Partner Assisted Chest Stretch

This page provides details for the Partner Assisted Chest Stretch. This stretch focuses on the chest, shoulder and upper back muscles. It is used by martial artists to loosen up before training for grappling techniques and/or punching routines. Martial arts students use these stretches to warm up their muscles, improve their overall flexibility and reduce the potential for some injuries (i.e. strained pectoral muscles). If you are looking for additional chest stretches, please visit the main Chest Stretches section.

In this stretch, a martial arts student will extend their arms out to their sides. Their partner will stand behind them and gently pull the student's arms back behind the student's body. A partner assisted stretch is often used for deeper stretches or when the dojo has limited space for multiple students. However, students must be careful with these assisted stretches as they can injure their partner if the stretch is too vigorous.

All stretches and exercises should be supervised by a trained instructor in order to prevent injuries and to ensure the proper technique is utilized. For information on other stretches (i.e. hamstring or triceps stretches), please visit the main Martial Arts Stretching section.