PA-0089
At a glance
A prone backbend lifting the chest, arms, and legs simultaneously, with the arms reaching back like wings. It's a genuinely demanding strength pose disguised by a simple-looking shape, asking the whole posterior chain to engage at once.
“Reach the arms back like wings as the chest lifts.”
Essence
The instinct under fatigue is to let the legs drop first, since they're harder to sustain than the chest and arms. Treating all three, chest, arms, and legs, as equally important, rather than letting the legs quietly disengage, is what makes this pose actually train the back body the way it's meant to.
Intention
To lift the chest, arms, and legs simultaneously from a prone position, building strength through the whole posterior chain.
What this pose develops
Physical
- •Back extensor strength
- •Glute and hamstring engagement lifting the legs
- •Shoulder and upper back strength through the reaching arms
Mental
- •Sustained effort across multiple body parts simultaneously
- •Building genuine back strength rather than relying on flexibility alone
Teaching concepts
- •Cueing the legs as equally important as the chest and arms, since they're the first thing to drop under fatigue
- •Reading whether the lift is coming from genuine extension or from straining the neck upward
How to practise
- 1Lie on the belly, arms alongside the body, palms down or facing in.
- 2On an inhale, lift the chest, arms, and legs all at once.
- 3Reach the arms back like wings, fingers reaching toward the feet.
- 4Keep the legs active and lifting, not just the upper body.
- 5Keep the neck long, gaze down or slightly forward rather than straining up.
- 6Hold for a few breaths, then release down with control.
Alignment exploration
Instead of searching for the “correct” position, notice:
- •Chest, arms, and legs all lifted together, none of the three quietly resting down.
- •Neck long, not craning upward to gain height.
- •Legs active, inner thighs drawing toward each other.
- •Shoulder blades drawing down the back as the arms reach behind.
Breath
The inhale supports the lift, and a steady breath through the hold helps sustain the effort across all three lifted areas at once.
Teacher’s eye
The legs deserve specific attention as the hold continues. They're usually the first thing to quietly lower under fatigue, even while the chest and arms stay lifted, and a cue to re-engage them is often the most useful correction available.
Student practice
Reflect after practising:
- •This pose asks a lot of your whole back body at once. It's normal for it to feel demanding quickly.
- •If your neck is straining, the lift is probably being driven by the neck rather than the back muscles. Let the gaze stay down.
Common movement strategies
Rather than mistakes, you may notice:
- •Practice lifting each section, chest alone, then legs alone, before combining all three, to build a clear sense of what each part should feel like engaged.
Modifications
- •Arms alongside the body, palms down, pressing lightly for support, instead of reaching them back.
- •Legs lifted one at a time if lifting both together is too demanding today.
Completion check
- ✓Release down with control, resting the head to one side before moving on.
Related poses
Prerequisites
Prepares for
Complements
Counterposes
Alternatives
Progressions
Regressions
Related movement concepts
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