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Upper Legs · Body Weight
Monkey Pose
Monkey Pose is an intermediate compound yoga exercise that works the hamstrings (upper legs), with the quadriceps and glutes assisting. It needs no equipment beyond your own body weight. A typical prescription is 2-3 sets of 30-60-second holds, and it burns about 3.7 calories per minute.
- Target
- Hamstrings
- Body part
- Upper Legs
- Equipment
- Body Weight
- Category
- Yoga
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Static
- Sets × reps
- 2-3 × 30-60 sec hold
- Calories / min
- ≈ 3.7 kcal
Primary muscles
- Hamstrings
- Hip Flexors
Secondary muscles
- Quadriceps
- Glutes
How to do Monkey Pose
- From a low lunge, slowly slide your front heel forward and your back knee back.
- Support yourself with your hands on the floor or on blocks.
- Lower your hips toward the floor in a split, as far as is comfortable.
- Hold, breathing slowly, then switch sides.
Form tips
- Use blocks under your hands and hips.
- Never force the split.
Monkey Pose alternatives
More hamstrings exercises
Monkey Pose FAQ
What muscles does Monkey Pose work?
Monkey Pose mainly works the hamstrings in the upper legs. The quadriceps and glutes work as secondary muscles.
What equipment do you need for Monkey Pose?
None. Monkey Pose is a body weight exercise, so you can do it at home or anywhere with enough space.
How many sets and reps of Monkey Pose should I do?
Start with 2-3 sets of 30-60-second holds. Pick a load or variation where the last one or two reps are hard but your form stays clean.
Is Monkey Pose good for beginners?
It's rated intermediate. Beginners can work up to it once they control simpler upper legs exercises.
How many calories does Monkey Pose burn?
About 3.7 calories per minute for a person of around 70 kg, based on a MET value of 3. Ten minutes of work is roughly 37 calories; heavier people burn more.
What is a good alternative to Monkey Pose?
Other exercises for the hamstrings include Plate Good Morning, Good Mornings Resistance Band, Kettlebell Staggered Deadlift and Plate Staggered Deadlift.
For developers
Use Monkey Pose in your app
Get this exercise and 1,900+ others from the WorkoutX API: 720p MP4 animations at 30 fps without the watermark, male and female models, muscles, instructions and form tips in 7 languages.
# One request returns the exercise and its 720p media links curl "https://api.workoutxapp.com/v2/exercises/ex_ZQALQL" \ -H "X-WorkoutX-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" { "id": "ex_ZQALQL", "name": "Monkey Pose", "model": "male", "counterpartId": "ex_M42AAH", "target": "Hamstrings", "equipment": "Body Weight", "media": { "mp4": "https://…/ex_ZQALQL/mp4-720.mp4?…", "poster": "https://…/ex_ZQALQL/poster.jpg?…" } }