A bodyweight exercise where you stand facing a wall, extend one arm to press against the wall, and engage your lats by pushing, focusing on lat activation and shoulder stability.
Quick Facts
How to Do One Arm Against Wall
Follow these step-by-step instructions to perform One Arm Against Wall with proper form and technique.
- Stand facing a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Extend one arm straight out in front of you and place your palm against the wall.
- Engage your core and lean your body forward, keeping your arm straight and your back flat.
- Slowly push against the wall with your palm, activating your lat muscles.
- Hold the position for a few seconds, then release and repeat with the other arm.
Muscles Worked
Understanding which muscles One Arm Against Wall targets helps you integrate it effectively into your training program.
Target Muscles
These are the main muscles responsible for performing the movement and receive the greatest training stimulus.
Secondary Muscles
These muscles assist in the movement and receive secondary training benefits.
Benefits of One Arm Against Wall
Incorporating One Arm Against Wall into your workout routine offers numerous advantages for strength, muscle development, and overall fitness.
- Lats Development: One Arm Against Wall directly targets and strengthens the Lats, promoting muscle growth and improved functional strength.
- Secondary Muscle Engagement: This exercise also works the Shoulders and Triceps, providing additional training stimulus without extra exercises.
- Convenience and Accessibility: This exercise requires no equipment, making it perfect for home workouts, travel, or when gym access is limited.
- Functional Strength: Strength exercises like One Arm Against Wall build real-world strength that transfers to daily activities and athletic performance.
- Beginner-Friendly: This exercise is accessible to those new to fitness, with a movement pattern that's relatively easy to learn with proper instruction.
- Corrects Imbalances: As a unilateral exercise, it helps identify and correct strength imbalances between sides of the body.
Safety Tips and Precautions
Performing One Arm Against Wall safely is essential for preventing injuries and ensuring long-term progress.
- Warm Up Properly: Before performing One Arm Against Wall, complete 5-10 minutes of light cardio followed by dynamic stretches targeting the Lats and surrounding muscles.
- Prioritize Form Over Weight: Never sacrifice proper technique for heavier weights. Poor form significantly increases injury risk and reduces the exercise's effectiveness.
- Progress Gradually: Master easier progressions before attempting advanced variations. Ensure your supporting surface is stable.
- Protect Your Lower Back: Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement. Never round your lower back under load.
- Respect Your Range of Motion: Work within your current mobility limits. Gradually improve flexibility over time rather than forcing deeper positions.
- Don't Hold Your Breath: Maintain consistent breathing throughout the exercise. Exhale during the exertion phase and inhale during the easier phase.
- Know When to Stop: End your set when you can no longer maintain proper form. Training to absolute failure on every set increases injury risk.
- Allow Adequate Recovery: The Lats typically need 48-72 hours to recover after intense training. Avoid training the same muscle group on consecutive days.
Tracking Your Progress
To make consistent gains with One Arm Against Wall, track these metrics during your workouts:
Track the number of sets you complete. Most training programs recommend 3-5 sets per exercise.
Record your repetitions per set. Adjust rep ranges based on your goals: 1-5 for strength, 6-12 for hypertrophy, 12+ for endurance.