upward facing dog

A back exercise targeting the spine, performed with body weight.

upward facing dog demonstration
upward facing dog β€” demonstration

Body part

Back

Equipment

Body Weight

Target muscles

Spine

Secondary muscles

Shoulders, Chest

How to do upward facing dog

  1. Lie face down on the floor with your legs extended behind you.

  2. Place your hands on the floor next to your lower ribs, fingers pointing forward.

  3. Press your hands firmly into the floor and straighten your arms, lifting your torso and thighs off the ground.

  4. Roll your shoulders back and down, opening your chest and lifting your gaze towards the ceiling.

  5. Hold this position for a few breaths, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.

  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Muscles worked

Primary (target)

Spine

Secondary

ShouldersChest

Related exercises

All back exercises β†’

Track upward facing dog in NutriMind

Log your sets and the app does the rest β€” automatic PR detection, progression charts for every lift, and progressive overload that adjusts your next workout. Paired with AI nutrition coaching so your training and your plate pull in the same direction.

Planning your next heavy session? Estimate your max with the One Rep Max Calculator and build up to it with the Warm-up Calculator. More free tools β†’