Core · Bodyweight
Downward Dog
How to do the downward dog, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
See it in motion
How to do it
From hands and knees, lift hips up and back, straightening arms and legs to form an inverted V shape. Press heels toward floor and relax head between arms.
- 1Lift your hips high and straighten your arms and legs to form an inverted V; you should feel a stretch through your hamstrings, calves, and shoulders
- 2Press your heels toward the floor and lengthen your spine, creating space between each vertebra
- 3Spread your fingers wide and press into the mat to engage your shoulders and upper back
Common mistakes
- Don't round your back or collapse your shoulders
- Avoid locking your knees or forcing your heels to the ground
- Don't let your head hang heavy, keep it between your arms in line with your spine
Muscles worked
The downward dog works the biceps, triceps, mid chest, lats, lower back, upper abs, lower abs, quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, front delts, forearms, upper traps, and obliques.
- BicepsSupport
- TricepsSupport
- Mid ChestSupport
- LatsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
Kovo programs the downward dog for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the bicycle crunches
- How to do the cable crunch
- How to do the cable pallof press
- How to do the woodchop
- How to do the captains chair leg raise
Last reviewed April 2026.