Got tight lats? These lat stretches will bring your lats FROM sore and tight TO loose, strong, and ready for your next:
- Back Day Workout
- Athletic Activity
- Daily Work Routine
Latissimi dorsi...AKA your lats...are one of the largest muscles in the back, and while it’s rare for them to get injured, you might have tight lats from all sorts of activities in life, such as:
- Sports that involve throwing
- Hunching and poor posture
But when you take time to massage and stretch your lats pre and post-workout OR just in the middle of your workday, you’ll have a stronger, more flexible back for all those daily activities–whether working at your computer, playing with your dog, or pushing it hard on back day at the gym.
Today, I’ll cover what I consider the 8 best lat stretches out there. I’ve categorized them by type, so you can easily find which style of lat stretches works for you–OR you can try them all for lots of variety.
You’ll see the following categories of lat stretches:
- Foam Roller Lat Stretches
- Standing Lat Stretches
- Wall Lat Stretches
- Bench Lat Stretch
- Hanging Lat Stretch
Many of these lat stretches can be converted into static (still) or dynamic (moving) lat stretches, and I’ll provide insight on how to do that throughout the instructions.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- 8 Best Lat Stretches
- Myofascial Release for Lats
- The Lat Lowdown: Everything You Need to Know About Lats
- More Resources on Lat Stretches & Exercises
- Lat Stretches FAQs
We’re Back Muscle Solutions, and we believe back health doesn’t have to be mysterious. We’ve made it our mission to break down the habits of a healthy back into concrete, actionable steps through all of our content.
We hope you find this article to be exactly that–easy to follow, helpful, and your go-to for any time you need a refresher on lat stretches.
Check out more of our helpful back resources HERE in our blog.
And our YouTube channel for helpful videos on back health HERE.
Okay, now let’s explore some lat stretches.
8 Best Lat Stretches
Be sure to check out the chart after each of these lat stretches for tips on how to make it a static or dynamic stretch.
Foam Roller Lat Stretches
Pro tip: you should always massage your lats before performing any lat stretches.
For massage techniques, check out the “Myofascial Release for Lats” section below, where I give tips on how to use a foam roller to massage your lats.
Speaking of foam rollers, I like to start with the foam roller lat stretch since I’ve already just used the foam roller for lat massage. As you use the foam roller for this lat stretch, keep your thumbs pointed up. I’ll explain why that’s important later.
Lat Stretches #1: Foam Roller With Both Arms
1) Kneel down on a yoga mat, and go back into child’s pose–pushing your butt back and extending your arms forward.
2) Place the foam roller underneath your forearms.
3) Now–keeping your thumbs pointed up–use the foam roller to assist as you roll forward. Extend your arms and stretch your hips forward with this motion.
4) Then, roll back to the starting position.
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Dynamic Lat Stretches / Before the Workout |
Static Lat Stretches / After the Workout |
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N/A |
This is one of the best static lat stretches, so plug this in after you work it hard during back day. |
Lat Stretches #2: Foam Roller On Your Back
Now, let’s switch around where we place that foam roller. You can also use a dumbbell or a weight plate with this lat stretch–just to lengthen those lats even more.
1) Lie on your back on a yoga mat, and hold a dumbbell in your hands.
2) Place a foam roller just below your shoulder blades, so it stretches across your lats.
3) Now, extend both arms up and above your head.
4) Hold for a few seconds. Then, return to the starting position.
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Dynamic Lat Stretches / Before the Workout |
Static Lat Stretches / After the Workout |
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To make this lat stretch dynamic, bring your arms up directly over your head and then stretch them back above your head repeatedly. |
For a static lat stretch, just hold your arms up into the stretch for 30-60 seconds. |
Standing Lat Stretches
For these standing lat stretches, you’ll need a fixed bar–such as a rig at a gym. Or if you’re at home, find a fixed surface you can hold onto–like a banister or a chair.
Lat Stretches #3: Overhead Lat Stretch
1) Grab a fixed bar with one arm raised up over your head.
2) Now, bend your knees, and drop your hips down, so you start to feel the stretch in your lat.
3) Next, accentuate the stretch by rotating your hips on the opposite side of the raised arm.
4) Repeat on the other side when you’re done.
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Dynamic Lat Stretches / Before the Workout |
Static Lat Stretches / After the Workout |
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To make this lat stretch dynamic, the movement is all in the rotation. Rotate your hips to the opposite side and then bring your hips back to the starting position repeatedly for this to become a dynamic stretch. |
For a static lat stretch, hold for 15-30 seconds. |
Lat Stretches #4: Standing Bent-Over Lat Stretch
1) Stand just to the side of a fixed bar. You’ll work the lat that’s farthest from the bar here.
