Chaturanga Dandasana (Four Limbed Staff Pose)

Body WeightIntermediate

Chaturanga Dandasana strengthens your arms, shoulders, and core while improving overall stability.

  1. Start in a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders.
  2. Lower your body towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
  3. Stop when your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, maintaining a straight line from head to heels.
  4. Hold the position briefly before pushing back up to plank.

How to perform the Chaturanga Dandasana (Four Limbed Staff Pose)

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Chaturanga Dandasana (Four Limbed Staff Pose) using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your primary working muscles.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your working muscles rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Chaturanga Dandasana (Four Limbed Staff Pose)

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