How long should you hold extended puppy pose, and how many rounds?

Hold 30 to 45 seconds, breathing into the upper back, and repeat two rounds. It works well right after a pulling session or any day spent hunched forward, and there is no need to chase a longer hold than that.

How do you make extended puppy pose easier or harder?

Make it easier by resting the forehead on a block or stacked fists so the neck does not have to reach as far. Make it harder by walking the hands a little further forward and pressing the chest closer to the floor once the shoulders open up.

What is extended puppy pose good for, and when should you skip it?

It reaches the lats and sides of the back more deeply than a simple forward fold can, making it a favorite after rowing, pull-ups, or a day of hunching. Skip pressing the chest down hard with a shoulder injury or recent shoulder surgery, since the position loads the shoulder in a fairly vulnerable overhead-adjacent position.

Beginner

Extended Puppy Pose

Halfway between child's pose and downward dog, this pose keeps the hips over the knees while the arms reach long and the chest melts toward the floor. That combination puts a deep stretch through the lats and the upper back that a simple fold cannot reach. It is a favorite after pulling sessions or a day of hunching forward.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Back, Lats
Type: Stretching, Yoga
Browse by muscle: Latissimus Dorsi

How to do it

1
Start on all fours with your hips stacked directly over your knees.
2
Walk your hands forward and lower your chest toward the floor, keeping the hips high over the knees.
3
Reach your arms long and let your forehead or chin rest on the mat.
4
Press the hands down and draw the chest toward the floor to deepen the stretch through the sides of the back.
5
Hold for 30 to 45 seconds, breathing into the upper back, then walk the hands back.

Tips

Keep the hips over the knees rather than sitting back onto the heels.
Press through the palms to lengthen the lats and armpits.
Rest the forehead on a block if the chest cannot reach the floor.

Variations

Common mistakes

The forehead presses hard into the mat and cranes the neck to force contact, instead of resting lightly or using a block for support.
As the arms tire, the elbows lift and bend, turning a long reach into a bent-arm hold that loses most of the lat stretch.
The shoulders creep up toward the ears under the weight of the reach, adding neck tension to what should be a side-body stretch.
Shallow chest breathing skips the wide back and sides where this stretch is actually meant to be felt.
The knees drift closer together than the hips, which narrows the base and changes the angle the spine folds through.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold extended puppy pose, and how many rounds?: Hold 30 to 45 seconds, breathing into the upper back, and repeat two rounds. It works well right after a pulling session or any day spent hunched forward, and there is no need to chase a longer hold than that.
How do you make extended puppy pose easier or harder?: Make it easier by resting the forehead on a block or stacked fists so the neck does not have to reach as far. Make it harder by walking the hands a little further forward and pressing the chest closer to the floor once the shoulders open up.
What is extended puppy pose good for, and when should you skip it?: It reaches the lats and sides of the back more deeply than a simple forward fold can, making it a favorite after rowing, pull-ups, or a day of hunching. Skip pressing the chest down hard with a shoulder injury or recent shoulder surgery, since the position loads the shoulder in a fairly vulnerable overhead-adjacent position.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Back exercises