Warrior II

To do the Warrior II, set up in a nice wide stance with your front foot pointing forward while your back toe is turned out. Sink down into a lunge, bending your front knee while keeping the back leg straight. Try to get your front knee bent to 90 degrees and your quad parallel to the ground.

Beginners may not be able to sink as low. Make sure that when you sink into a deep lunge your knee is about over your ankle and you aren’t in too wide or two narrow a stance.

Also, engage your glute and do not let your front knee cave in. Squeeze your back glute as well to keep your back leg straight and make sure that you don’t rock in on your back foot but instead keep it flat on the ground. By squeezing both glutes, you will also help open up your hips.

Unlike with Warrior I, you will not rotate your hips forward. With Warrior II, you will try to open them up as you reach forward over your front leg with one arm and backward over your back leg with your other arm.

Reach your arms out at about shoulder height and keep a nice tall posture. Keep your chest open and do not lean or round forward. Keep your weight centered in the lunge as you reach. Breathe and relax deeper into the lunge and don’t rotate your hips forward.