To address this straight out of the gate, building arm strength does not mean that you have to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime. You do not need to do 2,500 bicep curls and 4,000 tricep extensions. There are many yoga poses that work to tone your arms using your own bodyweight.
There are many yoga poses that can help you build arm strength, but we are only covering five of them in this article. They are great introductory poses for strength training. Once you build up stamina and more strength, you can practice poses that are a little more advanced. Get creative and incorporate some of these static poses into your workout routines. Not only do they target your arm muscles, but they also activate your core. Be strong and carry on!
Plank Pose
This is one of the most classic arm-strengthening poses out there. Plank pose activates most muscle groups, from your head to your toes. Keep your core tight and back straight as you practice this pose. To do the pose:
- Begin on all fours in a tabletop position, stacking your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees.
- Spread your fingers and press your palms firmly into the ground or yoga mat. Step your feet back and tuck your toes, engaging your lower abdomen and glutes as you do this.
- Lengthen the spine and imagine a straight line from your head to your heels. Hold for five deep breaths and then release. You can repeat this pose again after resting for one minute.
Bear Pose
Similar to plank pose, bear pose activates most of your major muscle groups to keep you stationary. Don’t let your hips sag and keep your back straight by engaging your chest and shoulder muscles. To do bear pose:
- Begin on all fours in a tabletop position, stacking your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees.
- Press your palms firmly into the ground and tuck your toes. Engage your core as you lift your knees off the ground, just enough to hover them above the floor.
- Root your hands and toes into the ground while lengthening your spine. Hold for five deep breaths and then rest.
One-Legged Plank Pose
We aren’t getting to handstands yet, people. You have to harness the power of your core in combination with your arms before you start inverting yourself. To do the one-legged plank pose:
- Begin in a plank position (refer to the first yoga pose description).
- Once you are in plank position, elevate your left leg up so that it is in line or slightly higher than your head. Do not twist your body; rather, keep your hips square to the ground and press firmly into the ground for support.
- Actively press against the floor to lift your chest away from it. Hold for five deep breaths before you switch sides.
Side Plank
Get ready for the most intense pose in this article. The side plank targets single arm strength and is a classic gym exercise that also targets the obliques. It is a solid strengthening position with the full load of the body supported by one arm. To do the pose:
- Begin in a side plank pose as described above. Start on your right side and place your hand on the ground directly under your shoulder. Stack your left leg on top of your right and hold a firm position.Â
- If you need a little extra support, feel free to lower your right knee to the floor. You can also stagger your legs so that your left foot is in front of your right foot on the ground.
- Press firmly into your right hand and reach your left hand up toward the sky. Rotate your torso to the left and direct your gaze toward your fingertips.
- Lift your hips away from the floor and hold for five deep breaths. Rest and switch sides.
One-Legged Downward Dog
For the final pose in the sequence, you have another one-legged pose. You probably know of downward dog, but this pose is a notch above in regards to difficulty. It makes a little more work for your arm muscles, as you have to support more weight. To do the pose:
- Begin on all fours in a tabletop position, stacking your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees.
- Walk your hands forward one palm’s length and tuck your toes under. Lift your knees off the floor, tipping your pelvis forward slightly to stretch your sit bones toward the sky.
- Straighten your legs as much as you comfortably can while keeping both your feet planted on the ground. Drop your shoulders and widen your back as you press your hands firmly into the ground.
- Shift your weight to your right side and float your left leg up toward the sky. Keep your hips square and don’t rotate to one side.
- Evenly distribute your weight between both hands and hold for five deep breaths. Bring your left leg down, rest for five breaths, and then repeat on the other side.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
