Full Locust for Beginners and Men | A Step-by-Step Tutorial

This is a challenging, full-body pose that improves spinal mobility and strengthens your core, spine, and lower body. It’s a great way for athletes and fitness enthusiasts to take core strength to the next level. Full locust should be a slow and controlled movement of every inch—don’t jerk your body off the floor.

Full Locust Target Areas

• core
• spine
• back
• hips

Full Locust Benefits

• Strengthens entire back side of the body Increases lowerbody endurance and strength
• Improves posture

– click images to enlarge –

How to Do Full Locust

1. Lie on your stomach. Rest your arms at your sides, palms facing down, and straighten the legs. Relax your forehead on the floor. Engage your core and thighs, and rotate your thighs inward so kneecaps face down, and all 10 toes touch the floor.
2. Inhale as you lift your legs, arms, and chest away from the floor, and exhale to lengthen your body, pressing toes further back and head further up. Completely engage core and hips. Squeeze thighs to lock knees, and press toes back as far as you can, making legs as long as possible. Squeeze arms toward each other to engage the mid-back and open the chest. Hold the posture, inhaling to lift higher and increase arch, and exhaling to create more length from toes to head.

Cues for Full Locust

• Press hips toward floor to engage core
• Tops of all 10 toes touch floor
• Squeeze shoulder blades together
• Press crown of head away from shoulders and gently lift chin
• Maintain consistent arch through spine
• Point toes back as far as possible
• Keep knees locked

WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL

• Intense engagement of legs and core
• Engagement of back and triceps
• Stretch in chest
• Length in spine from tailbone to head

WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL

• Spine and neck pain; if you do, lower torso slightly and keep core engaged

Full Locust Pro Tip

The key to this pose is focusing on length first, and then focusing on the lift. Press your toes and your head as far away from each other as possible, and then work on using your hips and core strength to lift. Depth comes with time and effort.

Full Locust ALTERNATE VIEW

• If you lack the strength to lift your entire body away from the floor, focus on developing proper muscle engagement first, and lift only slightly as you’re able.