Yoga

Yoga

Yoga already owns the stretching. What it borrows from the weight room is the strength to hold what the stretching opens: wrists and shoulders that carry you through a hundred chaturangas, hips that balance on one leg without wobbling, and a spine that folds and arches from strength, not slack.

Build a plan for thisOpen in the app

Man holding Warrior III on one leg, torso and back leg in one horizontal line

Muscles worked

Neck (Front)Upper traps (Front)Front delts — 80% importance (Front)Side delts — 50% importance (Front)Chest — 60% importance (Front)Serratus anterior — 90% importance (Front)Biceps (Front)Forearms & grip — 70% importance (Front)Abs — 90% importance (Front)Obliques — 70% importance (Front)Hip flexors — 70% importance (Front)Quads — 70% importance (Front)Adductors — 50% importance (Front)Shins (tibialis) — 30% importance (Front)Calves — 50% importance (Front)Outer shins (peroneals) — 30% importance (Front)Feet (arch & toes) — 40% importance (Front)Neck (Back)Upper traps (Back)Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps) — 60% importance (Back)Rear delts (Back)Side delts — 50% importance (Back)Rotator cuff — 75% importance (Back)Lats (Back)Lower back (erectors) — 60% importance (Back)Triceps — 75% importance (Back)Forearms & grip — 70% importance (Back)Hip abductors (glute med) — 80% importance (Back)Glutes — 85% importance (Back)Hamstrings — 75% importance (Back)Adductors — 50% importance (Back)Calves — 50% importance (Back)
FrontBack
  • Serratus
  • Abs
  • Glutes
  • Front delts
  • Abductors
  • Triceps
  • Rotator cuff
  • Hamstrings

The movement, phase by phase

  1. Chaturanga & down dog

    Every vinyasa is a slow push-up into a pike. Wrists, triceps, chest and serratus take the load; shoulder blades have to stay wrapped around the ribs.

    • Horizontal push
    • Overhead push
    • Grip
    • Anti-extension (brace)
    Neck (Front)Upper traps (Front)Front delts — primary (Front)Side delts (Front)Chest — primary (Front)Serratus anterior — primary (Front)Biceps (Front)Forearms & grip — primary (Front)Abs (Front)Obliques (Front)Hip flexors (Front)Quads (Front)Adductors (Front)Shins (tibialis) (Front)Calves (Front)Outer shins (peroneals) (Front)Feet (arch & toes) (Front)Neck (Back)Upper traps (Back)Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps) (Back)Rear delts (Back)Side delts (Back)Rotator cuff (Back)Lats (Back)Lower back (erectors) (Back)Triceps — primary (Back)Forearms & grip — primary (Back)Hip abductors (glute med) (Back)Glutes (Back)Hamstrings (Back)Adductors (Back)Calves (Back)

    Best exercises for this phase:

  2. Standing balances

    Tree, warrior III, half moon: one leg, a long hold and a glute med that is either working or letting the pelvis drop.

    • Single-leg / lunge
    • Hip abduction
    • Hip extension
    • Ankle push-off (plantar flexion)
    Neck (Front)Upper traps (Front)Front delts (Front)Side delts (Front)Chest (Front)Serratus anterior (Front)Biceps (Front)Forearms & grip (Front)Abs (Front)Obliques (Front)Hip flexors (Front)Quads — primary (Front)Adductors (Front)Shins (tibialis) (Front)Calves — primary (Front)Outer shins (peroneals) (Front)Feet (arch & toes) (Front)Neck (Back)Upper traps (Back)Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps) (Back)Rear delts (Back)Side delts (Back)Rotator cuff (Back)Lats (Back)Lower back (erectors) (Back)Triceps (Back)Forearms & grip (Back)Hip abductors (glute med) — primary (Back)Glutes — primary (Back)Hamstrings (Back)Adductors (Back)Calves — primary (Back)

    Best exercises for this phase:

  3. Backbends & folds

    Wheel, camel, forward folds. Flexibility is only safe when the muscle on the other side can control it — hamstrings and hip flexors that are strong long, not just long.

    • Spinal extension
    • Hip hinge
    • Hip extension
    • Hip flexion
    Neck (Front)Upper traps (Front)Front delts (Front)Side delts (Front)Chest (Front)Serratus anterior (Front)Biceps (Front)Forearms & grip (Front)Abs (Front)Obliques (Front)Hip flexors — primary (Front)Quads (Front)Adductors (Front)Shins (tibialis) (Front)Calves (Front)Outer shins (peroneals) (Front)Feet (arch & toes) (Front)Neck (Back)Upper traps (Back)Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps) (Back)Rear delts (Back)Side delts (Back)Rotator cuff (Back)Lats (Back)Lower back (erectors) — primary (Back)Triceps (Back)Forearms & grip (Back)Hip abductors (glute med) (Back)Glutes — primary (Back)Hamstrings — primary (Back)Adductors (Back)Calves (Back)

    Best exercises for this phase:

  4. Inversions & arm balances

    Crow, headstand, handstand. Straight arms overhead, a trunk that will not fold, and a rotator cuff keeping the shoulder stacked.

    • Overhead push
    • Anti-extension (brace)
    • Anti-rotation (brace)
    • Shoulder rotation
    Neck (Front)Upper traps (Front)Front delts (Front)Side delts — primary (Front)Chest (Front)Serratus anterior (Front)Biceps (Front)Forearms & grip (Front)Abs — primary (Front)Obliques — primary (Front)Hip flexors (Front)Quads (Front)Adductors (Front)Shins (tibialis) (Front)Calves (Front)Outer shins (peroneals) (Front)Feet (arch & toes) (Front)Neck (Back)Upper traps (Back)Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps) — primary (Back)Rear delts (Back)Side delts — primary (Back)Rotator cuff — primary (Back)Lats (Back)Lower back (erectors) (Back)Triceps (Back)Forearms & grip (Back)Hip abductors (glute med) (Back)Glutes (Back)Hamstrings (Back)Adductors (Back)Calves (Back)

    Best exercises for this phase:

Most specific exercises

Training notes

  • Flexibility without strength is just a loose joint. Train the end range you stretch into so you own it instead of visiting it.
  • Wrists take a beating in vinyasa. Build them with push-ups and bear crawls, not with a hundred more chaturangas.
  • Standing balances are glute-med work in disguise. Side-lying leg raises and single-leg deadlifts make tree pose boringly stable.
  • Yoga is the mobility session. Spend the strength days on slow eccentrics and holds at the very end of your range.

Mobility to pair with it

  • Wrist flexor & extensor stretch
  • Thoracic extension
  • Hip flexor stretch
  • Hamstring stretch