Butcher's Block Stretch Guide | Lat & Shoulder Mobility
Learn how to perform the Butcher's Block stretch correctly to improve lat flexibility and thoracic spine mobility with our step-by-step guide.
How to Perform
- Kneel on the floor facing a flat bench and place both elbows on the edge of the surface at roughly shoulder-width apart.
- Join your palms together in a prayer position and walk your knees back until your torso is parallel to the ground.
- Slowly drop your head and chest between your arms while pushing your hips back toward your heels.
- Fold your hands back toward the nape of your neck to increase the stretch through the triceps and lateral muscles.
- Breathe deeply into your upper back and hold the position for thirty to sixty seconds.
- Exhale and gently tuck your chin to your chest as you round your back to release the tension and return to the starting position.
Common Mistakes
- Excessively arching the lower back to compensate for poor shoulder mobility.
- Allowing the elbows to flare too wide which reduces the tension on the lats.
- Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears instead of keeping the shoulder blades retracted.
- Holding your breath or tensing the neck muscles during the deep stretch phase.
Muscles Worked
Primary movers
- Lats
Stabilizers
- Triceps
- Thoracic Spine
- Teres Major
Related Guides
- 1-Arm Half-Kneeling Lat Pulldown — Back
- Alternating High Cable Row — Back
- Alternative DB Gorilla rows — Back
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