Three-Legged Downward Dog

Muscles worked by the Three-Legged Downward Dog

Primary

Front DeltsAnterior DeltoidGlutesGluteus Maximus

Secondary

HamstringsHamstring MusclesTrapsTrapezius

Also called: front deltoid, anterior delt, front delt, anterior deltoid, glute, glutes.

Equipment

No equipment — this is a bodyweight exercise.

How to do the Three-Legged Downward Dog

1. Set up in downward dog with the hands shoulder-width apart and the hips high.
2. Press both hands evenly into the floor and shift the weight slightly forward.
3. Lift one leg behind you until it is in line with the spine, keeping both hip points level.
4. Hold the position for the prescribed time with the standing heel reaching down.
5. Lower the leg and repeat on the other side.

Form tips

• Keep the lifted hip from opening; a square pelvis matters more than height.
• Press the base of the index finger down so the wrists stay comfortable.
• Bend the standing knee slightly if the hamstring limits the shape.

At a glance

Three-Legged Downward Dog in German & Spanish

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

Related exercises

• Arnold Press
• Banded Shoulder Stretch
• Barbell Front Raise
• Barbell Overhead Press
• Behind the Neck Press
• Bodyweight Overhead Press
• Cable Front Raise
• Cow Face Pose

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": "three-legged-dog",
  "name_en": "Three-Legged Downward Dog",
  "name_de": "Dreibeiniger Hund",
  "name_es": "Perro de Tres Patas",
  "description_en": "Downward dog with one leg lifted: the shoulders carry more load while the lifted leg extends in line with the spine and the hips stay square.",
  "description_de": "Herabschauender Hund mit angehobenem Bein: die Schultern tragen mehr Last, das gehobene Bein verlängert die Linie der Wirbelsäule, die Hüften bleiben parallel.",
  "description_es": "El perro boca abajo con una pierna elevada: los hombros asumen más carga mientras la pierna elevada se alinea con la columna y las caderas se mantienen cuadradas.",
  "category": "strength",
  "force_type": "static",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "intermediate",
  "body_part": "shoulders",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "anterior_deltoid",
    "gluteus_maximus"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "hamstrings",
    "trapezius"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "endurance",
    "strength"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "calisthenics"
  ],
  "is_unilateral": true,
  "is_bodyweight": true,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Set up in downward dog with the hands shoulder-width apart and the hips high.",
    "Press both hands evenly into the floor and shift the weight slightly forward.",
    "Lift one leg behind you until it is in line with the spine, keeping both hip points level.",
    "Hold the position for the prescribed time with the standing heel reaching down.",
    "Lower the leg and repeat on the other side."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Geh in den herabschauenden Hund, die Hände schulterbreit, die Hüften hoch.",
    "Druck beide Hände gleichmäßig in den Boden und verlager das Gewicht leicht nach vorn.",
    "Heb ein Bein nach hinten, bis es in einer Linie mit der Wirbelsäule ist, beide Hüftpunkte bleiben waagerecht.",
    "Halte die Position für die vorgegebene Zeit, die Standferse zieht nach unten.",
    "Senk das Bein und wiederhole auf der anderen Seite."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Colócate en perro boca abajo con las manos a la anchura de los hombros y las caderas altas.",
    "Presiona ambas manos por igual contra el suelo y desplaza el peso ligeramente hacia delante.",
    "Eleva una pierna por detrás hasta alinearla con la columna, con ambas caderas niveladas.",
    "Mantén la posición durante el tiempo indicado, con el talón de apoyo bajando hacia el suelo.",
    "Baja la pierna y repite del otro lado."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Keep the lifted hip from opening; a square pelvis matters more than height.",
    "Press the base of the index finger down so the wrists stay comfortable.",
    "Bend the standing knee slightly if the hamstring limits the shape."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Lass die angehobene Hüfte nicht aufdrehen - ein paralleles Becken zählt mehr als Höhe.",
    "Druck den Zeigefingergrundgelenk-Bereich in den Boden, damit die Handgelenke entlastet bleiben.",
    "Beug das Standknie leicht, wenn die Beinrückseite die Form begrenzt."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Evita que la cadera elevada se abra; una pelvis cuadrada importa más que la altura.",
    "Presiona la base del índice contra el suelo para que las muñecas queden cómodas.",
    "Flexiona ligeramente la rodilla de apoyo si el isquiotibial limita la forma."
  ],
  "met": 5.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "main": "images/flat/three-legged-dog-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 === "three-legged-dog");

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.