Doorway Chest Stretch

Move · Flexibility & Mobility · Movement, Typed Supps

Opens the front of the shoulders using nothing but a doorway.

Stage by stage

Set-up (Forearms on the frame): Elbows near shoulder height on a door frame, one foot stepped through.
During (Chest fibres at length): Arm height selects which portion of pectoralis major is loaded.
The deeper target (Pectoralis minor and scapula): Allowing the shoulder blades to retract reaches pec minor, which restricts the scapula rather than the arm.
Watch for (Anterior capsule): Forcing the arm further back loads the front of the joint capsule rather than the muscle.

Muscles trained

Primary: chest
Secondary: shoulders, biceps, rotator cuff

Intensity

2.3 METs (Stretching, mild).

Time to effect

Weeks: Range improves over weeks; the immediate release of a tight-feeling chest is available in the first session.

Common myth

“Stretching your chest fixes rounded shoulders.” In reality: Resting shoulder position is set far more by habitual posture and by the strength of the muscles that hold the shoulder blade than by chest muscle length. Stretching feels good and changes little on its own; rowing and scapular strength work do more.