Pec Minor Stretch (7 Effective Ways!)

This blog post contains the 7 best ways to perform an effective Pec Minor Stretch.

(The Pec Minor muscle is commonly tight in the vast majority of people and will generally benefit from a good stretch… especially if you strained your chest muscle!)


How to release a tight Pec Minor:

Before performing a Pec Minor stretch, it is important to release the tight muscle first.


Pec Minor release

pec minor release

Instructions:

  • Lie down on your stomach.
  • Place a massage ball underneath the chest.
  • Apply an appropriate amount of pressure on top of the ball.
  • Make sure to cover the entire length of the muscle.
  • Continue for 1-2 minutes.

How to Stretch the Pec Minor

When performing a Pec Minor stretch, is it essential that you specifically position your body so that you can FEEL the stretch in the desired area.


KEY POINTS:

  • Keep the shoulder blades retracted (pulled back) and tilted backwards at all times.
  • Aim to direct the stretch specifically to the chest (and not the shoulders).
  • Exercise caution if you have a history of shoulder issues. (eg. Dislocations)
  • Keep lower ribs lowered to prevent lower back from arching.

1. Wall stretch

pec minor wall stretch

Instructions:

  • Place your palm and forearm high up onto a wall.
  • Tilt your shoulder backwards throughout this stretch.
  • Keep your lower ribs down to prevent the lower back from arching.
  • Lunge forwards.
  • Aim to feel a stretch in the chest region.
  • Hold for 30 seconds.

2. Supine Pec Minor Stretch

supine pec minor stretch

Instructions:

  • Lie down on your back.
  • Place a foam roller in the center of the spine.
    • (You can keep your knees bent for support.)
  • Keep your lower ribs down to prevent the lower back from arching.
  • Place your arms out in the out stretched position.
  • Hold for 30 seconds.

3. 4 point kneel

chest stretch in 4 point kneel

Instructions:

  • Assume the 4 point kneel position.
  • Place your forearm onto a chair.
  • Tilt your shoulder blade backwards.
  • Lean your torso towards the floor.
  • Hold for 30 seconds.

4. Floor Pec Stretch

pectoralis minor floor stretch

Instructions:

  • Assume a kneeling position.
  • Place your forearm and palm on the floor in front of you.
  • Lean your torso closer to the floor.
  • Relax your arm.
  • Tilt your shoulder blade backwards.
  • Lean a comfortable amount of your body weight through your forearm/hand.
  • Turn your torso away.
  • Hold for 30 seconds.

5. Stretch with Foam Roller

stretch to pec minor with foam roller

Instructions:

  • Lie down on your stomach.
  • Assume the push up position.
  • Place a small block/foam roller underneath your hand.
  • Tilt your shoulder blade backwards.
  • Lower your torso towards the ground.
  • Turn your torso away from the hand that is on the block.
  • Hold for 30 seconds.

6. Forward Lean Dip

stretches for pectoralis minor

Instructions:

  • Place your hands on 2 surface tops.
  • Lean your torso forwards.
  • Tilt your shoulder blades backwards.
  • Lower your torso.
  • Hold for 30 seconds.

7. Fascial glide with arm lift

pec minor fascial glide

Instructions:

  • Place your finger tips on the Coracoid Process.
    • (Use Google to locate if you are not sure where it is located.)
  • Apply a firm downwards pressure.
  • Start to slowly lift your arm as you slide your fingers down the chest.
  • Perform 5 repetitions.

Common questions:

a) How do I know if my Pec Minor is tight?

test for tight pec minor

Instructions:

  • Lie down on the floor.
  • Take note of the back of your shoulder.
  • Is it in contact with the floor?

Results: If the back of your shoulder is not in contact with the floor, it is likely that you have a tight Pec Minor.

b) What happens when Pec Minor is tight?

rounded shoulder tight pec minor

A tight Pec Minor will pull the shoulders into the rounded forward position.

This type of posture can lead to a range of issues.

For more information: Rounded Shoulders Exercises.

c) How long does it take to stretch a Pec Minor?

I recommend holding each stretch for at least 30-45 seconds.

If tolerated: You can maintain the stretch for up to 2 minutes.

Conclusion:

  • It is very common to have a tight Pec Minor muscle.
  • It can lead to issues such as Rounded Shoulders and sub-optimal shoulder mechanics.
  • The best way to loosen up this muscle is to perform the suggested Pec Minor stretches.
  • It is advisable to try each of the stretches to determine which one is the most effective for you.

What to do next

1. Any questions?… (Leave me a comment down below.)

2. Come join me:

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3. Start doing the exercises!


Disclaimer: The content presented on this blog post is not medical advice and should not be treated as such. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Use of the content provided on this blog post is at your sole risk. For more informationMedical disclaimer.

5 thoughts on “Pec Minor Stretch (7 Effective Ways!)”

    • Hi Viljo,

      You can perform them multiple times a day for at least 30 -120 seconds.

      You only need to do one of the stretches that gives you the best results.

      (But I do strongly recommend that you at least try them all out in the beginning to determine which one is most effective for you.)

      Mark

      Reply
  1. Mark, please finish a missing word:
    The lower your elbows are in a doorway stretch, the more you are stretching your pec m______r.

    Reply

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