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Teres major

Also called lat's little helper

The teres major is a thick, rectangular muscle running from the bottom outer corner of the shoulder blade to the front of the upper arm bone, where its tendon often joins the lat's. It forms part of the back wall of the armpit.

EMG shows it switching on with the latissimus dorsi as a single unit, so it trains with every pull.

5 exercises2 stretches7 with 3D demos3 sourcesUpdated 17 October 2026

Where the teres major is and what it does

Shaded: the back area. It marks the region, not the exact outline of the teres major.
Starts at (origin)
The back of the bottom corner of the shoulder blade.Posterior surface of the inferior angle of the scapula
Attaches to (insertion)
The front of the upper arm bone, just below the shoulder, beside the lat tendon.Medial lip of the intertubercular groove of the humerus
What it does
  • Pulls the arm down and back and turns it inward, as in a row or pulldown.Shoulder extension, adduction and medial rotation
  • Helps steady the ball of the arm bone, with the rotator cuff.Humeral head stabilisation
Nerve supply
Lower subscapular nerve (C5 to C7).

Source 1

Exercises for the teres major

It works as one unit with the lats, so the same pulls train it. No study has measured exercises for the teres major alone.

Lat pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoLat pulldownBeginner · A cable machinePull-up demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoPull-upAdvanced · Pull-up barSeated cable row demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoSeated cable rowBeginner · A cable machineStraight-arm pulldown demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoStraight-arm pulldownBeginner · A cable machineSupported single-arm dumbbell row demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoSupported single-arm dumbbell rowIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box

Stretches for the teres major

Overhead lat stretch at a bench demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoOverhead lat stretch at a benchIntermediate · A bench or boxExtended puppy pose (Uttana Shishosana) demonstrated on the 3D figure3D demoExtended puppy pose (Uttana Shishosana)Beginner · No equipment

Problems linked to the teres major

Tears

Isolated tears are rare: sudden pain at the back of the armpit or shoulder, worse reaching behind your back, sometimes with bruising low in the armpit. Combined tears with the lats affect young overhead athletes and are usually treated without surgery.

Source 1

Myths worth dropping

Each grade rates the evidence for the correction.

The teres major is a rotator cuff muscle

It helps steady the shoulder but is not one of the four cuff muscles; the cuff's 'teres' is the teres minor.

Sources 1, 3

Routines that train it

Back workout (gym)

A gym back workout: lat pulldowns, cable rows, dumbbell rows, face pulls, back extensions and shrugs.

45 minBeginner8 movesPull-up bar, A band

Pull day workout

A pull day workout for back and biceps: pull-ups, barbell rows, chest-supported rows, face pulls and curls, with sets, reps and rest.

55 minIntermediate10 movesPull-up bar, A barbell

Questions people ask

What does the teres major do?

It pulls the arm down and back and turns it inward, working as a single unit with the lats.

Is the teres major part of the rotator cuff?

No. It helps steady the shoulder, but the cuff's 'teres' muscle is the teres minor.

How do you train the teres major?

With the same pulls that train the lats: pulldowns, pull-ups and rows.

Muscles it works with

Sources

  1. StatPearls · Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb: Teres Major Muscle (2023)
  2. StatPearls · Anatomy, Back: Latissimus Dorsi (2023)
  3. StatPearls · Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb: Teres Minor Muscle (2023)

Anatomy and movement education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. If you have pain that follows an injury, is severe or getting worse, or comes with numbness, weakness or swelling, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.