Stretch First, Then Strengthen: How to Get More Out of Your Stand Up Str8 System
- Ken Belveal
- May 19
- 5 min read
Your Shoulder Blades Need Room to Move
If you are using the Stand Up Str8 Middle Back Strengthening System, the goal is simple:
You want to strengthen the muscles between your shoulder blades so your middle back can support you better.
But here is something important:
Before you strengthen, you may need to open up the tight areas that are limiting your movement.
One of those areas is often the latissimus dorsi, also called the lat.
The lat is a large muscle that connects into the upper arm and runs down through the back. When it gets tight, it can limit how well your shoulder moves and how easily you can pull your shoulder blades back and down.
That matters because Stand Up Str8 works best when you can move your shoulder blades correctly.
Watch the Quick Wall Lat Stretch Video
The video is short, but when doing the stretch yourself, move slowly, breathe, and hold the position longer than the demonstration.
Why Stretching First Can Help
Stand Up Str8 is not a posture brace.
It is not designed to pull your shoulders back while you do nothing.
It is an active middle back strengthening system.
That means you have to move correctly. You have to squeeze your shoulder blades back and down. You have to feel the muscles between the shoulder blades working.
But if your lats, chest, shoulders, or upper back are tight, your body may not move the way it should.
Instead, you may compensate by:
Raising your shoulders toward your ears
Arching your lower back
Using your neck muscles too much
Feeling the exercise more in the upper traps than the middle back
Struggling to pull the shoulder blades back and down
Feeling restricted on one side more than the other
That is why stretching and mobilizing first can make a difference.
You are not stretching just to stretch.
You are preparing your body to strengthen better.
The Stand Up Str8 System: Release, Stretch, Strengthen
The Stand Up Str8 system works best when you think of it in three simple steps:
1. Release
Use the release ball to help reduce tension in tight areas.
This may include the upper back, chest area, or muscles around the shoulder blade.
The goal is to calm down tight tissue and make movement feel easier.
2. Stretch and Mobilize
After releasing tight areas, use simple stretches like the wall lat stretch to help improve your available range of motion.
This gives your shoulders and shoulder blades a better chance to move correctly.
3. Strengthen
Then use the Stand Up Str8 strengthening device to activate and strengthen the muscles between your shoulder blades.
This is where the real long-term benefit happens.
Relief is good.
But strength is what helps you hold better movement over time.
Why the Lat Stretch Matters
A tight lat can make it harder to raise your arm overhead, rotate through the shoulder, and position your shoulder blade properly.
When that happens, your body may borrow motion from somewhere else.
That usually means the neck, upper traps, or lower back start doing work they should not be doing.
The wall lat stretch helps open up the side of the upper body so your shoulder and upper back can move more freely.
This can make it easier to use Stand Up Str8 correctly.
How to Do the Wall Lat Stretch
Stand near a wall.
Place one hand on the wall.
Bend your elbow and let your chest move slightly down.
You should feel a stretch along the side of your back, under your arm, or through the side of your rib cage.
Hold the stretch and breathe.
Do not force it.
Do not bounce.
Do not crank your shoulder into pain.
The goal is to create a clean, controlled stretch so your shoulder and upper back can move better.
What You Should Feel
You should feel a comfortable stretch through the side of your upper body.
You should not feel sharp pain.
You should not feel pinching in the front of the shoulder.
You should not feel like you have to twist your body aggressively to get into position.
If the stretch feels painful or awkward, reduce the range of motion and make it smaller.
Better movement starts with control, not force.
Then Use Stand Up Str8
After the stretch, put on your Stand Up Str8 system and practice the strengthening movement.
Think about pulling your shoulder blades:
Back and down.
Not up toward your ears.
Not by arching your lower back.
Not by forcing your chest forward.
The goal is to feel the muscles working between your shoulder blades.
That is the area you are trying to strengthen.
A simple cue is:
Imagine gently squeezing your shoulder blades together and slightly downward, like you are trying to hold a quarter between them.
Keep the movement controlled.
Move only as far as you can while keeping good form.
How Often Should You Do This?
For many people, this can be done daily.
A simple routine might look like this:
Release tight areas with the ball
Perform the wall lat stretch for 15–30 seconds per side
Use the Stand Up Str8 system for controlled shoulder blade strengthening
You do not need to make this complicated.
Consistency matters more than intensity.
A few focused minutes done correctly can be much more valuable than forcing a long routine with poor form.
The Biggest Mistake People Make
The biggest mistake is thinking that posture improves by simply pulling the shoulders back.
That is not enough.
If the muscles are tight, weak, or poorly coordinated, the body will go right back to its old habits.
That is why Stand Up Str8 is built around active strengthening.
You are teaching the body how to move better, then strengthening the muscles that help support that movement.
That is very different from wearing a passive brace.
A brace holds you.
Stand Up Str8 trains you.
Final Thought
The wall lat stretch is a simple drill, but it can help prepare your shoulders and upper back to move better before strengthening.
Use it as part of the bigger system:
Release tension. Stretch and mobilize. Strengthen between the shoulder blades.
That is how you get more out of your Stand Up Str8 system.
The goal is not just to stand taller for a few minutes.
The goal is to build better movement, better control, and stronger support through the middle back.
Ready to strengthen the muscles between your shoulder blades?
Use the Stand Up Str8 Middle Back Strengthening System to release tension, improve movement, and strengthen the muscles that support your middle back.
Available now on Amazon.
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