gym gains vs zen gains (lifting vs yoga)

ImVeryAngryItsNotButter

Lately I've been noticing a little wear and tear on the bod from jogging and heavy lifting at gym so I'm thinking about making the switch to a yoga routine for a few weeks to improve flexibility, strength and work in some cardio as well. Does anyone here have experience with yoga as their primary form of exercise? Are there high intensity yoga programs out there other than bikram? One of my big concerns is I won't be gaining as much muscle as I would if I were to be doing squats, deadlifts and bench press every week, but is that necessarily a bad thing? I'm looking for some tips, advice and general discussion on the topic.

SonyaCele

you are talking about doing yoga for just a couple weeks? i wouldn't worry at all about any lack of muscle gains over just a couple weeks of not lifting. If you were talking about doing yoga for like a couple years, yeah then you might notice a change. but not with just a few weeks.

scottdeleeuw

I've done yoga and strength training for quite some time. No matter what some people will tell you, you won't see massive strength gains with yoga. It will be awesome for your joints and aches and pains, and you might gain postural strength in some bodyweight movements. As a primary form of exercise I would expect a lot of strength and size loss if you've been training with weights, but you'll probably feel better overall.

catgerm

The intensity of the class depends on the teachers and it is as challenging as you want to make it.

If it's your first class, you may want to try a beginners class. The open level usually will not have a teacher demonstrating every pose.

If you have a local studio, they often give discounted rates for your first month or first few classes, so you can give it a try. It's good to try different teachers, until you find one you like. Eventually, you will want to start doing a vinyasa flow class to add the cardio element.

Good luck!

rybo

Why not just find a better balance and make tweaks to your current strength program while including yoga as well.

BroooklynZooo

I've been doing yoga for years and find I have to pair it with cardio for results. It's never been my primary form of fitness, save for the time I was recovering from surgery. It has been the biggest motivator to get my life and body back in check and helps if you're really hurting mentally or physically. I like to go on a light jog ~20 mins and then go to my hour long yoga class. I alternate vinyasa flow, which makes me sweat, with Hatha, which is primarily to stretch and relax.
Happy yoga-ing

JoRocka

Yoga was never designed to be a "muscle building" program.

I think bastardizing it to make it work for muscle gains is not taking full advantage of the point of yoga.

I'm not even a yoga "junkie" or some one who does it as a main method of anything- but I'm aware it's literally thousands of years old- and it's designed to YOKE the physical and the spiritual. it's for re-centering.

The more I learn about it- the less effective or appropriate it is for "exercise" in terms of checking the box.

stanmann571

I don't know about "high intensity" but the DDP program seems to be more work and less woo than some other yoga practices.

ritzvin

MostlyDickWeight wrote: »

Lately I've been noticing a little wear and tear on the bod from jogging and heavy lifting at gym so I'm thinking about making the switch to a yoga routine for a few weeks to improve flexibility, strength and work in some cardio as well. Does anyone here have experience with yoga as their primary form of exercise? Are there high intensity yoga programs out there other than bikram? One of my big concerns is I won't be gaining as much muscle as I would if I were to be doing squats, deadlifts and bench press every week, but is that necessarily a bad thing? I'm looking for some tips, advice and general discussion on the topic.

You'll get some benefit to flexibility and core (balance), but not much else (no cardio, no strength other than Abs). Try stretching more, if you don't stretch much now. Maybe switch up the strength training exercises occasionally.

fbchick51

Vinyasa Flow programs actually tend to burn more calories then Bikram, but bikram classes are 90 mins long. The best Vinyasa Flow programs I've found are usually 50-60 mins.

Can't say I've ever used it alone as my fitness routine, but I always use it in conjunction with my other workouts to minimize the wear and tear. In that regards, I view Yoga as a miracle worker. But I never saw any benefits in strength.

That said, during my competitive power lifting days, it wasn't uncommon for me to take a week or two off of lifting completely when I hit a plateau or felt really run down. I was always surprised at how quickly I saw strength gains again after coming back.

twistedingenue

Instead of stopping one to do another, I would find a simple yoga routine to do on your rest/recovery days

AmyOutOfControl

I do yoga, running, and weight lifting. I occasionally throw in hiking when the weather is awesome. The cross training keeps me from getting bored and injury free.

Vinyasa yoga (or Flow) is great if you want a more intense workout type yoga class. However, I would start with a beginners class at a reputable yoga studio. The gym yoga classes I have taken tend to suck.

MostlyWater

I do pilates when I can fit it in. it's not my regular workout though. when I was injured, I did barre classes.

MeanderingMammal

MostlyDickWeight wrote: »

Are there high intensity yoga programs out there other than bikram?

The most vigorous form of Yoga is Astanga, but I'd recommend spending time with a beginner class, or Hatha class, to learn the asanas and establish how to move from one to the other. Yoga done with poor form is, as with any activity, a bad idea.