Warrior III
Virabhadrasana IIIA single-leg hinge held horizontally. Demands hamstring and glute strength on the standing leg plus a stable trunk from ankle to fingertips.
- 01Stand on one leg with a soft bend in the standing knee.
- 02Hinge forward from the hip as the back leg lifts behind you, keeping the pelvis level.
- 03Bring the torso and lifted leg toward parallel with the floor, hips squared down to the mat.
- 04Extend the arms forward, alongside the body, or hands to the hips depending on control.
- 05Hold three to five breaths, then hinge back up with control and switch sides.
- 01Reach the back heel away — think long, not high.
- 02Level the hip points, even if the leg drops.
- 03Press the standing big toe down to stop the ankle wobbling.
- 01Opening the lifted hip to the ceiling, which converts the pose into a twist and loses the glute work.
- 02Lifting the back leg above the pelvis, which forces lumbar extension to compensate.
- 03Locking the standing knee, which removes the balance work from the muscles and hands it to the joint.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.