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how to do cobra pose

Lying face down and pressing your chest up with your hips on the floor, cobra pose arches the spine backward and opens the front of your body. In training it serves as a mobility move for people who sit a lot, a counter-stretch after crunches or push-ups, and a gentle way to get the lower back used to extension. Unlike the superman, your arms do the lifting, so the back muscles work less and the stretch counts more. If your lower back pinches, bend the elbows and lift lower.

▶ watch cobra pose on the dedicated video page

primary muscleschest, shoulders, triceps
also workslower back, traps
levelbeginner
equipmentnone — bodyweight
typetimed hold

how it’s done, step by step

  1. Begin by lying face down on the floor with your legs extended straight behind you and your hands placed at shoulder level, palms flat on the floor.
  2. Engage your core and press through your palms to lift your chest off the floor, straightening your arms to come into the cobra position, keeping your hips on the floor.
  3. Hold the cobra position, keeping your arms straight and your chest lifted, while breathing steadily.

how much: Hold for 20–25 seconds, 2–3 times, and rise a little higher each round only if your lower back stays comfortable.

form tips from the wandelbar coaches

  • Roll your shoulders back and down so your neck looks long and the chest opens forward.
  • Press the tops of your feet and your pubic bone into the floor to share the arch across your spine.
  • Keep a slight bend in your elbows rather than locking them straight.

common mistakes

  • Pushing so high the hips leave the floor — lower until the front of your hips stays down.
  • Tilting the head far back to look at the ceiling — keep your gaze forward and slightly down.
  • Clenching the seat hard — keep your glutes lightly engaged to protect the lower back without gripping.

make it easier or harder

easier
Do sphinx pose instead, resting on your forearms with your elbows under your shoulders.
harder
Lift your hands a finger's width off the floor and hold the arch with your back muscles alone.
cobra pose: lying face down, chest lifted on straight arms, hips on floor
cobra pose — correct starting position

similar bodyweight exercises

push-ups low position: chest just above the floor, body straight from head to heels push-ups walkouts: hands walked forward into high plank, body in straight line walkouts kneeling push-ups at the bottom: chest near floor, straight line from head to knees kneeling push-ups diamond push-ups at the bottom: chest above diamond-shaped hands, elbows tucked back diamond push-ups burpees plank phase: hands under shoulders, legs kicked back, body in one line burpees tricep dips on a chair: hips lowered, elbows bent to 90 degrees, legs extended tricep dips

never wonder what to train next

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