Whether you struggle to practice chaturanga dandasana or you do push-ups just for fun, arm strengthening yoga practices can help you to build strength at any stage in your journey.
And building arm strength does not need to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger pumping iron at the gym. There is yoga for arm strength that can effectively strengthen and tone your muscles using just bodyweight!
Arm Strengthening Yoga: Practice These 6 Yoga Poses for Arms to Build Strength in Your Upper Body
These are just a handful of yoga poses for arms to help you build up strength and stamina in your upper body, but you can take any of these postures and run with them to get as creative as you’d like with your arm strengthening yoga practice!
1. Bear Pose (Turbo Tabletop)
This arm strengthening yoga pose is a classic on the mat and also in the gym! By simply lifting your knees from the floor in tabletop, you increase the load on your upper body, strengthening your arms, chest, and core.
To Practice:
Start on all fours in a tabletop position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and your hips stacked over your knees
Spread your fingers and evenly space between them. Press firmly into the perimeter of your palms and gently grip at the mat with your fingertips
Three-dimensionally hug in around your waistline as if you’re tightening a corset
Tuck your toes and float your knees to hover just above the floor
Root firmly into your hands and lengthen your spine
Hold for a few long, deep breaths
2. Plank Pose (Phalankasana)
Another classic arm strengthening yoga posture, plank pose works your entire body from head to toe, giving special attention to your arms and core.
To Practice:
Start on all fours in a tabletop position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and your hips stacked over your knees
Spread your fingers and evenly space between them. Press firmly into the perimeter of your palms and gently grip at the mat with your fingertips
Three-dimensionally hug in around your waistline as if you’re tightening a corset
Tuck your toes under and step one foot at a time to the back of your mat
Lengthen your spine to create a long line from the crown of your head down through your heels
Energetically squeeze your legs together and kick your heels toward the back of your mat
Root firmly into your palms and round your upper back slightly
3. One-Legged Downward Facing Dog (Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Downward facing dog is probably one of the best known yoga poses for arms, if not for the whole body.
It’s a classic arm strengthening yoga pose and this variation spices it up a little bit more by lifting one leg and adding more weight into the arms for greater strengthening.
To Practice:
Start on all fours in a tabletop position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and your hips stacked over your knees
Spread your fingers and evenly space between them. Press firmly into the perimeter of your palms and gently grip at the mat with your fingertips
Three-dimensionally hug in around your waistline as if you’re tightening a corset
Walk your hands forward about the distance of one of your own palms
Tuck your toes under and lift your knees off the floor
Tip your pelvis forward slightly and stretch your sitting bones toward the sky
Straighten your legs as much as you comfortably can
Press firmly into your hands to lift your shoulders up away from the floor
Shift your weight over into your left leg and float your right leg up toward the sky
Equalize your weight in both hands by pressing slightly harder into your left hand
Hold for a few long, deep breaths before switching sides
4. One-Legged Plank Pose (Eka Pada Phalankasana)
Yoga poses for arms typically involve some sort of balance on your hands. This posture does just that and more by increasing the load in your arms by lifting one leg off the floor.
To Practice:
Start in a one-legged downward facing dog as described above
Keep your leg lifted and roll your weight forward to align your shoulders over your wrists
Energetically squeeze your legs together and kick your heels toward the back of your mat
Actively press down against the floor to lift your chest away from it
Hold for a few long, deep breaths before switching sides
5. Side Plank (Vasisthasana)
Side plank is another classic arm strengthening yoga posture that is also a classic gym exercise to work the arms. This is because it’s a solid strengthening position with the full load of the body now resting on only one arm.
To Practice:
Start in plank pose as described above
Shift your weight into your right hand
Option to lower your right knee to the floor or roll to the pinky side of your right foot
Roll onto the big toe side of your left foot
Option to keep your legs staggered or stack your left foot over your right
Press firmly into your right hand and become light on your left fingertips
Float your left hand off the floor and reach it up toward the sky
Spin your torso open toward the left side of your mat
Actively press down into everything that’s in contact with your mat
Lift your hips away from the floor
Hold for a few long, deep breaths before switching sides
This arm strengthening yoga pose is a posture that practitioners typically love or hate. It’s a super challenging shape to hold because it works to strengthen and activate your arms, shoulders, chest, and core.
To Practice:
Start on all fours in a tabletop position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and your hips stacked over your knees
Lower your forearms to the floor and align your shoulders roughly over your elbows
Option to keep your hands as they are or draw your palms to meet in a prayer position
Tuck your toes and lift your knees from the floor
Tip your pelvis forward slightly and stretch your sitting bones toward the sky
Straighten your legs as much as you comfortably can
Firmly press your forearms into the floor to lift your shoulders away from the mat
Relax the weight of your head and neck but keep your head lifted from the floor
Option to walk your feet slightly closer toward your elbows
Hold for a few long, deep breaths
Practice These and Other Yoga Poses for Arms in a Full, FREE Arm Strengthening Yoga Practice
Harness the Power of Arm Strengthening Yoga—Join the Totally Free 7-Day Yoga Strength Yoga Challenge
Sign up for this free challenge to receive a new strength-focused yoga practice delivered straight to your inbox daily.
Looking for Even More Arm Strengthening Yoga? Learn All About It in a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training
Join Nomad Yoga for a transformative journey into the world of yoga!
Our Yoga Alliance accredited 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Trainings are designed to move you deeper into your personal practice while simultaneously preparing you to offer your teachings to the world. Learn strengthening yoga, relaxing yoga, and more!
.svg){kind=small}
