Yoga vs. Lifting Weights

Sewhike
Sewhike Posts: 7 Member
edited November 16 in Fitness and Exercise
Do I need to lift weights if I am doing yoga 4 times a week? Seems like yoga is doing about the same as weight lifting. Anyone have any thoughts?

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    IF the goal is just to keep some strength in the muscle, then yoga is fine.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    edited February 2017
    I think it depends on the type of yoga. Yoga takes a lot of muscle endurance, flexibility and skill. All really good things. If you want to work on brute strength or build muscle/aesthetics then you may want to hit the weights as well.

    Edit* OP, I see you are a 58yr old female. Weight bearing exercise is very much recommended for females as we age in order to keep up bone density.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I do yoga and I lift...there's about zero comparison in regards to them "doing about the same." I love yoga and it's a wonderful, healthy practice...but it doesn't not provide for my body the same things as lifting does.

    That said, I guess it would depend on your goals.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I would say they can go hand in hand but not necessarily the same thing. If you can find a way to make your yoga practice more progressively challenging then I suppose it can be comparable to calisthenics. A good friend of mine is a yoga instructor and her musculature, strength and her body is amazing.. but she practices almost everyday and constantly pushes herself every time.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Sewhike wrote: »
    Do I need to lift weights if I am doing yoga 4 times a week? Seems like yoga is doing about the same as weight lifting.

    Weights do a much better job preserving muscle and bone. Assuming you use weights that are challenging for you.
    Yoga doesn't train your lifting ability, which are the skills involved with lifting heavy objects in your daily life.
    Also yoga tends to underwork the pulling muscles ("back") relative to the pushing muscles ("chest"), because there is nothing to pull with yoga.

    I'd at least do a simple full-body strength workout twice a week. Nerd Fitness has a simple beginner's program you can do at home. If you belong to a gym, go with New Rules of Lifting for Life. :+1:
  • teicu1
    teicu1 Posts: 71 Member
    Check out https://www.amazon.com/Total-Body-Transformation-Personal-Prescription/dp/078688732X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487719620&sr=1-4&keywords=total+body+transformation .....

    The author uses nutrition, weight training, yoga and cardio in an integrated multiphase personal training program. His approach is a bit on the fast, furious, severe, “takes no prisoners” side, but I think his multiphase approach is sensible. You can get this book used for >$5 so for the cost of a magazine, I think it’s a pretty good investment.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I do yoga and I lift...there's about zero comparison in regards to them "doing about the same." I love yoga and it's a wonderful, healthy practice...but it doesn't not provide for my body the same things as lifting does.

    That said, I guess it would depend on your goals.

    So much this. I use yoga to help maintain flexibility to compliment my lifting.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    Yoga is wonderful for flexibility and body weight strength and that is what I do it for. But it isn't equal to lifting for challenging the muscles like progressive lifting is. I do yoga and enjoy it but I doubt I could have built my physique with yoga.
  • genpopadopolous
    genpopadopolous Posts: 411 Member
    I do yoga every day-

    I just use it for some core strength and flexibility. I lift and/or run 5-6 days a week otherwise.

    I don't consider yoga a replacement for my strength training at all.
  • Sewhike
    Sewhike Posts: 7 Member
    Thank you all for your inputs! I am going to add back the strength training program I had been doing for the last year and maintain my yoga classes as well.
  • richardpkennedy1
    richardpkennedy1 Posts: 1,890 Member
    Yoga on it's own is not going to make much difference but if you are doing it along with sports or something else then you will see improvements in flexibility and marginal strength and stamina gains.
  • Larissa_NY
    Larissa_NY Posts: 495 Member
    Well, what do you mean by "lifting weights"? If you mean working up to a 200-pound deadlift or squatting your body weight, no, they're not even remotely the same. If you mean waving 3-pound pink dumbbells around, yes, you're better off with power or vinyasa yoga as a body weight exercise.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I do yoga and I lift...there's about zero comparison in regards to them "doing about the same." I love yoga and it's a wonderful, healthy practice...but it doesn't not provide for my body the same things as lifting does.

    That said, I guess it would depend on your goals.

    So much this. I use yoga to help maintain flexibility to compliment my lifting.

    +2
  • LeoT0917
    LeoT0917 Posts: 206 Member
    Sewhike wrote: »
    Do I need to lift weights if I am doing yoga 4 times a week? Seems like yoga is doing about the same as weight lifting. Anyone have any thoughts?

    You don't really give enough information for anyone to offer meaningful advice.

    What are your fitness goals?

    Where are you right now with respect to achieving those goals?

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