yoga as strength training?

carbfrenzy

I have been told continuously that weight training is the key to keeping your metabolism going and holding on to your muscle. Does yoga serve this function well? Anyone have experience with this? I hate lifting weights but find yoga pleasant, challenging, and relaxing.

tracydr

I have been told continuously that weight training is the key to keeping your metabolism going and holding on to your muscle. Does yoga serve this function well? Anyone have experience with this? I hate lifting weights but find yoga pleasant, challenging, and relaxing.

I think yoga is a great strengthening exercise. The plank and many other core exercises use all of your muscles and body as the weight.

notamoment

I have been told continuously that weight training is the key to keeping your metabolism going and holding on to your muscle. Does yoga serve this function well? Anyone have experience with this? I hate lifting weights but find yoga pleasant, challenging, and relaxing.

Im going to go out on a limb here and say No, yoga does not count as strength training, unless you do the dance pose with a 10lb weight in your hand and another one strapped to your foot lol yoga helps tremendously when incorporated into strength training if you use it before and after you may find weights easier and more enjoyable.

notamoment

I have been told continuously that weight training is the key to keeping your metabolism going and holding on to your muscle. Does yoga serve this function well? Anyone have experience with this? I hate lifting weights but find yoga pleasant, challenging, and relaxing.

I think yoga is a great strengthening exercise. The plank and many other core exercises use all of your muscles and body as the weight.

The plank is more for core strength rather then upper body strength, maybe im wrong but unless your doing plank push up, plank oblique pushups, or plank jacks i dont know that a standard plank is strength training.

ValGogo

I don't think it's strength training liek the way a lifter would, but it's definitely an exercise that will enhance your body-weight strength if you do the power yoga.

Yeah, BABY!!!

notamoment

I don't think it's strength training liek the way a lifter would, but it's definitely an exercise that will enhance your body-weight strength if you do the power yoga.

Yeah, BABY!!!

Lol probably the best answer for sure

junejadesky

Try power yoga for sure.... if you find the right teacher to challenge you it can be very intensive.

fuhrmeister

I don't think it's strength training liek the way a lifter would, but it's definitely an exercise that will enhance your body-weight strength if you do the power yoga.

Yeah, BABY!!!

Lol probably the best answer for sure

I agree with this. And you can definatly add weights to warrior poses to increase the strength aspect. When I used to do yoga 3 times a week for 1hour each time my arms and wrists were much stronger. But I also did a sculpt class at least once a week.(oh how I miss my gym)

Do what you enjoy to build a foundation of regular exercise. Then add in some weight training. You are bound to find some weight exercisex you like ther are so many to choose from. Good Luck!

maroonmango211

It depends a lot on the type of yoga and the difficulty. Anything from holding poses longer to pushing to your furthest flexibility or isolating certain muscle groups for an extended time can make yoga very good for strength training not just light stretching. That being said it all depends what kind of strength you want. I personally find yoga great for strengthening my arms, shoulders and core, though I still love lifting as well.

rieann84

I say yes. It certainly isn't cardio. You are engaging so many muscles when you do yoga.

carbfrenzy

The thing is, I'm not sure if I need lifting like traditional lifting. I'm not looking to buff up or anything. I guess my purpose would be to battle the muscle slide as you lose weight, which I've heard can lower your metabolism and make things harder.

lilRicki

I do yoga, and I lift heavy...I like them both. But no, yoga isn't strength training. It definitely helps, I love the core movements and being stronger in yoga has helped me be stronger in the weight room, but you still need to deadlift and squat yoga is perfect for the "in between" days, and to just let your stress go. There is power yoga, or hot yoga, but I still wouldn't think it's comparable to weight lifting. You aren't going to get "buff" by lifting weights, you're not a man, and even men have a hard time bulking.

hookilau

I do yoga, and I lift heavy...I like them both. But no, yoga isn't strength training. It definitely helps, I love the core movements and being stronger in yoga has helped me be stronger in the weight room, but you still need to deadlift and squat yoga is perfect for the "in between" days, and to just let your stress go. There is power yoga, or hot yoga, but I still wouldn't think it's comparable to weight lifting. You aren't going to get "buff" by lifting weights, you're not a man, and even men have a hard time bulking.

