Find out why you should do the horse stance exercise for just 5 minutes a week to see amazing benefits.

The horse stance, also known as Ma Bu, is a fundamental exercise in Chinese martial arts and is widely practiced in disciplines such as Kung Fu and Tai Chi. It is a static standing position that helps develop lower body strength, stability, balance and endurance.

Here’s how to do the traditional horse stance:

1. Start by standing with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward.
2. Slowly bend your knees, keeping your back straight and straight.
3. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Your knees should be directly above your ankles.
4. Maintain a stable and balanced position, distributing your weight equally on both legs.
5. Keep your torso straight and aligned, with your spine straight and your core engaged.
6. Your arms can be positioned in a variety of ways depending on martial arts style or personal preference. Common arm positions include holding them in front of the chest, placing them at the sides, or extending them outward.
7. Hold the horse’s position for a specific duration, typically starting with shorter intervals and gradually increasing the time as you build strength and endurance.
8. When you’re ready to finish, straighten your legs and slowly stand up.

Source: Yogendra Singh at Pexels

Horse stance is a physically demanding exercise, particularly for beginners. It is vital to be mindful of your body, start with shorter durations and progressively increase the intensity and duration of exercise as you build strength and endurance. Maintaining proper form and alignment is essential to prevent strain or injury, so it is highly recommended that you learn and practice under the supervision of a qualified instructor.

But why would you want to do horse stance? For this answer, we turn to Adam Sinicki. Sinicki is known online as The Bioneer. He is a health and fitness writer and personal trainer and has garnered over 700,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.

The incredible benefits of the horse position

According to Sinicki, the horse pose can improve anyone’s fitness and the way they feel and move, from gym-goers to athletes. The benefits will vary depending on how you do it, what your goals are, and what technique you use.

Performing this exercise regularly will have an initial impact on the mobility and strength of the squat. I have more flexibility for kicks and things like Cossack squats, and I have less pain and more stability in my lower back, better core and glute engagement, explains Sinicki.

Other benefits listed by the Bioneer are opening the hips, strengthening the adductors, stretching the adductors, and developing endurance strength in the glutes, hamstrings, hamstrings, quads, and core.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

Sinicki explains different ways of doing the horse stance and which one is best for you. If you are just starting out, try to get 30 seconds in the correct position about 3 times a week and over time you will find that it gets easier. He tries to add 10 seconds every other week.

He also talked about several goals for anyone who wants to add the horse stance to their training routine and how to apply their mind to it. See it all in the video below.

How to build strength and mobility at the same time

How to build explosive power for weightlifting and functional fitness

The horse stance is an isometric holding exercise. Isometric holds, also known as isometric exercises, are exercises where you hold a static position without any movement. These exercises offer several benefits for overall strength, stability, and muscle development. Here are some of the main benefits of isometric grips:

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1. Build Strength: Isometric holds can help build strength by activating and engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously. By holding a static position against resistance, you are actually challenging your muscles, leading to strength gains.
2. Improved Muscular Endurance: Isometric holds require you to sustain muscle contraction for an extended period. This helps improve muscular endurance, allowing you to hold positions or perform activities for longer periods without tiring.
3. Improved Stability and Balance: Isometric exercises engage your core muscles and promote stability and balance. By holding static positions, you develop a solid foundation and improve control over your body alignment.
4. Joint Strength and Stability: Isometric holds help strengthen the muscles surrounding your joints, helping to improve joint stability. This can be especially beneficial for injury prevention and rehabilitation.
5. Time Efficiency: Isometric holds can be an efficient way to incorporate strength training into your routine, as they can be performed quickly and do not require extensive equipment or space.
6. Breaking the Plateau: Isometric exercises can be used to break through strength plateaus. By introducing a new type of training stimulus, isometric holds can challenge your muscles in a different way, helping you to break through performance plateaus.
7. Accessibility: Isometric holds can be modified to accommodate various fitness levels and abilities. You can adjust the intensity of the exercise by changing the duration of the grip or the angle of the stance, making them accessible to people with different fitness levels or physical limitations.

Remember to perform isometric exercises with proper form and alignment to maximize their benefits and reduce your risk of injury. As with any exercise program, it is advisable to consult a healthcare professional or qualified fitness instructor before starting a new regimen.