StrengthTEN Level 1

Learn the basic strengthening yoga drills and get stronger by the day in this 14 day challenge with five short yoga workouts a week. 

This challenge is great for everyone who wants to get stronger. Whether you are new to yoga or an experienced practitioner, you will learn from the bottom up.

Get ready for 10 workout days to find your new strength.

StrengthTEN Level 1

Week 1

screenshot from online yoga class with yoga teacher at Yogateket yoga studio in Uppsala Sweden

StrengthTEN Level1 Day 1

Welcome to day 1.

Today is about creating the support you need for your strength practice. When thinking about upper body strength, we immediately connect it to the hands, and that means your wrists.

Start by working through stretching exercises to warm up your wrists, then move into strengthening drills to help your wrist become stronger when you extend them and put body weight on them.

This is a great way to prepare your hands before you start a yoga practice of a strength session. You want to wrists to be healthy, and it is possible as long as you work with them often and on a right way.

screenshot from online yoga class with yoga teacher at Yogateket yoga studio in Uppsala Sweden

StrengthTEN Level1 Day 2

Today we bring 2 drills: Scapular push-ups and plank pose.

Scapular pushups strengthen one of the muscles we use when doing plank pose, the serratus anterior. Engaging this muscle allows you to protract your shoulder blades and stabilize them.

Explore the movement of your scapulae looking at all the different actions it can make. Then move onto plank pose while finding the protraction and depression to feel stable and secure there.
screenshot from online yoga class at Yogateket studio in Uppsala Sweden

StrengthTEN Level1 Day 3

Today is all about chaturanga. Let's put together what we have learned so far stretching and strengthening our writs to then move onto all fours to put pressure onto our hands.

Chaturanga is an incredible pose that builds lots of strength as long as you pay attention to how to do it. Begin by finding your shoulder protraction to then move onto plank pose adding the lowering to chaturanga. 

Get ready to sweat and work hard as we do 3 set of 10 chaturangas.

StrengthTEN Level1 Day 4

Give your arms a break and bring the attention to your core.

Today we focus on the deepest layer of our core, the Transversus abdominis (TVA). Think of it as a corset, giving you stability and keeping everything in place. The TVA is an essential part of our strength and the first one we want to target as a way to have a strong core.

For this exercise, keep your spine straight and the natural curvature of the lower spine letting the movement come from the legs.



StrengthTEN Level1 Day 5

Today is about putting together day 1 to 4 into a workout. It's a simple as that.

Start by warming up your wrists because you are going to use them. Then move into ten reps of each drill and repeat it to do three rounds.



Week 2

StrengthTEN Level1 Day 6

Welcome to Day 6.

Today we move to shoulder strength and stability with a drill called Turbo Dog. This can be done with knees bent or even knees on the floor.

Turbo dog is excellent for building strength for forearm balancing postures and downward facing dog; it helps you find the scapular protraction creating more stability in your shoulders.

StrengthTEN Level1 Day 7

Today we move onto the legs with lunge holds.

Short and powerful, this variation focuses on keeping a posterior tilt of the pelvis to stretch the psoas while using the glute and quad to work as we lift the knee off the floor. It provides excellent support to the lower back.


screenshot from online yoga class  at Yogateket yoga studio in Uppsala sweden

StrengthTEN Level1 Day 8

Today we go back to the legs or more specifically to the hip flexors. Ready for a good quad cramp?

The focus is on active lifts, this makes you not only stronger but it will allow you to control your range of motion much better.


StrengthTEN Level1 Day 9

Today we move back to the core specifically the Transversus abdominis (TVA) with dead bugs.

Lie flat on your back with your arms held out in front of you pointing to the ceiling. Then bring your legs up so your knees are bent at 90-degree angles. Keep your spine straight and the natural curvature of the lower spine.

Slowly lower your right arm and left leg at the same time as you inhale. Go as low as you can, being careful not to arch the back as you do this. Then slowly return to the starting position as you exhale and repeat with the opposite limbs.

The dead bug might seem quite easy for the first couple of reps, but if you keep your core engaged, move slowly and avoid raising your back off the ground, you’ll be surprised how hard it is. Aim for three sets of five to 10 reps on each side.


Screenshot from an online yoga class at Yogateket Uppsala

StrengthTEN Level1 Day 10

Welcome to day 10!

Today we finish the challenge by putting together day 6 to 9 in a workout. Now it's up to you to continue with your strength journey. You don't need lots of time; you just need consistency.

You did it, great job!