2) Cross one leg behind the other (make sure it’s the leg on the side of the lat you’re stretching!).
3) Bend your torso in towards the bar–lifting the arm farthest from the bar above your head to reach the bar.
4) Use your other arm for support lower on the bar.
5) Drop your hips back a bit to lengthen your lats even more.
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Dynamic Lat Stretches / Before the Workout |
Static Lat Stretches / After the Workout |
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To make this lat stretch dynamic, hold the bar and then release back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired amount of reps. |
For a static lat stretch, hold for 15-30 seconds. |
Wall Lat Stretches
Now that we’ve covered standing lat stretches, let’s move on to wall lat stretches. For these wall lat stretches, you’ll use a wall for support instead of a fixed bar. Wall lat stretches are some of the best lat stretches because you can use the wall for extra support and stability.
Lat Stretches #5: Forward-Facing Wall Lat Stretch
1) Stand with your back against a wall.
2) Bring your forearms together in front of you.
3) Then, raise your arms up above your head and toward the wall behind you–keeping your forearms together the whole time.
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Dynamic Lat Stretches / Before the Workout |
Static Lat Stretches / After the Workout |
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To make this lat stretch dynamic, bring your arms up and down, and repeat. |
For a static lat stretch, hold for 15-30 seconds. |
Lat Stretches #6: Backward-Facing Wall Lat Stretch
1) Now, reverse your position, and turn around to face the wall.
2) Press your elbows up against the wall, clasping your hands together above and behind your head.
3) Now, drop your hips back, bending one knee in front of you and extending the other leg back out behind you.
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Dynamic Lat Stretches / Before the Workout |
Static Lat Stretches / After the Workout |
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Bring your elbows on and off the wall as you move in and out of this lat stretch. |
For a static lat stretch, hold for 15-30 seconds. |
Bench Lat Stretch
Lat Stretches #7: Kneeling Bench Lat Stretch
1) Kneel down near a bench or plyo box.
2) Lean forward with your torso, resting your elbows on the bench.
3) Now, bring your hands up over your head and clasp them together.
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Dynamic Lat Stretches / Before the Workout |
Static Lat Stretches / After the Workout |
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To make this stretch dynamic, move your hands steadily up over your head and back down repeatedly. |
For a static lat stretch, hold for 15-30 seconds. |
Hanging Lat Stretch
Lat Stretches #8: Dead Hang
1) Position yourself underneath a pull-up bar.
2) Grab the bar with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. (You can jump up onto the bar, or use a stool to get there.)
3) Lift your feet off the ground, allowing your body to stretch.
4) Hold for 10-90 seconds-depending on your comfort level.
You can also increase the stretch on the side of each lat by doing one-armed variations of the dead hang.
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Dynamic Lat Stretches / Before the Workout |
Static Lat Stretches / After the Workout |
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N/A |
This one’s a regular old static lat stretch. |
Myofascial Release for Your Lats
BEFORE you stretch your lats, you’ll really get the most bang for your buck if you massage your lats. Never the other way around.
Imagine trying to stretch a muscle that’s stiff and tight. It’s not gonna go so well. But once you massage your lats and loosen them up, you’ll be in a good spot to progress into lat stretches.
Lat massage is best done through myofascial release and deep tissue massage, which involves applying pressure to the myofascial tissues for pain relief.
Fun fact: myofascial release can’t be done on your own. So for example–you can’t perform myofascial release with your hands.
That’s why a good massage device will do the trick for your lats, such as a foam roller. You can find a foam roller at your local gym or also easily purchase one on Amazon.
You’ll want to massage both sides of your lats, but I recommend starting with whichever side is causing you pain. Here’s how to use a foam roller to massage your lats before lat stretches.
Lat Stretches: Myofascial Release With Foam Roller
1) Lie down on your side.
2) Place a foam roller under your lat.
3) Roll back and forth on the roller–making sure you massage from just under your arm to your lower back–the full reach of your lat.
4) Roll back and forth until you feel a release in your lat. This will feel like a loosening or a relaxing of the muscle.
5) Then, repeat on the other side.
Myofascial Release for Your Lower Back
At Back Muscle Solutions, myofascial release and trigger point massage are what we swear by. If you’re interested in learning more about these topics, check out the articles below:
“Myofascial Release: What It Is And Which Body Regions Should Be Avoided”
“Trigger Point Therapy - How And Why It Works”
We created a lower back massage device that provides both myofascial release and trigger point therapy to ALL 6 muscles that tend to contribute to lower back pain. It’s called the QL Claw, and the best way to describe it is getting a lower back massage but from the comfort of your own home.
