Yoga for Men ♂ Perfect Poses to Get You Started

Surprise! Yoga’s not only for women.

In fact, it was created for men, meaning that there is no reason your manliness cannot benefit from the awesomeness that yoga has to offer! Maybe you are new to yoga or simply looking for simple stretches to do between your resistance training sets?

Well, these postures, also known as asanas, are for you:

1. Uttanasana (Forward Fold)

This posture is found in almost every single yoga class and style, simply because it is simple yet extremely effective. The best part for those without flexibility is that it’s easy to modify. Allow the upper body to hang from the lower body while trying to touch your nose to the legs, wherever that may be. Your hands don’t have to reach the floor. Rather, you can touch your thighs, knees, shins, or even rest them on a yoga block.

2. Eagle Arms

So you can crush a chest press workout, but you can’t cross your arms? Man, you need to stretch more! The good news is that Eagle Arms might look confusing, but the stretch works through the chest, shoulder girdle, and upper back in such a way that you get immediate relief from even intense tightness. Men particularly benefit from the opening of the shoulder blades. You can even do this one at the desk after typing for hours on end.

3. Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

Get ready to work the feet, calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, core, and arms in just a single pose. Utkatasana might not look physically challenging but once you find yourself attempting to hold for 10-15 breaths, you begin to question your strength. Do this pose if you want a stronger deadlift, an opened chest, better stability, and more effective movement through the posterior chain.

“If you can breathe, you can do yoga.” ~ Krishnamacharya

4. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)

Being that this is a strong posture, men find a lot of peace is this asana. Warrior also stretches the places where men hold a lot of tension: the hips and upper back. The thighs are also strengthened. For those who do a lot of squats, Warrior I is a great way to build muscle around the knees to help you get into better form. For powerful shoulders, hold Warrior I for a cycle of 15 breaths to feel the burn in the arms.

5. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

You have certainly seen other yogis doing this iconic asana and probably thought it looks silly. However, Downward Facing Dog is simultaneously restorative as it is active. Men find this asana challenging because it targets the places that are the least flexible, including the hamstrings, arms, back, and hips. Downward Dog is also an isometric exercise that works the length of the arms and legs. 

But the biggest benefit of Downward Dog? Being that this is an inversion and the hips are above the head, the heart receives extra care. Circulation is improved, stress on the heart is reduced, and high blood pressure is lowered.

These are not intimidating poses…

but they do work the muscles where men need the utmost attention. You will feel much more open in the chest, shoulders, hips, and legs, which will allow you to move much more functionally. Plus, yoga helps build muscle – so there’s no reason not to start right away!