Locust

How to do it

Lie face down with the arms alongside the body, palms turning in toward the thighs, and the forehead resting on the mat. Lengthen first: reach the crown of the head forward and the toes back. On an inhale, lift the chest, both arms, and both legs off the floor at the same time, keeping the reach long in both directions. Keep the gaze down and slightly forward so the back of the neck stays long. Hold for several breaths, then lower everything back down on an exhale.

Why it's good for runners

Almost every mobility shape a runner does is passive — you hang in a position and wait. Locust is the opposite, and it is the only shape in the method where the entire back of the body contracts at once: glutes, hamstrings, and the spinal extensors that hold you upright in the last miles of a long run. Range you can hold yourself in is range you can use; range you can only sag into is not. This is the shape that builds the first kind.

Common mistakes

Don't chase height. Lifting hard and high without the reach compresses the low back and pinches — the fix is always to lengthen more and lift less. Don't throw the head back to help; the gaze stays down. And don't hold the breath: this is an effortful shape and the breath is the thing that tells you whether the effort is under control.