Make It Harder: 6 Yoga Block Drills to Build Serious Strength
If you think yoga blocks are just there to make things easier - think again. In my Strength Series, we’re flipping that idea on its head.
Props like blocks can absolutely support you in finding good alignment, but they can also crank up the intensity in all the right ways. With the right techniques, blocks become tools to challenge your balance, build deep muscle engagement and fire up your whole body.
So if you're ready to feel stronger from head to toe, here are six yoga block drills that will help you do just that - no gym equipment required.
Why Use Blocks to Build Strength?
Blocks aren’t just for beginners - they’re for anyone who wants to build mindful, functional strength. When you add a block into a pose, you change the feedback your body gets, increasing either load, range of motion, or instability - and all of those things create more muscular demand.
In other words: they make your muscles work harder. And when they work harder, they get stronger.
1. Elevated Bird Dog
Targets: core, shoulders, glutes
How to do it: From tabletop, place a block under your right hand and another under your left knee. From there, extend your left arm and right leg - like a “superman” (or superwoman!) shape. Hold, breathe, then switch sides.
Why it works: The raised surface creates instability, forcing your core and shoulders to stabilise more deeply than in a regular bird dog.
2. Chaturanga with Shoulder Blocks
Targets: triceps, chest, core
How to do it: Place blocks on the highest setting on the floor just under the top of your chest from a plank pose. From plank (go for “half-plank” with the knees down as a less challenging alternative), lower down with control, aiming to hover your shoulders just above the blocks, then press back up.
Why it works: This drill trains control and alignment in one of yoga’s toughest poses. It’s like a slow, mindful tricep push-up - perfect for building upper body strength.
3. Booty Lifts with Block Squeeze
Targets: glutes, hamstrings, lower back
How to do it: From hands and knees, tuck a block behind your right knee and flex the foot. Keep squeezing the block as you pulse your heel up towards your bum. Repeat, then switch sides.
Why it works: This isolates the glutes and hamstrings, building strength in the back body and helping support hip stability.
4. Tree Pose on a Block
Targets: ankles, calves, core
How to do it: Place one block flat on the floor and step onto it. From there, move into Tree Pose - one foot resting on the inner thigh or calf, hands on the hips or in prayer.
Why it works: Standing on the block adds a layer of instability, forcing your ankles, feet and core to work overtime to maintain balance.
5. Boat Pose with Block Between Legs
Targets: core, hip flexors, coordination
How to do it: Sit tall with knees bent and feet lifted into Boat Pose. Place a block between your thighs and squeeze gently. Keep the spine long and shoulders relaxed as you hold.
Why it works: The block encourages mindful inner thigh engagement, which activates the pelvic floor and deep core muscles — all while holding that spicy V-shape!
6. Chair Pose Standing on Blocks
Targets: feet, ankles, legs, focus
How to do it: Stand with one foot on each block, feet hip-width apart. Bend the knees into Chair Pose, reaching arms overhead. Keep your knees tracking forward and the weight centred.
Why it works:
Standing on blocks enhances proprioception (your sense of where you are in space), demanding more strength and control from your lower legs and core.
Final Thoughts
These drills might look simple on paper, but when you try them mindfully and with intention, they pack a serious punch. They’re perfect for adding challenge to your practice without needing weights or machines - just you, your mat, and a couple of trusty blocks.
If you're curious to try these out in real time, come along to my Strength Series where we’re using yoga props in creative ways to build serious strength with 2 classes a week for 5 weeks.
