Try This: 21 Partnered Yoga Poses to Bond While You’re Building Muscle

In these beginner partner yoga poses, you’ll get used to working with another body in your practice. Become aware of breathing with your partner, as well as using them for balance and resistance.

Breathing

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Start in this position to sync your breath and intentions with your partner’s.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• lats
• rhomboids
• deltoids

To do this:

1. Sit cross-legged with your backs to each other.
2. Press your upper backs together, allowing your arms to lay comfortably at your side.
3. Close your eyes and inhale, then exhale, taking a series of deep breaths together.

Standing Forward Fold

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Start to stretch your leg muscles and test your balance with a partner Forward Fold.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• hamstrings
• quadriceps
• gastrocnemius

To do this:

1. Stand with your backs to each other, touching.
2. Each partner bends forward at the waist, keeping their legs straight and bringing their faces toward their knees.
3. Bring your hands to your partner’s forearms and grasp on, moving your grip closer to their shoulders as you breathe and settle into the stretch.

Seated Twist

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Stretch your upper body with a Seated Twist.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• lats
• pectorals

To do this:

1. Assume the Breathing pose.
2. Inhale, and on the exhale, both partners twist their spines to the right, placing their left hand on their right knee and their right hand on their partner’s left knee, looking over their own shoulder.
3. Continue to breathe, twisting a bit more with each exhale.

Double Tree Pose

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One-legged poses like double Tree begin to test your balance.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• glutes
• hips
• quads
• hamstrings

To do this:

1. Stand side by side with your partner, hips touching.
2. Extend your inside arms straight above your head, interlacing them so your palms meet.
3. Each partner lifts their outside foot, bends their knee, and places their foot flat against their inner thigh.
4. Bring your outside arms across your body, meeting palm to palm.
5. Take a series of inhales and exhales here, focusing on maintaining balance and lengthening your body.

Temple

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Get a deep stretch throughout your whole body with a partner version of Temple.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• hips
• quads
• hamstrings
• lats

To do this:

1. Stand facing your partner with plenty of space between you.
2. Both partners hinge forward at the waist, stopping when torsos are parallel to the ground.
3. Lift your heads, bringing your arms up so the back of your forearms are perpendicular to the ground and your palms are touching.
4. Take a series of deep breaths here, pushing into your partner’s forearms and feeling the stretch in the back of your legs.

Chair

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Like a squat but with assistance, partner Chair Pose allows you to really sink deep into the seat to target your legs.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• quadriceps
• hamstrings
• glutes
• biceps
• lats

To do this:

1. Stand with your feet together facing your partner, keeping 2–3 feet between you. Keep your gaze straight at each other.
2. Grab hold of each other’s wrists and inhale. On the exhale, squat using your partner as resistance, stopping when your thighs are parallel to the ground.
3. Lean your torso back slightly. You can adjust your foot positioning to accommodate this.
4. Breathe here, maintaining good form.

Warrior III

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Challenge your balance, strength, and flexibility with partner Warrior III.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• glutes
• hamstrings
• gastrocnemius
• lats
• rhomboids

To do this:

1. Stand facing your partner with 4–5 feet in between you.
2. Extend your arms overhead and hinge forward at the waist, lifting one leg straight behind you and keeping your hips square to the ground. You and your partner should choose opposite legs for balance.
3. As you hinge forward, grab your partner’s hands or wrists, stopping when your torsos are parallel to the ground. Keep your gaze to the ground.
4. Inhale and exhale here, using your partner for balance.

Begin to rely more on your partner’s body in this intermediate partner yoga routine. It’s a great idea to warm up with a few of the poses from the beginner routine before jumping in here.

Be mindful to relax during these intermediate moves, as it will make the poses easier to perform and hold.

Boat Pose

Your core will be challenged with partner Boat Pose.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals

To do this:

1. Start seated, facing your partner.
2. Bend your legs and plant your heels into the ground, putting your toes against each other’s.
3. Extend your arms in front of you and grab each other’s forearms right above the wrist.
4. One side at a time, begin to raise your feet off the ground, allowing your sole to meet and your leg to fully extend. Your bodies should form a W when set.
5. Breathe here, maintaining balance and good form.

Forward Bend and plank

Elevate a standard plank by using your partner as a prop.

Major muscles worked for partner 1:

• abdominals
• quads
• hamstrings
• gastrocnemius

Major muscles worked for partner 2:

• abdominals
• triceps
• deltoids
• pectorals
• glutes
• hamstrings
• gastrocnemius

To do this:

1. Partner 1 assumed a Forward Fold.
2. Partner 2 assumed a high plank off of partner 1’s low back: Mount one leg at a time, resting the tops of your feet on partner 1’s back.

Assisted Child’s Pose

Partner 2 will add weight to partner 1’s Child’s Pose, allowing them to sink much deeper into the stretch. Take turns in each position.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals

To do this:

1. Partner 1 assumes Child’s Pose: Sit on your heels, knees spread, and lay your torso down between your legs, extending your arms out in front.
2. Partner 2 gently sits on partner 1’s lower back, laying your back down against partner 2’s and extending your legs out.

Handstand

Partner 2 can practice handstands with partner 1’s support. Switch positions if possible so you can both get in on the fun.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• pectorals
• deltoids
• lats

To do this:

1. Partner 1 lies on the ground, arms extended out in front.
2. Partner 2 assumes a high plank position on top of partner 1, placing their hands on partner 1’s ankles and ankles in partner 1’s hands.
3. Inhale, and on the exhale, partner 1 begins to sit up while partner 2 hinges at the waist. Stop when partner 2’s upper body is perpendicular to the ground.

Double Dancer

Perform this Instagram-worthy pose to promote flexibility and feel a super stretch in your hip flexor and quad.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• glutes
• hamstrings
• quads

To do this:

1. Start standing, facing your partner with about 2 feet between you. Line up partner 1’s right foot with partner 2’s right foot.
2. Both partners raise their right arms overhead, bringing palms to meet in the middle.
3. Both partners grab their own left ankles, bringing their foot to their bottom.
4. Begin to bend at the waist toward each other, pressing into your hands and guiding your foot up toward the sky.
5. Inhale and exhale here, trying to bring your foot further up with each exhale.

Bridge and Supported Shoulder Stand

Your whole posterior chain — or the back of your body — will get a workout with this pose. Take turns in each position, if possible.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• hamstrings
• glutes

To do this:

1. Partner 1 assumed a Bridge position: knees bent, feet flat on the ground, and butt and lower back pressed up to the sky.
2. Partner 2 assumes a Supported Shoulder Stand off of partner 1: Place your feet on partner 1’s knees, back flat on the ground. Partner 2 should press up through their feet, forming a straight line from knees to shoulders.

Chair and Mountain

Partner 1 does most of the work here, assisted by partner 2’s counterbalance.

Major muscles worked for partner 1:

• abdominals
• quads
• hamstrings
• glutes
• lats
• rhomboids
• triceps

Major muscles worked for partner 2:

• abdominals
• quads
• gastrocnemius

To do this:

1. Partner 1 assumes Chair Pose, sitting back while extending their arms in front.
2. Partner 2 places their feet one at a time on partner 1’s knees, both grabbing hold of each other’s hands or wrists, while partner 1 stands.
3. Partner 1 automatically leans back to support partner 2’s weight.

The training wheels are off in this advanced routine, where you’ll test your own strength, balance, and mobility as well as the bond — and trust — you have with your partner.

Many of these moves are considered acro yoga, which is a blend of yoga and acrobatics.

If you’re larger than your partner (or vice versa), plan on starting in the grounded position until you’re both comfortable enough to branch out.

Flying Warrior

As one of the basic — and fun! — advanced partner yoga moves, the flying warrior lets you each get comfortable with one partner being airborne.

Major muscles worked for partner 1:

• abdominals
• hamstrings
• quads
• gastrocnemius

Major muscles worked for partner 2:

• abdominals
• glutes
• hamstrings
• lats

To do this:

1. Partner 1 starts lying on the ground.
2. Partner 1 raises their legs up off the ground, knees bent, so partner 2 can position theirs against partner 1’s feet.
3. Grabbing hands for support, partner 1 extends their legs, lifting partner 2 off of the ground. Partner 2 keeps their body straight.
4. When you both feel stable, release your hands, with partner 2 extending their arms out in front of them.

