Puppy Pose
Puppy Pose Exercise Description
Puppy Pose (Extended Puppy) is a bodyweight flexibility drill that targets the shoulders and upper back. From an all-fours setup, you reach the arms forward while keeping the hips stacked over the knees; this emphasizes shoulder flexion and thoracic extension while minimizing lumbar extension. Most people feel the stretch along the latissimus dorsi, chest/anterior shoulder, and the sides of the rib cage. Active reach through the hands encourages the shoulder blades to upwardly rotate and posteriorly tilt as the chest lowers, supporting smooth overhead mechanics. With the forehead supported to keep a neutral neck, you can focus on a long spine, light abdominal bracing to limit rib flare, and calm, even breathing. It’s a simple, controlled way to open overhead range and counter rounded‑shoulder posture from daily sitting.
- Muscle Groups: Lats
- Target Muscles: Latissimus Dorsi
- Assisting Muscles: Intercostals, Pectoralis Major - Sternal Head
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Internal Obliques, Multifidus, Serratus Anterior, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Back, Mid Back
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Stretching
- Functional Grouping: Shoulder Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Lats
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Puppy Pose Exercise
‘- Start on all fours (tabletop). Knees under hips, hands under shoulders, neutral spine.
– Walk your hands forward, keeping hips directly over knees.
– Place palms shoulder-width, fingers spread; gently screw palms into the floor to set the shoulders.
– Lower your forehead to the floor or a block; keep the neck long, gaze down.
– Reach actively through your arms as your chest moves toward the floor; keep elbows straight but soft.
– Lightly draw ribs toward pelvis and keep hips stacked to avoid collapsing into the lower back.
– Keep shoulders away from ears; allow the shoulder blades to glide upward and around the rib cage.
– Breathe steadily into your sides and back; seek length through the front of the shoulders without pain or pinching.
– To modify, widen or elevate hands on blocks, add knee padding, or rest on forearms if shoulder mobility is limited.
– To exit, press through the palms, brace lightly, and walk hands back to tabletop.
Puppy Pose Tips
‘- Start in a tabletop position with knees under hips, hands under shoulders, and a neutral spine.
– As you walk your hands forward, keep your hips directly stacked over your knees.
– Place palms shoulder-width with fingers spread, and gently “screw” the palms into the floor to set the shoulders.
– Lower your forehead to the floor or a block, keeping the neck long with your gaze down.
– Reach actively through your arms as your chest moves toward the floor, keeping elbows straight but soft.
– Lightly draw your ribs toward your pelvis and keep hips stacked to avoid collapsing into your lower back.
– Keep your shoulders away from your ears and let the shoulder blades glide upward and around the rib cage.
– Breathe steadily into your sides and back, seeking length through the front of the shoulders without pain or pinching.
– Modify by widening or elevating your hands, adding knee padding, or resting on your forearms if shoulder mobility is limited.
– To exit, press through your palms, brace lightly, and walk your hands back to tabletop.
Puppy Pose Beginner Introduction
Puppy Pose (Extended Puppy) is a bodyweight floor stretch that emphasizes mobility through the shoulders and upper back. It is typically performed from a hands-and-knees position, with the arms reaching further ahead while the hips hover above the knees. This creates a gentle arch through the upper spine and a strong overhead stretch that many people feel through the lats, chest, fronts of the shoulders, and along the sides of the torso. The position encourages the shoulder blades to rotate and settle smoothly around the rib cage, supporting more comfortable overhead movement.
The head usually rests on the ground or a block so the neck can stay long and relaxed, while a subtle sense of support around the midsection helps the lower back stay quiet. Calm, steady breathing into the sides and back of the ribs adds to the feeling of spaciousness through the upper body. With options such as elevating the hands, padding the knees, or bending to the forearms, this stretch offers a controlled way to explore overhead range and counter the rounded posture common with long periods of sitting.