How to do the Bow Pose
- Lie face down, bend your knees, and hold your ankles.
- Press your feet into your hands to raise your upper body and thighs.
- Keep your arms straight and your knees about hip width apart.
- Hold, then slowly release and lower back to the floor.
Full technique — 7 steps
- Lie face down with legs extended and arms resting along your sides.
- Bend both knees and bring your heels toward your glutes, knees about hip width apart.
- Reach back and hold the outside of each ankle with the hand on the same side.
- Press your feet back into your hands to raise your upper body and thighs off the floor.
- Keep your arms straight and your neck long, with your shoulders away from your ears.
- Hold the arc with steady breathing, resting on your stomach and hips.
- Release your ankles and lower your chest and legs back to the floor with control.
Common mistakes
- Forcing height through the lower back
- Letting knees splay wide apart
- Bending the arms to pull
- Shrugging shoulders toward ears
- Holding the breath during the hold
Form cues
- Press feet into hands
- Keep arms straight
- Knees hip width apart
- Shoulders away from ears
Quick answers
What muscles does the Bow Pose work?
Primary: Quads 7/10, Hip flexors 7/10. Also works: Abs 5/10, Chest 5/10, Front delts 5/10, Lower back 5/10.
When should I do the Bow Pose in a workout?
Warm-up. Done at the start to get the body ready. ≈ 3 min with rest.
How many sets and reps of the Bow Pose?
Strength: 1–2 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 30 s, 5 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 2–3 sets of 20–30 reps, rest 30 s, 5 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 20–45 reps, rest 30 s, 5 reps in reserve.
