The rear deltoid muscle is a critical part of many different exercises, and you’ll have to fully engage it in many upper-body workout sessions.
But, as a personal fitness coach, I often see people at the gym make mistakes when stretching their shoulder muscles.
A simple mistake with wrongly aligning your arms can make an anterior deltoid stretch less effective.
So, our team decided to ask a physiotherapist to help out with a wide range of stretches, and for this post, we’ll show you exactly how to work on your rear deltoids.
Quick Summary
- Everyone should do a targeted shoulder stretch for the rear deltoids on upper body workout days, and the simplest way is with the crossover arm stretch.
- Some people develop shoulder pain because of tightness in the shoulder muscles, and this can impact your range of motion for bench presses, rows, and lateral raises.
- It’s also important to get the timing right for a rear deltoid stretch, and many people can benefit from a quick mid-workout stretch as well.
How To Stretch Your Deltoid Muscle Effectively
I’m going to show you the simplest and most effective way to do a rear deltoid stretch, but I recommend that you pay close attention to some notes on each step.
Here’s how I recommend you do the arm cross-body stretch:
- Step 1: Stretch out one arm across your chest and aim to keep the elbow straight and the opposite arm beside your body.
- Step 2: Place the hand of the opposite arm on the upper arm bone. Ideally, place it close to your elbow but on the triceps muscle.
- Step 3: Pull the entire arm towards your chest with the opposite hand and gradually build up the stretch in the left shoulder. It’s important to hold the stretch as you don’t want to force this into a kind of dynamic stretch as it could strain your shoulder joint [1].
- Step 4: Hold the stretch for about 15 seconds and then slowly release the opposite hand from your arm and allow your arm to release and hang beside.
- Step 5: Now, it’s time to work on the opposite shoulder using the same rear deltoid stretch process. Bring your right arm in front of your body and use the hand on the opposite arm to pull it towards your chest.
What Muscles Are Targeted?
The rear deltoid stretch will target two parts of the shoulder muscle group called the deltoid posterior and lateral.
My physiotherapist provided me with some interesting details about the rear deltoids that you’ll be targeting in this way [2].
1. Deltoid Posterior
This muscle makes up the back part of the shoulder and attaches directly to the upper back.
Its primary function is to move the arms back, which is why a rear deltoid stretch needs to move in the opposite direction.
2. Deltoid Lateral
This part of the deltoid connects the arm with the upper shoulder and is mainly responsible for moving the arm up and down.
A rear deltoid stretch will also target this muscle, and you should feel the stretch gradually increase from the center of your shoulder to the back.
How Often To Stretch The Rear Delts?
You should do a rear deltoid stretch every time you plan on doing any weight lifting that involves your arms.
This kind of static shoulder stretch can help to warm up muscles and increase your overall performance [3].
I would also recommend that athletes do a daily back/shoulder stretch just to keep muscles and joints loose and mobile.
“Not only can stretching help increase your flexibility, which is an important factor of fitness, but it can also improve your posture, reduce stress and body aches, and more.”
- Daniel Bubnis, M.S.
Related Articles:
- How Long Should You Hold a Stretch?
- Should You Stretch Before or After a Workout?
- Types of Pre Workout Stretches
When Should You Stretch Your Them?
You should do your rear deltoid stretch immediately before you start your warm-up routine. It’s a great way to activate muscles and ultimately prevent shoulder injuries [4].
And because the rear deltoid stretch only takes about 30 seconds, it’s a good idea to do an extra one just before your shoulder exercise.
FAQs
Why Are My Rear Delts So Tight?
Your rear delts can become tight because of continuous overuse. Athletes who perform the same movement a lot of the time can find that it tightens these muscles, and one of the best options is a regular rear deltoid stretch.
How Do You Loosen Tight Muscles Between Your Shoulder Blades?
You can loosen tight muscles between your shoulder blades by reaching both arms across your chest in a hugging motion. Alternatively, you could also do a static rear deltoid stretch with an added shoulder turn.
Add A Regular Rear Deltoid Stretch For Improved Workout Performance
I highly recommend that you do a rear deltoid stretch before every upper body workout, where you’ll use weights or a cable machine. The increased flexibility and range of motion can make a huge difference.
And if you want to gain some extra benefits for your training, tahen try out one of our recommended pre-workout supplements:
They won’t turn you into The Hulk overnight, but the small increases will add up over the months ahead.
References:
- https://www.hss.edu/article_static_dynamic_stretching.asp
- https://www.physio-pedia.com/Deltoid
- https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2014/05000/the_effects_of_stretching_on_performance.12.aspx
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.01468/full
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