Same here. I do both as well and would never want to choose one or the other.
I find they compliment each other well & prefer vinyasa flow yoga over other types.

edited for clarification

ken_m

No, but yoga complements strength training nicely and (from a anecdotal standpoint) aids in recovery and can serve as functional accessory training. I find doing hot yoga (~104 degree temps) really helps with my flexibility when it comes to certain compound movements.

scotia1977

I do hot yoga once a week and I would not say it's traditional strength training, but it definitely think it does strengthen your core. I find it's good to add it to my regime with cardio and weights.

I do yoga, and I lift heavy...I like them both. But no, yoga isn't strength training. It definitely helps, I love the core movements and being stronger in yoga has helped me be stronger in the weight room, but you still need to deadlift and squat yoga is perfect for the "in between" days, and to just let your stress go. There is power yoga, or hot yoga, but I still wouldn't think it's comparable to weight lifting. You aren't going to get "buff" by lifting weights, you're not a man, and even men have a hard time bulking.

Same here. I do both as well and would never want to choose one or the other.
I find they compliment each other well & prefer vinyasa flow yoga over other types.

edited for clarification

Stage14

Yoga makes you stronger, definitely. But it isn't strength training in the way you're asking. You need to continually work/stress/challenge your muscles in order to maintain LBM while in a caloric deficit. That doesn't have to mean lifting weights, you can do it with body weight workouts (check out YAYOG), but it does usually mean intentional repetitive motion with weight of some sort.

yogicarl

I think it is more accurate to say that Yoga as strength developing elements within it to a lesser or greater degree, depending on what style, intensity and teacher you practise with.

Like bodyweight training, you can say a person can gain strength up to a point and then level off, but that depends on whether a person can find the next level of difficulty to continue to progress. Yoga is the same in my opinion - if you just hang out doing the same routine or same level of intensity every session, you will not gain strength (or anything else really), but if you meet each session with new vigour and play to your edge, you will progress.

ken_m

I think the consensus is that fundamentally speaking, sure. You could call it that.

What is strength training to you? Will you achieve a muscular adaptation by practicing yoga if you continually challenge yourself? Yes, of course.

Will practicing yoga provide you with functional strength? Depends on what you're doing in your free time.

tracydr

I have been told continuously that weight training is the key to keeping your metabolism going and holding on to your muscle. Does yoga serve this function well? Anyone have experience with this? I hate lifting weights but find yoga pleasant, challenging, and relaxing.

I think yoga is a great strengthening exercise. The plank and many other core exercises use all of your muscles and body as the weight.

The plank is more for core strength rather then upper body strength, maybe im wrong but unless your doing plank push up, plank oblique pushups, or plank jacks i dont know that a standard plank is strength training.

Uh, didn't I say core?
The are also derivatives of plank that strengthen other areas like the gluteus. I always get a good arm burn if I do a lot of planks and try to hold myself low to the ground so I know the arms are being recruited,too.

carbfrenzy

These are all very great points, and I'll consider them. I think for now, since yoga is challenging and is making me very sore, as well as being fun, I'll stick to yoga, but maybe I will go to a weight class one of these days to check that out too.

lilRicki

These are all very great points, and I'll consider them. I think for now, since yoga is challenging and is making me very sore, as well as being fun, I'll stick to yoga, but maybe I will go to a weight class one of these days to check that out too.

Good plan, you'll notice a different kind of sore when you start weight training, but it's very motivational. Keep up the yoga no matter what though, it's not only good for your body but mind/spirit too Namaste

yogicarl

- holding Chaturanga dandasana is very good for core strength and definitely engages chest, triceps and rhomboid muscles as well as the whole of the posterior chain.

edit: post redefinition.

rlengland2014

Look up Forrest Yoga on YouTube. If that's not strength training, nothing is.

perseverance14

It most certainly counts as resistance training if you are doing any forms that use your body as a weight or involve resistance like the plank for example.

ironanimal

Strength training is about progressive loading, so as long as you're continuously striding toward a more difficult pose it is. If you're just following a routine out of a book, a video or whatever, then not so much.

cwolfman13

The term "strength" training tends to get used as a catch all for anything that involves resistance and/or engaging your muscles...in reality, "strength training" is a real thing...not all resistance work is "strength training" even though you may make some strength gains, you have to actually train specifically for strength to be "strength training."

