Lat Overhead Stretch
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds drills like this into your personalized off-ice program, week by week. Your first week is free.
How to Do It
Kneel facing a bench or box. Place both elbows on the surface, shoulder-width. Hips are over the knees. Hands can grip each other or the surface. Let the chest sink TOWARD the floor — the lats stretch as the arms go overhead. Hold breathing into the stretch for the time prescribed on the workout card. For a unilateral version: one arm on the surface, reach the other overhead and lean away. Both stretches are valuable — do both.
Why It Works
The lats are chronically tight in hockey players from all the pulling, checking, and hunched posture over the stick. Tight lats internally rotate the shoulder (worsening impingement risk), limit overhead range, and pull the thoracic spine into flexion. Overhead lat stretching is essential before any overhead pressing and as daily maintenance for shoulder health and T-spine posture.
Hockey Transfer
Releases the lats after pull-ups and rows — improves overhead shoulder mobility. Useful pre-AND-post overhead lifting. Lat prep makes the press cleaner; lat recovery prevents next-day stiffness.
Coaching Cues
- "Reach one arm overhead"
- "Lean to the opposite side. Hold. Other side. Keep ribs down."
Common Mistakes
Hips not over the knees — moving the hips back reduces the lat stretch. Arching the lower back to get lower — the movement should come from the thoracic spine. Holding for only 10-15 seconds — lats need 30+ seconds to release meaningfully. Only doing it before pressing — lats should be stretched daily.
Progression / Regression
Active lat stretch with a dowel overhead — adds a mobility control component.
Standing doorway lat stretch (one arm gripping the frame, leaning away) — easier position.',
Primary Muscles
Energy System
N/A (mobility/recovery)
Put it to work
on the ice.
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds exercises like this into a personalized off-ice program — created by a sport scientist and former national-team coach. Your first week is free.
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