Yoga v. Strength Training

PhoenixFire975

I was wondering if yoga could possibly replace strength training? Im nt trying to get super buff or nything, but I want to make sure that I build up muscle properly. Any advice???

amycal

YOu should do both. Yoga does build strength esp in legs but weight training is pretty essential too. You don't need to get super buff to reap health benefits from a moderate weight lifting. YOu should focus on low weight limits with lots of reps for shaping vs bulk.

stevemcknight

They're kind of two different things. It's like asking if chicken can replace sleep.

Both are important but you can approach them differently. If you love yoga - then hells, do it! But incorporate some strength training along with it. You don't have to be living in the weight room or doing some silly machine circuit to get it done, simple body weight is enough! Just doing sets of push-ups, pike presses, pull-ups, chin-ups, plank/crunches, squats and lunges a couple times a week is plenty to achieve great goals!

You can do this in a yoga format if you want, but there are a few body parts that are tougher to work in a standard yoga routine.

stevemcknight

YOu should do both. Yoga does build strength esp in legs but weight training is pretty essential too. You don't need to get super buff to reap health benefits from a moderate weight lifting. YOu should focus on low weight limits with lots of reps for shaping vs bulk.

Actually, I hate to possibly hijack this thread with this - but....

There's no such thing as shaping with high reps. High reps only serve to help muscular endurance instead of strength/power. Doing a lot of reps 15+ with low weight is not nearly as time effective as lifting high weight/low reps. Go to failure anywhere from 6-12 with great form and keep the pacing quick.

Think of it this way. Your muscle shape is already genetically predetermined in your body. When you build your muscles, they only grow one way. You can't have "long thin" muscles if you're genes make nuggets. When people talk about getting toned - what they almost always really mean, is losing the fat jiggle that is covering their muscles. The muscle on a 85 pound woman is made up of the same stuff as the muscle on a 250 pound man. Why train differently?

Lift heavy and go hard - you'll see much faster results.

Lastly, please don't worry about "bulking up" for women. It's crazy hard to bulk up even for men, who are eating a huge surplus of calories and taking supplements. I have yet to have a single client that got too bulky while eating a reasonable caloric intake.

Steve
KnightFit.com

DianaPowerUp

I do group power (which uses barbells), resistance training (uses body weight/tubes/bands), Pilates, yoga and boot camp (cardio are diff. classes). Each class has strength training in it, but they are all VERY different. I will get sore from any given class, but differently. I think they complement each other well.

With the strength training, I work more on my muscle tone, and increasing my muscle size and strength. With Pilates and yoga, we do more core work, and in yoga particularily, we do more work on balance and flexibility, in addition to body core strength. For ex, in my group power classes, I'm lifting heavy weights, and we work muscle groups. In yoga, I may be balancing on one leg, or an arm and a leg - that engages the core, strengthing my body in a different way, using different muscle groups together to help strengthen and increase flexibility.

I hope that makes sense! Anyway, personally I wouldn't trade one class for another. They do different things. If you only have time for one class in addition to your cardio, I would (personally) do the strength training. That will get you bathing suit ready faster/better than yoga. I burn more cal. lifting heavy weights than I do in yoga, and I can see the definition coming as a result. But I love the yoga classes. I now have a much better sense of balance, and my core is a lot stronger. The flexibility is coming, but a little more slowly than the rest. Hope that helps!

modernfemme

I've been doing yoga for over 6 years. I started doing it last year almost every single day and I have noticed huge changes in my body. I'm way more toned. My back feels great. I can hold my arms up in the air for several minutes straight, right through the burn. I've lost 25 pounds.

Yoga for me typically works my upper body and core much harder than the legs (sans the sciatic nerve stretching).

HOWEVER.... and I mean a big however... I can do all of this, but I can't do a single push-up. I can barely do a girl push-up. It's a totally different kind of strength training. It focuses on your core, toning, and flexibility, which is definitely a type of strength training, but to me it feels more endurance based than pure strength. That's as best I can describe it.

So - If you want strength training and aerobics all in one yoga workout, I highly recommend Ana Brett & Ravi DVDs. Super awesome. It has some yoga style sit ups and push-ups.

With that being said, it's the only strength training I do and I feel amazing. I don't think you have to lift weights to be strong and healthy - but you certainly aren't going to be winning any arm wrestling contests.

PhoenixFire975

Well thx for the advice every1. I guess ill incorporate more strength into my workout nd keep my yoga too:)