How to do the Sphinx Hold
Step by step
- Lie face down with your legs straight and the tops of your feet on the mat.
- Place your forearms flat on the floor, elbows under your shoulders.
- Press gently into your forearms and lift your chest into a low, easy arch.
- Let your lower back relax into the gentle backbend and keep your neck long.
- Breathe slowly for the hold, then lower your chest back down.
The thing people get wrong
This is a relaxed, low arch - keep your hips on the floor and shoulders away from your ears, not a strained cobra.
Coaching cue
Press the forearms down and reach the top of your head forward so the arch is long, not sharp.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: Slide the elbows further forward to lower the arch.
- Harder: Walk the elbows closer under your shoulders for a slightly higher arch.
Muscles worked
- Primary: Core
- Secondary: Chest
Daily Coach builds this into a real weekly plan. It picks the exercises for your equipment and experience, swaps around injuries you tell it about, and tracks what you actually lifted.