Pyramid is a very effective pose for increasing mobility in the hamstrings. This makes it ideal for athletes trying to reduce their risk of injury, office workers who spend most of their day sitting, as well as people with chronic lower-back pain. If you want to be able to touch your toes, this is a good pose to work on.
Pyramid Target Areas
- Hamstrings
- Hips
- Core
Pyramid Benefits
- Increases hamstring flexibility
- Stretches muscles connected to lower back for lower-back relief
- Decreases risk of hamstring tears and soft-tissue injuries in lower body
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How to Do Pyramid
- Start in a Warrior 1 stance (see p40), with your right foot back and turned out at 45 degrees, left knee bent, and hips facing forward.
- Hinge at the hips and rest fingertips on the floor on either side of front foot. Flatten your back by pulling chest forward and engaging core.
- Keeping your back flat and your abs long, slowly straighten your left leg until you feel a stretch in left hamstrings. (It’s okay for your left knee to bend as needed.) Squeeze legs toward each other, engaging both quadriceps, and maintain the tension. Hold the posture, inhaling as you lengthen the chest, and exhaling as you deepen the stretch in your hamstrings. Repeat on the other side.
Cues for Pyramid
- Place hands on hips to ensure hips are level
- Engage core and flatten back
- Maintain flat back, and core long and engaged
- Lift chest and look slightly forward
- Keep both feet firmly pressed into floor
- Pull left hip up and back; push right hip down and forward
WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL
- Stretch in front hamstrings
- Muscle engagement of inner thighs and core
WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL
- Lower-back pain or collapsed torso; if so, engage core
Pyramid Pro Tip
To increase your hamstring strength and mobility, focus on active engagement of the hamstrings in the front leg.
PYRAMID POSE MODIFICATION
- If your hamstring flexibility is limited or if your spine is rounding, rest your hands on two blocks placed on either side of your front foot.
About Dean Pohlman, Founder & CEO of Man Flow Yoga, Author of Yoga Fitness for Men, Expert on Yoga Fitness for Men.
Dean Pohlman is an E-RYT 200 certified yoga instructor and the founder of Man Flow Yoga. Dean is widely considered to be an authority on Yoga for Men. He has worked with physical therapists to create yoga programs for back health and spinal recovery. His workouts and programs have been used by professional and collegiate athletes, athletic trainers, and personal trainers; and have been recommended by physical therapists, doctors, chiropractors, and other medical professionals.
Dean is a successfully published author through DK Publishing (Yoga Fitness for Men), selling 35,000 copies worldwide in English, French, and German; in addition to being a co-producer of the Body by Yoga DVD Series, which has sold over 40,000 copies on Amazon since its release in 2016.
Man Flow Yoga has been featured in Muscle & Fitness Magazine, Mens’ Health, The Chicago Sun, New York Magazine, and many more major news media outlets.
