# World's Greatest Stretch: how to do it

- Main muscles: hip flexors, hamstrings
- Also works: upper back, adductors
- Equipment: bodyweight
- Level: beginner
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/worlds_greatest_stretch/6b61a7611a/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Step your right foot forward into a long lunge and put your left hand on the floor inside it.
2. Lower your right elbow towards the inside of your right foot.
3. Turn your chest to the right and reach your right arm up to the ceiling.
4. Put both hands down, push your hips back and straighten your front leg.
5. Step back to standing and repeat on the other side.

## Cues

- Sink your hips low and forward.
- Turn your chest, follow your hand.
- Back leg long and strong.

## Common mistakes

- Front knee falling in: keep it pointing over your toes.
- Turning only the arm: rotate your chest as well and follow your hand with your eyes.
- Rushing through: pause a breath in each position.

## The version in our demo

A slow flow from a long lunge: back knee off the floor, opposite hand down, front-side elbow drops to the inside of the front foot, the same arm rotates up to the ceiling, then the hips move back to straighten the front leg. ACE's runner's lunge with rotation and Physitrack's hip stretch flow are the same pattern; the back knee on the floor is the easier option.

## Starting position

Standing tall, feet hip width apart, arms by the sides.

## The movement

Right side shown; the left side mirrors it. 1. Lunge: step the right foot forward into a long lunge and place the left hand flat on the floor inside the right foot. Left leg long behind, back knee off the floor, heel up. 2. Elbow drop: lower the right elbow towards the inside of the right foot, sinking the hips forward and down. 3. Rotate: lift the right arm up and turn the chest towards the right leg until the arm points at the ceiling; eyes follow the hand. Return the right hand to the floor inside the right foot. 4. Hamstring: with both hands down, shift the hips back and up so the right knee straightens and the right toes may lift; hold briefly, then return to the lunge and step back to standing. The back leg, the planted hand and the front foot stay fixed during steps 2–4.

## Breathing

Breathe out as you sink and rotate; breathe in as you return.

## Tempo

Both sides, about 16 s: per side step into the lunge 1.5 s, elbow drop and hold 2 s, rotate up and hold 2 s, hand back down 1 s, hamstring shift and hold 2 s, step back to standing 1.5 s. Real sets: 3–5 slow reps per side.

## Form in numbers

- Pelvis stays square and low during the rotation; hips level side to side.

## Sources

1. [ACE, "Top Exercises to Gain Thoracic Mobility" (Runner's Lunge With Rotation)](https://www.acefitness.org/resources/pros/expert-articles/5203/top-exercises-to-gain-thoracic-mobility/)
2. [Physitrack, "Hip stretch flow – \"worlds greatest stretch\" (exercise video)"](https://us.physitrack.com/home-exercise-video/hip-stretch-flow---%2522worlds-greatest-stretch%2522)

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/worlds-greatest-stretch