Skip Nav
Love It. Save Your Favorites Now.
If You Lift Weights, This Yoga Sequence Is a Must

Yoga For CrossFit

If You Lift Weights, This Yoga Sequence Is a Must

Yoga For CrossFit
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

Whether you work out at a CrossFit box or you lift heavy at the gym, your tight muscles could use some extra love to not only prevent injury but to ease sore muscle pain as well. This 17-pose sequence will target all the major muscle groups, so your body feels more flexible and open.

Related:
Sun Salutation For Runners
The Only Yoga Sequence Runners Need to Do

Three-Legged Dog

Three-Legged Dog
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Downward Facing Dog, step the feet together so your big toes are touching. Keeping the left heel on the mat, inhale to raise your right leg in the air.
  • Hold here for five breaths with the shoulders parallel to the floor.
1 / 17

Arching Three-Legged Dog

Arching Three-Legged Dog
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Three-Legged Dog, bend the right knee. Actively squeeze your right heel in toward your hip, lifting the knee high.
  • Lift your head up, and turn to look over your left shoulder, arching the spine.
  • Hold here for five breaths, keeping the belly still and breathing into the chest.
2 / 17

Low Crescent Lunge

Low Crescent Lunge
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Arching Three-Legged Dog, step your right foot forward, lowering the left knee to the floor.
  • Inhale to raise the arms up, sinking the pelvis toward the floor to intensify the stretch in the hips.
  • Enjoy this pose for five breaths.
3 / 17

Open Lunge Twist

Open Lunge Twist
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Low Crescent Lunge, plant your left palm on the floor underneath your shoulder.
  • Raise your right arm into the air, and reach it behind you to open the chest and shoulders.
  • Hold here for five breaths.
4 / 17

Extended Side Angle

Extended Side Angle
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Open Lunge Twist, lower your right palm to the little-toe side of your right foot.
  • Lift the back knee off the floor, and deepen the stretch on the left side of the body by extending your left arm over your ear, creating a straight line between the left toes and left fingertips.
  • Hold here for five breaths.
5 / 17

Half-Bound Squat Prep

Half-Bound Squat Prep
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Extended Side Angle, step your left foot forward so you're in a Wide Squat.
  • Lower your right shoulder as far as you can underneath your right shin, reaching your fingers out to the side.
  • Put some weight into your right palm, so you can shift weight back into your heels and balance equally on both feet.
  • Reach your left arm into the air, gazing toward your lifted hand to encourage your spine to twist a little more.
  • Stay like this for five deep breaths.
6 / 17

Tipover Tuck

Tipover Tuck
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Half-Bound Squat Prep, release your left hand to the floor in front of you. Walk your feet in so they are hip distance apart.
  • Slowly straighten the legs, keeping the torso folded on the thighs.
  • Interlace your fingers behind you, pressing the heels of the palms together in a double fist. Actively pull your hands away from your shoulders to increase the stretch in your chest.
  • Lean your weight forward into the toes, holding for five breaths.
7 / 17

Toe Breaker Pose

Toe Breaker Pose
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Tipover Tuck, release the hands and kneel on the floor with the toes tucked.
  • Slowly lower your pelvis to your heels. You can even lean back a little to increase the stretch in the quads.
  • Breathe deeply for five breaths. If this is too painful, put less weight on the heels by lifting the hips off the heels.
8 / 17

Camel

Camel
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Toe Breaker Pose, sit up so you're standing on the shins with the toes pointing behind you.
  • Reach your right hand back toward your right heel, and then reach your left hand toward your left heel. Your hands are there for balancing support, so don't lean all your weight into them.
  • Shift weight forward into your knees to increase the stretch in your quads, belly, and chest.
  • Lower your head behind you, and stay here for five breaths.
9 / 17

Butterfly

Butterfly
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Camel, sit on the ground, bending both knees and bringing your feet together.
  • Using your hands, open your feet up like a book. Rest your elbows against your inner thighs, or walk your hands out in front of you.
  • Enjoy this hip-opening stretch for five breaths.
10 / 17

Seated Forward Bend

Seated Forward Bend
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Butterfly, straighten the legs out in front of you.
  • Slowly hinge at your hips, lowering your torso toward your thighs. Maintain a straight back and fold as far as you need to feel a nice stretch in your lower back and hamstrings. Don't worry about folding your body completely in half, unless this is comfortable for you.
  • Stay like this for five deep breaths.
11 / 17

Head to Knee

Head to Knee
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Seated Forward Bend, bend your left knee, and pull the sole of your foot against your right inner thigh.
  • Sitting with a tall spine, reach both hands to your right leg or all the way to your toes if you can. Stack your torso on top of your right thigh, trying not to round your back.
  • Stay here for at least five breaths, relaxing your shoulders away from your ears.
12 / 17

Half Wheel

Half Wheel
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Head to Knee, roll onto the back. Bend both knees, and plant the soles of the feet on the mat directly under the knees. Try to keep the feet parallel.
  • Interlace the hands in a double fist, and gently rock the upper torso from side to side to bring the shoulder blades closer together.
  • Actively press into the feet and head to lift the pelvis, holding here for five breaths.
13 / 17

Happy Baby Pose

Happy Baby Pose
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Half Wheel, release your hips to the floor.
  • Bend both knees and hold onto the outside edges of your flexed feet with your hands. Keep your arms on the outsides of your legs.
  • Gently use your upper-body strength to equally press both knees to the floor below your armpits. Try not to tense your shoulders or chest, but keep everything relaxed.
  • Stay like this for five deep breaths.
14 / 17

Seated Straddle

Seated Straddle
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Happy Baby Pose, rock yourself up and extend the legs wide in a straddle position.
  • Slowly hinge at your hips, lowering your torso toward the floor. Fold as far as you need to feel a nice stretch in your back and hamstrings. Don't worry about folding your body completely in half, unless this is comfortable for you.
  • Stay like this for five deep breaths, resting the hands on the legs, toes, or floor in front of you.
15 / 17

Bow Pose

Bow Pose
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Seated Straddle, come onto your belly. Bend your knees, and hold onto the inside or outside edges of your ankles.
  • Once you have a firm hold of each ankle, try to keep your toes together, either pointing or flexing your feet.
  • Lift your feet as high as you can, and shift weight forward, so you're resting on your navel instead of on the pubic bone.
  • Hold for five deep breaths.
16 / 17

Extended Locust

Extended Locust
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
  • From Bow Pose, release the ankles and extend the arms and legs, lifting your feet and hands as high as you can, breathing deeply for five breaths.
  • Lower the hands and feet, and work your way back to Down Dog, repeating this 17-pose sequence on the left side.
17 / 17
Jake Shane Is a Fitfluencer Now
Celebrity Fitness
Jake Shane Is Ready to Be Your New Favorite Fitfluencer
by Chandler Plante 7/15
Is Line Dancing the Newest Cardio Craze?
Workouts
A Case For Line Dancing as a Cardio Workout
by Chandler Plante 5/12
Padel Is the Newest Cool-Girl Sport
Athletes
Is Padel the Newest "It" Sport? I Tried It to Find Out
by Chandler Plante 5/06
Lindsay Arnold Shares Her Workout Routine
Dancing with the Stars
"DWTS"'s Lindsay Arnold Gets Candid About Fitness as a Mom
by Chandler Plante 4/21

From Our Partners

Now You Know

Love Is Blind: Where Do Those Engagement Rings Come From?

Fashion

Everything to Know About the "Love Is Blind" Engagement Rings

by Sarah Wasilak 2/19

shopping

Oprah's Favorite Things List Has Major Gems, Including an Under-$100 Air Fryer

by Balim Tezel 11/06/25

Fitness

Paralympians Earn the Same Pay For Medals as Olympians, but Is It Enough?

by Karenna Meredith 8/29/24

health

How Often Should We Be Getting COVID Vaccines?

by Alexis Jones 8/23/24

Food

Pumpkin Spice Season Is Back Aug. 22

by Lauren Mazzo 8/21/24

Beauty

The Exact Red Lipstick Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Swears By

by Alaina Demopoulos 8/20/24

health

What to Know About the Latest Mpox Outbreak, According to MDs

by Alexis Jones 8/16/24

health

Céline Dion Promised Her Children She’d Live: “They Already Lost a Parent.”

by Sara Youngblood Gregory 6/11/24

Latest Fitness
We're Hiring! Write For Us Advertise With Us Accessibility Contact Archives
Power Your Happy
Terms Privacy Policy
©2026 Vox Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.