That said, yoga is a very good exercise and very good for you and pretty much everyone should incorporate it into a well balanced fitness regimen.

wjniii

I lifted and was a marathon runner for years. While this made me "fit", it wasn't until I started practicing yoga that I became toned and picked up flexibility, balance and stress reduction. I know I am far stronger now because of yoga. Do a hand stand for three minutes and tell me that's not strength training. The real key is you will only continue any form of exercise if you enjoy it. If you enjoy yoga, do that. Namaste.

yogicarl

The term "strength" training tends to get used as a catch all for anything that involves resistance and/or engaging your muscles...in reality, "strength training" is a real thing...not all resistance work is "strength training" even though you may make some strength gains, you have to actually train specifically for strength to be "strength training."

That said, yoga is a very good exercise and very good for you and pretty much everyone should incorporate it into a well balanced fitness regimen.

Hi - do you mean that strength training is something you do specifically focussed on gaining strength - be it weights or progressive bodyweight training - whereas the strength you may gain through something like progressively more intense/difficult yoga is more a side benefit?

TrailNurse

I have been told continuously that weight training is the key to keeping your metabolism going and holding on to your muscle. Does yoga serve this function well? Anyone have experience with this? I hate lifting weights but find yoga pleasant, challenging, and relaxing.

Im going to go out on a limb here and say No, yoga does not count as strength training, unless you do the dance pose with a 10lb weight in your hand and another one strapped to your foot lol yoga helps tremendously when incorporated into strength training if you use it before and after you may find weights easier and more enjoyable.

^^^^^^^ This

Biggirllittledreams

I have been told continuously that weight training is the key to keeping your metabolism going and holding on to your muscle. Does yoga serve this function well? Anyone have experience with this? I hate lifting weights but find yoga pleasant, challenging, and relaxing.

Im going to go out on a limb here and say No, yoga does not count as strength training, unless you do the dance pose with a 10lb weight in your hand and another one strapped to your foot lol yoga helps tremendously when incorporated into strength training if you use it before and after you may find weights easier and more enjoyable.

I disagree here. It may be that my response is biased as I was taught how to exercise using my body weight in place of barbells, but it is possible. When I lost weight and started working out, i found myself with a six pack - never having picked up a barbell/dumbbell/resistance training machine in my life (thus far....i did start using them later on). If you do positions in which you're balancing/holding a large amount of your body weight, that surely helps as you're forced to hold up however many pounds you weigh. In yoga, your body mass = your barbells

In terms of the different types of yoga, there are plenty and you should check them all out to find one that suits you! There is one or two specifically for fitness that you may want to look for.

Like people have mentioned, lifting is a bit different than yoga, but in the end they both build muscle.

Rogiefreida

I do yoga, and I lift heavy...I like them both. But no, yoga isn't strength training. It definitely helps, I love the core movements and being stronger in yoga has helped me be stronger in the weight room, but you still need to deadlift and squat yoga is perfect for the "in between" days, and to just let your stress go. There is power yoga, or hot yoga, but I still wouldn't think it's comparable to weight lifting. You aren't going to get "buff" by lifting weights, you're not a man, and even men have a hard time bulking.

Agreed. Before I started lifting weights I certainly felt that yoga qualified as strength training, and I suppose it is to a point where you use body weight to strengthen yourself, but compared to the strength gains that have come from lifting weights, they are definitely not equal for making you stronger. That being said, I feel like they complement each other nicely so I do both.

OP, if you aren't sold on weight training, then stick to yoga. It certainly does have it's strengthening merits, and it's good for the soul. But I would encourage you to research weight training. It won't make you look "buff" or too muscly, unless you start taking testosterone or steroids.