Upper and lower back

8 Locust Pose variations, from gentlest to strongest

Also called salabhasana, locust exercise, prone back extension.

Back strengthening done lying face down, with the versions differing in how much of you leaves the floor. It is one of the few positions in the library that trains the back extensors directly.

Start here

The list runs from the most supported version to the most demanding. Locust: Arms Alongside Body is the one to begin with. Harder is not better: the version you can do without gripping is the one doing the work.

Every version in the library

1. 1 · Stability / Core · 20 to 60 seconds

   Locust: Arms Alongside Body

   The most accessible version of locust: arms by your sides minimise the demand while still activating the back muscles that support your spine and improve your posture.

   Make it work for you: Gaze down cue. Single leg option

2. 2 · Stability / Core · 20 to 60 seconds

   Locust: On Bolster

   The bolster supports your body so you strengthen your back, glutes, and hamstrings with a smaller, easier lift: the gentlest way into this family.

   Make it work for you: Reduce lift height. Arms alongside. Gaze down cue

3. 3 · Stability / Core · 20 to 60 seconds

   Locust: Low (Small Lift)

   A gentle version of locust that introduces posterior chain strengthening with minimal lift, making this important back-building exercise accessible for most bodies.

   Make it work for you: Arms alongside. Gaze down cue. Single leg

4. 4 · Stability / Core · 20 to 60 seconds

   Locust: Chest Only

   Lifting only the chest strengthens your upper back and spine extensors while your legs stay grounded, keeping the effort focused and the lower back load light.

   Make it work for you: Reduce lift height. Hands under shoulders for support. Gaze down cue

5. 5 · Stability / Core · 20 to 60 seconds

   Locust: Arms Forward

   Arms extended forward create the most challenging version, demanding maximum engagement from your thoracic and lumbar back muscles for advanced strengthening.

   Make it work for you: Classic. Low Locust. Classic Locust

6. 6 · Stability / Core · 20 to 60 seconds

   Locust: Block Between Thighs

   A block between your thighs activates your inner thigh and deep hip muscles, adding pelvic stability to the posterior chain strengthening of locust.

   Make it work for you: Low Locust. Gaze down cue

7. 7 · Stability / Core · 20 to 60 seconds

   Locust: Classic

   Strengthens your entire posterior chain: the muscles along your back, glutes, and hamstrings, without any load on your wrists, building the power that supports your spine.

   Make it work for you: Low Locust. Arms alongside. Gaze down cue

8. 8 · Stability / Core · 20 to 60 seconds

   Locust: Single Leg

   Single leg lifts create targeted, asymmetrical back strengthening that helps address side-to-side imbalances in your posterior chain.

   Make it work for you: Low Locust. Classic. Gaze down cue

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

Every version above is drawn from the clinically authored Vinys library. This page is general movement information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. What helps for a specific condition.