Eagle Arms
Eagle Arms
Muscle Group(s) Stretched: Shoulders
Range of Motion Stretched: Shoulder Protraction
Type of Stretch: Passive Static
Difficulty: Intermediate
Suggested Prerequisites: Can bring elbows in front of body at shoulder height and completely press forearms against each other (fingers pointing towards the ceiling)
Eagle Arms is a great stretch for the muscles in your upper back between your shoulder blades, but it requires a decent amount of shoulder external rotation in order to pretzel your arms together. For students who can’t quite get this bind, I suggest swapping it for an Alligator Arms Hug instead - which gets a similar shoulder stretch, but without the crazy bind.
How To
Step 1
Lift your right elbow out in front of your body, elbow bent 90 degrees, fingers pointing up towards the ceiling.
Step 2
Swoop your left arm around underneath the first arm, and reach the left fingers back to try to grab onto your right wrist or palm.
Step 3
Keeping your bind (don’t let the hands slip apart), lift the elbows up to shoulder height, then push your elbows away from your chest, puffing out your upper back. This will help slide your shoulder blades away from each other, bringing them forwards towards the sides of your ribs, stretching out the muscles between your shoulder blades.
Hold for 20-30 seconds, then swap your arm wrap so the other arm is on top.
Modifications
Make it easier:
Skip the bind - just bring both elbows, forearms, and palms to touch in front of the body, and try to lift the elbows up to shoulder height
Make it harder:
Reach your bound hands forwards, away from your face
Lift your elbows a bit higher, between shoulder and chin height
Related Content
Flexopedia: Alligator Arms Hug
Flexopedia: Arm Across the Chest Stretch
Blog Post: Beginner-Friendly Shoulder Conditioning
Blog Post: Quick and Easy Shoulder Warm Up
