Exercise
SPHINX
Form cues
About
The Sphinx is a gentle prone spinal extension that strengthens the thoracic extensors and lengthens the anterior chain — abs, hip flexors, and chest — with significantly less lumbar compression than the full Cobra. The forearm support shortens the lever arm and distributes weight across a wider base, making Sphinx the most accessible spinal extension for beginners, people with lower back sensitivity, or anyone building up to deeper backbend progressions.
Instructions
Step-by-step technique
Lie prone
Lie face down on your mat. Bring your elbows under your shoulders with forearms parallel to each other, creating a stable base.
Elbows directly under shouldersPress the forearms
Press the entire forearm surface (not just the elbows) into the mat. Spread or relax the fingers. This active press activates the lower trapezius and serratus anterior.
Full forearm contact with the matEngage core and glutes
Before lifting, gently draw your lower belly in and lightly squeeze your glutes. This protects the lumbar spine by maintaining a safe degree of pelvic stability during extension.
Belly in, glutes lightly engagedLift the chest
Press into forearms and allow your chest to rise naturally. Do not force height — let your thoracic spine do the work at whatever range is comfortable. Hips stay flat on the mat.
Chest up, hips groundedHold and breathe
Hold for 30–60 seconds. Breathe into the front of your ribcage and feel the chest open on each inhale. This is a passive hold — gravity and time build the mobility, not muscular contractions.
Relax into the hold, breathe into the chestCommon mistakes
What goes wrong — and why
Elbows too far forward
Placing elbows in front of the shoulders reduces the spinal extension angle and shifts the load from the thoracic extensors to the shoulder stabilizers.
Set elbows directly under the shoulders. If your chest is too low to hold comfortably, press up onto hands (Cobra position) instead.
Hips leaving the mat
Without glute engagement, the pelvis rolls anteriorly and the hips lift — this shifts extension entirely into the lumbar spine, which can cause discomfort.
Engage the glutes lightly before and during the lift. Not a hard squeeze — just enough to anchor the pelvis.
Passive forearms
Letting forearms rest passively instead of pressing them actively into the mat means the mid-back muscles are not engaged and the full benefit is lost.
Think of pressing the forearms into the mat as if pushing it away. This activates the serratus and lower traps.
Variations · Progressions · Regressions
Adaptations for every level
Prone Rest
Simply lie face down with arms at your sides. Decompresses the spine through passive positioning alone — useful for those with acute lower back pain who cannot tolerate any extension.
Sphinx with Leg Lift
Hold the Sphinx position and add alternating single-leg lifts to engage glutes and hamstrings while maintaining the spinal extension. Bridges passive mobility and active strength work.
Cobra Pose
Press up from forearms to hands, extending the elbows while keeping hips grounded. Greater range of spinal extension with higher muscular demand on thoracic extensors and shoulder stabilizers.