Going Beyond the Swing: Part 1—The Arm-Bar Stretch

Join CrossFit Kettlebell trainer Jeff Martone as he adds more kettlebell movements to the CrossFit toolbox.

Today’s addition is the arm-bar stretch. He calls the drill a “stretch” but says it’s a bit of a misnomer because the movement won’t exactly feel like a stretch. According to Martone, “It’s building strength and stability in that shoulder and flexibility at the same time.”

To perform the movement, press the kettlebell over your body from a supine position. With a locked-out arm perpendicular to the floor, rotate your body around and try to flatten your hips to the ground. This will produce a position where the hips are on the floor, the torso is twisted and the kettlebell is still held perpendicular to the floor with a locked arm. The key points are to keep your eyes on the kettlebell at all times and use a spotter, and Martone teaches the group members how to spot for this drill.

“‘Active shoulder’ means different things depending upon what you’re doing,” Martone says and drills the correct shoulder position for the stretch—shoulder blade retracted. “I don’t want to push it away. I actually want to pull my scap into my spine,” he says.

8min 25sec

Additional reading: How to Speak Martone by Larry Gallagher, published Oct.28, 2008.