clean leverage, resting 2-3 minutes. Change leverage or elevation before you add load.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 12-18 reps with 60 seconds of rest. Hold the end position for a beat once reps come easily.
Endurance
3 sets of 25-30 reps with 30-45 seconds of rest. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase.
Common Kneeling Lat Stretch Mistakes
Shortening the range as soon as the set gets hard
End the set on the last full-range rep instead of grinding out halves.
Moving through the easy half of the range only
Work the part of the range that feels hardest, not the part that feels good.
Repeating the same load and rep scheme for months
Pick one variable, load, reps, or tempo, and push it every week.
Easier and Harder Than Kneeling Lat Stretch
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Kneeling Lat Stretch — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Kneeling Lat Stretch?
Kneel on the ground with your knees hip-width apart and your toes pointing back. Extend your arms overhead and interlace your fingers. Keeping your back straight, slowly lean to the right side, feeling a stretch in your left lat muscle. Use your bodyweight only and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Kneeling Lat Stretch work?
The Kneeling Lat Stretch primarily targets the lats. It is classified as a back exercise and is performed with your bodyweight only.
How many sets and reps of the Kneeling Lat Stretch should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 12-18 reps with 60 seconds of rest. Hold the end position for a beat once reps come easily. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Kneeling Lat Stretch good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic back patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Kneeling Lat Stretch?
Try the Roller Side Lat Stretch, Exercise Ball Lying Side Lat Stretch or the Cable Underhand Pulldown. Each trains the lats with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
