World's Greatest Stretch

The World's Greatest Stretch is a dynamic full-body mobility exercise that simultaneously targets the hips, hamstrings, and thoracic spine. It combines a deep lunge with a spinal twist to improve flexibility and range of motion before workouts.

Exercise movement reviewed by:Marie Braga, PT, DPT, CSCS
How Iridium Helps

Even for unweighted mobility work, logging your difficulty (RPE) allows our AI to assess your joint readiness and recovery status before you lift. If you consistently struggle with balance or range of motion here, the system recognizes potential restrictions in your hips or upper back and can modify your upcoming strength sets to ensure safety. By integrating this data with your sleep and HRV, the app can prescribe longer or more specific warm-ups on days when your body is showing signs of stiffness or fatigue.

Form Cues

Do
  • Step your front foot wide outside your hand
  • Keep your back leg straight and active
  • Rotate your chest toward your front knee
  • Reach your arm vertically toward the ceiling
  • Drive your hips down toward the floor
Don't
  • Don't let your back knee rest on the floor unless modifying
  • Don't round your lower back
  • Don't hold your breath during the rotation
  • Don't let your front heel lift off the ground

Common Mistakes

  • Rounding the lumbar spine
  • Bending the back knee passively
  • Rushing through the rotation
  • Shrugging shoulders toward ears
  • Lifting the front heel

Muscles Worked

This dynamic compound movement primarily opens up tight hip flexors and adductors while actively stretching the hamstrings. Simultaneously, the rotational component targets the thoracic spine (upper back) and obliques, making it highly effective for releasing tension throughout the entire kinetic chain.

Primary

Hip Flexors

Secondary

Erector SpinaeGeneral CoreHamstrings

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