Wall Slide With Lift Off

How to do the Wall Slide With Lift Off

1. Stand with your back flat against a wall, feet about six inches away, and press your lower back, upper back, and head against the surface.
2. Place your forearms and backs of your hands against the wall with elbows bent at 90 degrees, forming a goal post position.
3. Slide your arms up the wall slowly while maintaining contact with your forearms and hands until your arms are fully extended overhead.
4. At the top position, lift your hands and forearms off the wall by squeezing your shoulder blades together and engaging your deltoids.
5. Hold the lifted position for one to two seconds, then return your arms to the wall and slide back down to the starting position.

Form tips

• Keep your ribs down and core engaged throughout the movement to prevent your lower back from arching excessively as you slide up.
• Focus on maintaining contact between the wall and your wrists and elbows during the sliding phase before the lift off.
• When lifting off at the top, initiate the movement by retracting your shoulder blades rather than just pushing your arms forward.

Common mistakes

• Allowing the lower back to arch away from the wall during the slide reduces core engagement and shifts stress away from the shoulders.
• Lifting the hands off too early in the range of motion before reaching full overhead extension limits the mobility benefit of the exercise.
• Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears during the lift off creates unnecessary neck tension and reduces trapezius activation.

Sets and reps

Perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps for shoulder endurance and hypertrophy, or 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps with longer holds at the top for strength and stability.

Frequently asked questions

What is the purpose of lifting off the wall at the top?

Lifting off at the top adds an isometric contraction that strengthens the deltoids and trapezius while challenging scapular stability. This phase also trains your ability to maintain proper shoulder position without external support.

Why can I not keep my arms on the wall during the slide?

Limited shoulder mobility or tight lats and pecs often prevent full contact during the upward slide. Work on thoracic extension and shoulder flexion mobility while keeping the range you can control with proper form.

How long should I hold the lift off position?

Hold the lifted position for one to three seconds depending on your strength level and training goal. Longer holds of three to five seconds increase time under tension for greater strength and stability gains.

More shoulder exercises

• Handstand Push UpShoulders · Bodyweight
• Pike Push UpShoulders · Bodyweight
• Prone Y RaiseShoulders · Bodyweight
• Scapular Push UpShoulders · Bodyweight
• Wall AngelShoulders · Bodyweight
• Arnold Press (Dumbbell)Shoulders · Dumbbell