Best Yoga Poses for Strong Arms – Basic and Advanced

Yoga is a popular workout routine for many reasons. Many people do it to improve flexibility and for the spiritual aspects that reduce stress. What some overlook is how great yoga can be for building strength, especially in the arms. 

Many of the poses used in yoga involve the arms and shoulders. These bodyweight poses and movements require a lot of strength to hold. For clients interested in building the upper body without weightlifting, try regular yoga poses focused on arm strength. 

Why Do Yoga for Strong Arms? 

If you want to build upper body strength, yoga is a good place to start. For many people’s goals, a regular yoga practice is enough to build strong, toned arms. 

Yoga is a Valid Way to Build Strength

Anyone who practices yoga can verify this fact, but scientific research backs up the claim. Yoga does build strength throughout the body, including in the upper body and arms. 

One study involved 79 adult participants who did 24 sun salutation cycles six days per week for six months. At the end of the study, they measured improved endurance, lost weight, and showed significant gains in upper body strength. 

The type of yoga you do can make a difference. In another study, the participants did six weeks of Hatha or ashtanga yoga. All saw benefits, but those who did ashtanga yoga had the biggest improvements in upper body strength. Ashtanga is more physically demanding. 

Yoga for Strong Arms Can Be an Alternative to Lifting

Lifting weights isn’t for everyone. The bodyweight exercises done in a yoga practice may not be adequate for a powerlifter or bodybuilder to meet their goals, but they work for many people. Yoga can serve as a beneficial alternative for anyone who can’t lift weights or just doesn’t like lifting. 

Lifting heavy weights builds strength faster, but if you have a client who can’t do those exercises, try yoga. For those clients who simply refuse to touch the weights at the gym, regular yoga sessions are far better for building strength than nothing at all. 

Yoga Has Many Benefits Beyond Building Arm Strength

Traditional strength training with weights has many benefits, but yoga is a broader practice that involves much more than just building muscle. If you’re looking for a workout that will strengthen your arms but also do more, yoga is a good choice. Additional benefits of yoga include: 

• Increased flexibility 

• Improved balance

• Pain relief

• Improved heart health

• Stress relief

• Improved sleep

• Increased energy

• Mood boost

Best Yoga Poses to Strengthen Your Arms

Any yoga routine practiced regularly will eventually provide gains, but if your goal is stronger, more toned arms, focus on certain poses. 

Downward Facing Dog

This is a good beginner move that is not too challenging. It’s a great way to fire up the shoulders as well as the arms. Start from standing and bend at the hips. Place your hands on the floor, palms flat and fingers spread wide. Step your feet back as you lift your hips. Your body should be shaped like an upside-down letter V. 

To progress and make this pose more challenging, try downward dog splits. While in the pose, lift your right leg up, keeping the knee straight. The goal is to have a straight line from your raised foot through your hands on the floor. 

Upward Dog

This is another good pose for beginners. Laying on your front, place your palms on the floor next under your shoulders. The tops of your feet should be flat against the floor and legs straight. Push with your hands and lift your chest until your arms are straight and your hips and the tops of your legs are off the floor. 

Plank Pose 

Plank pose is similar to downward dog, in that it requires arm strength to hold your body off the ground. Instead of bending at the hips, maintain a straight line from your feet to your head. Focus on keeping your hips from sagging. You can start a little more easily with a forearm plank. Instead of placing your hands on the floor, rest your entire forearm, from elbow to hand, on the floor. 

Plank Variations

Once you’ve mastered the plank and can hold it for a minute or more, try variations to make it more challenging. Try doing plank lifting each leg up at a time. Do the same with each arm. 

Side plank really puts the pressure on one arm and shoulder. Make sure your hips and feet are stacked and your body does not twist forward or backward. As this move gets easier, lift the top leg up and hold. 

Chaturanga

Take the challenge of plank pose up a notch and focus on your triceps with chaturanga. In plank position, lower your upper body until your arms are bent 90 degrees at the elbows. Keep your arms tucked in tight to your sides and hold. 

Once you’ve really started to see some strength in your arms, take chaturanga pose into a push up. From the pose, with arms tucked in, slowly raise your body. Keep a straight line as you lift and go slowly for a real challenge. 

Advanced Yoga Poses for Stronger Arms

When you can do all of these poses and hold them for a couple of minutes, you’re ready for more difficult moves that take your arms to the next level. Arm balance poses not only build definition in your arms but build core strength as well. These include poses such as the following: 

• Hurdler’s pose

• Scorpion pose

• Firefly pose

• Eight-angle pose

• Handstand poses

Because of the difficulty level, it’s best to work with an experienced practitioner or instructor to nail the form on these. They can spot you and make sure poor form doesn’t result in any injuries. 

How Often Should You Do Yoga to Build Arm Strength? 

One or two light yoga sessions per week probably won’t be enough for you to see significant results. You, or your client, may need to start here to build initial strength. Once you get stronger, though, a practice of three times per week is best for making real gains while still allowing for recovery. 

You can also start with easier yoga moves or styles, like hatha. However, if you really want to tone your arms, work up to a more challenging style like ashtanga or power yoga, or more difficult poses that you hold for longer periods of time. 

Regular yoga practice has so many great health benefits. Overall improved strength is just one of many. While it won’t give you bodybuilder arms, for most people yoga is an ideal way to meet strength goals. Plan a workout routine that includes several upper body yoga poses and you’ll soon see results. 

Check out the Certified Yoga Instructor course offered online by the ISSA. With this certification, launch your career in yoga or add this valuable service to your existing personal training services list.  

References

Bhutkar, M. V., Bhutkar, P. M., Taware, G. B., & Surdi, A. D. (2011). How effective is sun salutation in improving muscle strength, general body endurance and body composition? Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, 2(4), 259–266. https://doi.org/10.5812/asjsm.34742

Cowen, V., & Adams, T. (2005). Physical and perceptual benefits of yoga asana practice: results of a pilot study. Journal Of Bodywork And Movement Therapies, 9(3), 211-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2004.08.001

9 Benefits of Yoga. Hopkinsmedicine.org. (2022). Retrieved 20 September 2022, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-benefits-of-yoga.