Pose guide
How to improve your Warrior II
Front knee over the ankle at a right angle, back leg straight, torso upright, arms level. Here’s the rubric Posewise measures it against, and what to train when you miss.
The rubric
Posewise checks eight things, from the side and the front. Here’s what good looks like.
- Front kneeBent to a right angle, over the ankle80–100°hip · knee · ankle
- Back legStraight and strong165–185°hip · knee · ankle
- TorsoUpright, stacked between your feet0–12°lean from vertical
- Knee trackingOver your front foot, not caving inIn linefront view
- ArmsLevel with your shouldersLevelfront view
- ShouldersLevel, not tipping toward the front leg0–9°tilt
- Front footPointing straight ahead0–22°turn-out
- GazeOut over your front handTurnedfront view
What’s holding it back
Build quad and glute strength, and your front knee will reach a 90° bend.
The shape is there, the depth isn’t. That points to leg strength, not technique.
Split squats8 a side
Wall lunge hold20s a side
Sink until your front thigh is parallel to the floor, knee over ankle.
Strengthen your outer hips, and your front knee will track over your toes.
When the outer glutes are weak, the front knee caves in toward the big toe.
Clamshells12 a side
Lateral step-outs10 a side
Press your front knee out toward your little toe.
Lengthen your inner thighs and quads, and your back leg will straighten.
Tight groin and quad muscles pull the back knee into a bend.
Side-lunge groin stretch20s a side
Standing quad stretch20s a side
Press the outer edge of your back foot down and straighten the leg.
Build core strength, and your torso will stay stacked between your feet.
When the trunk gives way under load, it leans toward the front leg and one shoulder drops.
Dead bugs8 a side
Glute bridges12 reps
Stack your shoulders over your hips.
Build shoulder strength, and your arms will stay level with your shoulders.
Drooping arms are shoulder endurance running out, not a flexibility problem.
Side raise hold15s × 2
Side-lying rotations12 a side
Reach out through your fingertips, shoulders soft.
And two cues: point your front foot straight ahead, and turn your head to look out over your front hand.
Not sure which one is yours?
Posewise watches your Warrior II through your iPhone camera, tells you which of these is holding you back, and builds a six-minute daily plan to fix it. Video never leaves your phone.
Join the betaFree during the beta · iPhone
Quick answers
How deep should my front knee bend?
About 90°, with your front thigh close to parallel to the floor and your knee stacked over your ankle. If you can’t get there, lengthen your stance.
Should my front knee go past my toes?
No. Keep it over your ankle and pointing toward your second and third toes. If it drifts past your toes, step your feet wider apart.
Why do my arms get tired?
Holding your arms at shoulder height is endurance work for the shoulders. Keep reaching through your fingertips and let your shoulders stay relaxed; it gets easier with practice.
Where should I look?
Turn your head to look out over your front middle finger, keeping your neck long.
How can I check my Warrior II form at home?
Film yourself from the side and the front. Or use Posewise, an iPhone app that measures your Warrior II with the camera, speaks corrections as you hold it, and builds a six-minute daily plan for what it finds.