Sphinx Pose Twist

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Lie face down on the floor with your legs extended and the tops of your feet pressing into the mat.
2. Prop yourself up on your forearms with your elbows positioned directly under your shoulders and palms flat.
3. Engage your glutes and press your pelvis into the floor to protect your lower back and stabilize your base.

How to do it

1. Exhale as you lift one hand off the floor and rotate your torso, reaching that hand back toward your ipsilateral (same-side) heel.
2. Follow the movement of your hand with your gaze to facilitate a full rotation through the cervical and thoracic spine.
3. Inhale as you slowly return the forearm to the starting position with control, maintaining a lifted chest.
4. Repeat the movement on the opposite side, alternating sides for each repetition at a slow, controlled tempo.

Form checklist

• Keep both hip bones firmly grounded on the mat to ensure the rotation occurs in the mid-back, not the pelvis.
• Press actively through the grounded forearm to prevent the supporting shoulder from collapsing or shrugging.
• Maintain a long neck by pulling your shoulders down and away from your ears throughout the movement.
• Avoid excessive arching in the lumbar spine; focus on length rather than height.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'peeling' your chest open toward the side wall to maximize the stretch in the pectorals and the contraction in the obliques.
• Squeeze the shoulder blade of the reaching arm toward your spine at the peak of the rotation to increase trapezius and rear deltoid engagement.

Make it harder

• Pause and hold the peak of the rotation for 3-5 seconds to increase the isometric demand on the core and shoulders.
• Extend the reaching arm fully toward the back of the room, keeping it parallel to the floor to increase the rotational lever.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the sphinx pose twist work?

The sphinx pose twist primarily targets the obliques and trapezius, and also works the erector spinae and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the sphinx pose twist?

The sphinx pose twist requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the sphinx pose twist good for beginners?

Yes. The sphinx pose twist is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.

Related exercises

• Crocodile CrawlAdvanced · abs, hamstrings, obliques, pectorals, and trapezius
• FlagIntermediate · abs, lats, obliques, and trapezius
• InchwormIntermediate · abs, hamstrings, obliques, pectorals, and trapezius
• Kneeling Back RotationBeginner · lats, obliques, rhomboids, and trapezius