Side Lying Wide Opener

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Lie on your side with your hips and knees stacked and bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Extend both arms straight out in front of your chest at shoulder height, resting one palm on top of the other.
3. Keep your head neutral, resting it on the floor or a small cushion for support.

How to do it

1. Exhale as you lift your top arm and rotate it in a wide, slow arc toward the floor behind you.
2. Follow the movement of your hand with your gaze to facilitate full rotation through the neck and upper back.
3. Keep your knees glued together and pressed into the floor to ensure the rotation occurs in the thoracic spine.
4. Inhale as you slowly reverse the arc, returning your hand to the starting position with control.

Form checklist

• Keep your knees and hips stacked and stationary throughout the movement.
• Focus on rotating from the mid-back rather than just moving the arm.
• Maintain a soft bend in the elbow of the moving arm to avoid joint strain.
• Ensure the bottom shoulder remains grounded and stable.

Pro tips

• Imagine reaching your fingertips toward the walls to maximize the stretch across the pectorals and anterior deltoids.
• Use your bottom hand to gently pin your knees to the floor if they tend to lift during the rotation.
• Focus on the mind-muscle connection in your obliques to control the depth of the rotation.

Make it harder

• Hold a light dumbbell or a small weighted ball in the moving hand to increase the stretch and demand on the shoulder stabilizers.
• Extend the top leg straight out while keeping the bottom leg bent to increase the rotational leverage and core engagement.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the side lying wide opener work?

The side lying wide opener primarily targets the deltoids, lats, and pectorals, and also works the abs and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the side lying wide opener?

The side lying wide opener requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the side lying wide opener good for beginners?

The side lying wide opener is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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