Highly Muscular

About This Class

Bryan Kest's "Highly Muscular" is a vigorous 62-minute flow designed to generate significant internal heat while systematically loading almost every muscle group in the body. The class opens in Child's Pose with a strong emphasis on establishing deep, fluid breathing as the anchor for the entire practice. From there it builds quickly through Down Dog, arm-balance variations, a sustained five-minute Down Dog sequence with lateral grabs and Dolphin, and multiple rounds of Plank-to-Cobra. Standing sequences layer Hero Pose, Warrior, Triangle (including a core-demanding "floating" version), and a twisted standing forward fold. Upper-body strength is countered by generous shoulder stretches and interlaced-finger backbends. The floor closing section moves through Locust/airplane-wings with hands clasped behind the back, Bow-like ankle grabs, seated spinal twists, figure-four/double-pigeon hip openers, a chest-opening Fish-like elbow bridge with leg lifts, and supine twists. Throughout, Bryan consistently invites students to exit poses early, breathe freely, and choose gentleness over depth — framing the physical challenge as a vehicle for cultivating a calm, balanced mind that can carry into daily life.