Top 7 Yoga Poses To Get Stronger

Yoga is more than just flexibility. It can also make you strong. Not just strong in your body, but strong in your mind. And here’s the best part — you don’t need fancy equipment. Just a mat, your breath, and a little space.

This guide is all about strength. We’ll walk through 7 yoga poses that will challenge your muscles, help you build endurance, and leave you feeling more powerful from the inside out.

Let’s begin.

Can Yoga Really Make You Strong?

Yes, it can. Yoga uses your body weight as resistance. That means you’re working hard in every pose. You engage your core, your legs, your arms — even when it looks calm on the outside. That’s the magic. It sneaks up on you.

Yoga strength isn’t bulky muscle strength. It’s the kind that supports good posture, healthy joints, and lasting endurance. It’s strength with balance.

Now let’s dive into the top poses.

1. Plank Pose (Phalakasana)

If there’s one pose that screams strength, it’s this one. Plank works your entire body.

How to do it
Start on all fours. Step your feet back so your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Hands are right under your shoulders. Spread your fingers wide. Keep your core tight. Hold for as long as you can while breathing steady.

What it strengthens

Core muscles
Arms and shoulders
Glutes and legs

Why it works
Holding a plank teaches you control. You’ll feel the burn in your belly and arms in just seconds. It builds foundational strength that carries into every other yoga pose and daily movement.

2. Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

This pose looks easy. Until you try it. Chair Pose is like sitting on an invisible chair. And holding it.

How to do it
Stand with your feet together. Raise your arms overhead. Bend your knees like you’re sitting back into a chair. Keep your weight in your heels. Tuck your tailbone slightly. Keep your spine long and chest lifted.

What it strengthens

Quads and glutes
Core
Ankles and calves

Why it works
Chair Pose pushes your lower body to activate. It also makes you breathe through the effort. It builds fire in your thighs and stability in your hips.

3. Chaturanga Dandasana (Low Plank)

Chaturanga is a yoga push-up. It looks simple but needs serious control.

How to do it
Start in Plank Pose. Shift forward slightly. Bend your elbows straight back close to your ribs. Lower halfway down so your arms form a 90-degree angle. Don’t collapse. Keep your core engaged and your body firm.

What it strengthens

Triceps
Chest
Core and back

Why it works
This pose teaches mindful strength. It’s easy to rush it, but when you slow down, every muscle lights up. It’s a full upper-body challenge.

4. Boat Pose (Navasana)

Welcome to core city. Boat Pose targets your abs like no other.

How to do it
Sit on the mat. Bend your knees, lift your feet off the floor. Balance on your sitting bones. Extend your arms forward. If possible, straighten your legs. Keep your spine tall and chest lifted.

What it strengthens

Abdominals
Hip flexors
Lower back

Why it works
Holding Boat Pose makes your abs shake. In a good way. It builds real strength in your center, helping with posture and stability in all movement.

5. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

This pose looks like flying. It’s a standing balance that requires leg power and core engagement.

How to do it
Start in a standing position. Shift your weight to one foot. Lean forward while lifting your other leg back. Extend your arms forward or to the sides. Your body should form a “T” shape. Keep your hips square.

What it strengthens

Hamstrings and glutes
Core and back
Ankles and stabilizer muscles

Why it works
Warrior III builds balance and strength at the same time. It tests your focus too. If your mind wanders, you wobble. It makes you strong inside and out.

6. Side Plank (Vasisthasana)

This is plank’s twisty cousin. It focuses on side body strength and shoulder stability.

How to do it
Start in regular Plank. Shift your weight to one hand. Turn your body to the side. Stack your feet or place one in front of the other. Raise your top arm up to the sky. Engage your core and glutes. Breathe and hold.

What it strengthens

Obliques
Arms and shoulders
Wrists and hips

Why it works
Side Plank builds power and stability. Your core and arms do a lot of work to keep you up. It also improves your balance and coordination.

7. Dolphin Pose

Dolphin is a mix of Downward Dog and a forearm plank. It’s great for shoulder and core strength.

How to do it
Start on hands and knees. Lower your elbows to the floor under your shoulders. Clasp your hands or keep arms parallel. Tuck your toes and lift your hips like Downward Dog. Press your forearms into the mat. Keep your core tight.

What it strengthens

Shoulders and upper back
Arms and forearms
Core muscles

Why it works
This pose prepares you for harder inversions like headstands. It also strengthens shoulder joints and teaches body awareness.

Putting It All Together

Strength doesn’t come from one pose. It comes from practice. These seven poses are your building blocks. The more you do them, the stronger you’ll feel — not just in your muscles, but in your confidence and focus too.

Try this mini-sequence: