Fish Pose

Muscles worked by the Fish Pose

Primary

Lower BackErector SpinaeChestPectoralis Major

Secondary

Front DeltsAnterior DeltoidHip FlexorsHip Flexor Muscles

Also called: erector spinae, spinal erectors, lower back muscles, back extensors, pec, pecs.

Equipment

No equipment — this is a bodyweight exercise.

How to do the Fish Pose

1. Lie on your back with the legs straight and the arms alongside the body, palms down under the hips.
2. Press the forearms into the floor and lift the chest towards the ceiling.
3. Let the crown of the head rest lightly on the floor without putting weight through the neck.
4. Hold the position for the prescribed time, breathing into the upper chest.
5. Lift the head, then lower the back down.

Form tips

• Carry the weight in the forearms, not the head; the neck only guides the position.
• Place a block lengthwise under the upper back if the floor version pinches.
• Keep the legs active and the thighs rolling slightly inwards.

At a glance

Fish Pose in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Archer Push Ups
• Banded Chest Stretch
• Barbell Bench Press
• Bench Chest Stretch
• Cable Chest Press
• Cable Fly
• Chest Dips
• Clap Push-Ups

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "fish-pose",
  "name_en": "Fish Pose",
  "name_de": "Fisch-Haltung",
  "name_es": "Postura del Pez",
  "description_en": "A supine backbend supported on the forearms with the chest lifted and the head tilted back, opening the front of the chest and the throat.",
  "description_de": "Eine Rückbeuge in Rückenlage, auf den Unterarmen gestützt, mit angehobenem Brustkorb und zurückgeneigtem Kopf - öffnet Brust und Kehle.",
  "description_es": "Una extensión boca arriba apoyada en los antebrazos, con el pecho elevado y la cabeza inclinada atrás, que abre la parte frontal del pecho y la garganta.",
  "category": "stretching",
  "force_type": "static",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "intermediate",
  "body_part": "chest",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "erector_spinae",
    "pectoralis_major"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "anterior_deltoid",
    "hip_flexors"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "mobility"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "mobility",
    "stretching"
  ],
  "is_unilateral": false,
  "is_bodyweight": true,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Lie on your back with the legs straight and the arms alongside the body, palms down under the hips.",
    "Press the forearms into the floor and lift the chest towards the ceiling.",
    "Let the crown of the head rest lightly on the floor without putting weight through the neck.",
    "Hold the position for the prescribed time, breathing into the upper chest.",
    "Lift the head, then lower the back down."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Leg dich auf den Rücken, die Beine gestreckt, die Arme am Körper, die Handflächen unter dem Gesäß.",
    "Druck die Unterarme in den Boden und heb den Brustkorb Richtung Decke.",
    "Lass den Scheitel leicht auf dem Boden ruhen, ohne Gewicht in den Nacken zu geben.",
    "Halte die Position für die vorgegebene Zeit und atme in den oberen Brustkorb.",
    "Heb den Kopf an und leg den Rücken ab."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Túmbate boca arriba con las piernas estiradas y los brazos junto al cuerpo, las palmas bajo las caderas.",
    "Presiona los antebrazos contra el suelo y eleva el pecho hacia el techo.",
    "Deja que la coronilla apoye ligeramente en el suelo sin cargar peso en el cuello.",
    "Mantén la posición durante el tiempo indicado, respirando hacia la parte alta del pecho.",
    "Levanta la cabeza y baja la espalda al suelo."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Carry the weight in the forearms, not the head; the neck only guides the position.",
    "Place a block lengthwise under the upper back if the floor version pinches.",
    "Keep the legs active and the thighs rolling slightly inwards."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Das Gewicht liegt in den Unterarmen, nicht im Kopf - der Nacken führt die Position nur.",
    "Leg einen Block längs unter den oberen Rücken, wenn die Bodenvariante zwickt.",
    "Halte die Beine aktiv und die Oberschenkel leicht nach innen gedreht."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "El peso va en los antebrazos, no en la cabeza; el cuello solo guía la posición.",
    "Coloca un bloque a lo largo bajo la espalda alta si la versión en el suelo pincha.",
    "Mantén las piernas activas y los muslos rotando ligeramente hacia dentro."
  ],
  "met": 5.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "main": "images/flat/fish-pose-main.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "fish-pose");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.