Double plank

Two planks are better than one. Test your whole body’s strength with this move.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• pectorals
• deltoids
• glutes
• hamstrings

To do this:

1. Partner 1 assumes a high plank.
2. Partner 2 assumes a high plank on top of partner 1: Straddle their waist, place your hands on their ankles, then carefully mount your feet and ankles atop their shoulders, one leg at a time.

Double Downward-Facing Dog

Stretch and strengthen with a double Downward-Facing Dog. If you’re working toward a handstand, this is great practice.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• deltoids
• hamstrings

To do this:

1. Partner 1 lies facedown on the ground, hands and feet in a position to push up to Downward-Facing Dog — hands at chest level and feet apart.
2. Partner 2 assumes a Downward-Facing Dog on top of partner 1 — partner 2’s feet on the low back of partner 1 and hands about one foot in front of partner 1.
3. Partner 1 slowly rises up to Downward-Facing Dog while partner 2 stays stable in their own pose.
4. Partner 2’s body will end up forming a backward, upside-down L.

Folded Leaf

Here, partner 1 will support partner 2 while they take a few relaxing breaths.

Major muscles worked for partner 1:

• abdominals
• hamstring
• quads
• gastrocnemius

Major muscles worked for partner 2:

• abdominals
• glutes
• hamstrings

To do this:

1. Assume Flying Warrior position.
2. Let go of each other’s hands.
3. Partner 2 bends forward at the waist, letting their arms and torso hang.

Throne Pose

Take your throne! Here again, partner 1 will be footing the load while partner 2 will need to master balance.

Major muscles worked for partner 1:

• abdominals
• hamstrings
• quads
• gastrocnemius
• pectorals
• deltoids

Major muscles worked for partner 2:

• abdominals
• hamstrings
• gastrocnemius

To do this:

1. Partner 1 lies on their back, legs extended upward.
2. Partner 2 stands facing partner 1, feet on either side of partner 1’s neck.
3. Partner 1 bends their knees.
4. Partner 2 sits back onto partner 1’s feet.
5. Partner 1 extends their legs up.
6. Partner 2 bends their legs, placing their feet in partner 1’s hands.

Star Pose

Get comfortable being upside-down in partner Star Pose.

Major muscles worked for partner 1:

• abdominals
• quads
• hamstrings
• gastrocnemius
• pectorals
• deltoids
• triceps

Major muscles worked for partner 2:

• abdominals
• triceps
• glutes
• hamstrings

To do this:

1. Partner 1 lies on their back, legs extended upward.
2. Partner 2 stands at partner 1’s head, then both hold hands.
3. Partner 2 positions their shoulders at the feet of partner 1, then jumps their lower body into the air, using their arms to find balance.
4. Once stable in the airborne position, let the legs fall outward.

One-legged Wheel

You’ll need some major flexibility and mobility for a one-legged Wheel — the plus is that performing this move with a partner will provide you with some stability.

Major muscles worked:

• abdominals
• deltoids
• lats
• glutes
• hamstrings

To do this:

1. Both partners start by lying on their backs, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, toes touching.
2. Place your palms with fingers facing your feet — you’ll need to reach your hands up and around to do so.
3. Push up through your palms and feet with your core, extending your arms and legs so your body forms an upside-down U.
4. Slowly raise one leg off the ground, extend it fully, and meet your partner’s foot in the middle.

From beginner to advanced, partner yoga is a unique way to bond while building muscle. Stay focused on the connection element, slowly working your way up to the more complicated moves — and don’t forget to have fun while doing it!

Nicole Davis is a writer based in Madison, WI, a personal trainer, and a group fitness instructor whose goal is to help women live stronger, healthier, happier lives. When she’s not working out with her husband or chasing around her young daughter, she’s watching crime TV shows or making sourdough bread from scratch. Find her on Instagram for fitness tidbits, #momlife, and more.