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Technique

  1. Lying on your back (supine), extend and ground the legs and hips.
  2. Press the elbows and forearms into the ground to lift the chest off the floor and take the head back to rest on the crown of the head.
  3. Bend the knees and rest the heels on the floor, upper legs at around a 45 degree angle.
  4. Extend the arms and bring the palms together at about 45 degrees also.
  5. While breathing here, keep the belly firm, and the chest lifting up.

Form tips

  • For tighter upper back and neck, allow the head to float off the floor and focus on lifting the center of the chest straight up, using the arms pressing down as counter pressure.
  • The more you can lift the upper back, the more space you’ll have in the neck to take the head back.
  • Avoid hinging or hyperextending the neck as you take the head back.

Muscles

Strength

Primary

  • Spine
  • Neck

Secondary

  • Pelvis
  • Quadriceps
  • Hip adductors
  • Spinalis thoracis
  • Longissimus thoracis
  • Iliocostalis
  • Semispinalis capitis
  • Splenius
  • Rectus capitis posterior major
  • Rectus capitis posterior minor
  • Obliquus capitis superior
  • Longissimus cervicis
  • Longissimus capitis
  • Upper trapezius
  • Obliquus capitis inferior
  • Iliacus
  • Rectus femoris
  • Psoas major

Equipment

Appears in

Other disciplines
Joint movements
trains stretches

Progressions

e0v8

Advanced fish pose

Intermediate

Regressions

e0v6

Fish pose

Novice
e0zj

Assisted tuck planche hold

Novice
e0v7

Lotus fish pose

Intermediate
e06o

Long table top

Novice
e0i4

Neck bridge

Novice
e0xi

Square forearm supine plank

Novice
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