The QL Claw is small enough to fit in your gym bag and tough enough to tackle your lower back pain.
So, if you're interested in learning more about getting lower back pain relief, check out the QL Claw HERE.
The Lat Lowdown
Now that we know the best 8 lat stretches out there…here’s everything you need to know about your lats in a nutshell.
Where are your lats?
Your lats are large, flat triangular muscles that run from your lower hips up to your mid back and finally, extend to just under your arms.
Most people work out their lats for back strength, back flexibility, and to achieve a V-shaped back.
What do your lats do?
Lats help you with shoulder internal rotation. To put this in perspective, let me use an example.
Internal Shoulder Rotation/Thumb Pointed Down: Imagine you’re holding a doorknob and you're about to close the door. As you turn the knob inward, your hand moves towards the center of your body.
That’s similar to what your shoulder does during internal rotation. Your shoulder joint is like the doorknob, turning your arm inward as if you’re closing the door across your body. And whenever you perform this motion, your lats get involved.
Since internal shoulder rotation is the movement your lats help with, the best lat stretches will include external shoulder rotation.
External Shoulder Rotation/Thumb Pointed Up
Now think about opening that same door. This time, you turn the doorknob outward, moving your hand away from your body. That’s what happens during external rotation of the shoulder. Your shoulder joint is like the hinge, guiding your arm outward as if you’re opening the door to greet someone outside.
So, many of the lat stretches here in this article use external shoulder rotation–with your thumb pointed up.
What does lat pain feel like?
Because your lats are such a large muscle spanning the length of your back, it can be difficult to differentiate lat pain from other types of back pain. But some people describe lat pain as being felt in the:
- Mid Back
- Shoulder Blades
- Arms
-And even fingers
Lat injury is fairly uncommon, so if you do feel any lat pain, it’s most likely from a lat strain or a tight lat.
What causes lat pain and tightness?
Athletes often report feeling lat pain from overuse–especially in throwing sports like baseball.
If your lats are tight, that’s most likely a postural issue caused by hunching over. Anyone working on a computer all day? That’s most of us these days. And if your posture is at all compromised during your work, your lats most likely could benefit from a good lat stretch.
When to Add Lat Stretches Into Your Workout Routine
It’s best to add lat stretches on back day or upper body day–depending on how you’ve broken down your current workout. Because lats are such a large back muscle, they will definitely get a lot of wear and tear whenever you work out your back.
Depending on how you perform your lat stretches, you can use them BEFORE or AFTER back day. Here’s what that looks like.
Dynamic Lat Stretches - BEFORE the Workout
Dynamic stretching just means that you’re stretching but not holding the stretch. Instead, you go through a full range of motion repeatedly to stretch the muscle.
Dynamic lat stretches are best performed before you work out in order to prepare your body for the workout with less strain than a static stretch.
Static Lat Stretches - AFTER the Workout
Most dynamic lat stretches can be converted into static lat stretches by simply holding the stretch for 30-60 seconds.
Static lat stretches are best performed AFTER back day. They’ll help elongate your lat muscles and provide a deeper stretch.
More Resources on Lat Stretches & Exercises
If you found this article on lat stretches helpful, we’ve also got lots of great resources on lat exercises. Check out the articles below to start adding in lat exercises to your back day routine.
“Supinated Lat Pulldown: Fire Up BOTH Bicep & Lat Growth”
“Top 5 Lower Lat Exercises for Beginners”
“Cable Pullover For Lats: Full Guide & Alternatives”
Lat Stretches FAQs
How do you relieve lats?
To relieve tight lats, you’ll need to add in some lat stretches before and after your workout routine. Check out the 8 best lat stretches in this article for a good place to start. You can even add these lat stretches in to the middle of your workday to help loosen up your back muscles.
What issues can tight lats cause?
Tight lats can cause pain in lower, mid, and upper back–as well as your shoulder blades, arms, and even your fingers.
How do you roll out tight lats?
To roll out tight lats, use a foam roller just under the lat that feels tight. This provides a myofascial release for your lats.
How long does a strained lat last?
Lat strains typically take about 2-4 weeks to heal.
What does a lat strain feel like?
Lat strain feels like pain in your lower, middle, or upper back–as well as your shoulder blades.
[1] https://www.rmj.org.pk/fulltext/27-1598975800.pdf
[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0021929021001044