Yoga *IS* strength training.

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  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
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    I did 16 pushup, wearing a military weighted jacket...wonder how many that I could have done if I wasn't post surgery
    did you touch your chest to the floor, like in yoga pushups, or did you go only partway like most people?
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    Obviously, by the comments, a very touchy subject. I do think that yoga is a great workout. I've tried yoga and it is very difficult. My problem with calling it strength training is that the resistance is not being increased. Most people will either remain the same weight or lose weight. You may have better muscle endurance, but you're not really getting that much stronger. It should be listed as cardio.

    I have to respectfully disagree with this assessment of yoga. There are many forms of yoga and some of them focus specifically on strength and balance. Many poses have several variations designed for progression as one increases their strength. Being able to propel oneself into a free form hand stand or lift into a full wheel has little to due with muscle endurance or cardio fitness.

    Yes, that does take a tremendous amount of strength to accomplish. However, once a person is able to do these things, unless they are getting heavier or attaching weights to themselves, they aren't going to get stronger just by continually doing these movements with their current body weight.

    Ok, your point is well taken. But also consider that people may have different goals, other than infinitely increasing the amount of weight they can lift. Let's say my goal is to increase my strength until I am strong enough to do a hand stand push-up. I can ultimately get there by practicing yoga. Thus, for me, yoga has been strength training. It's all in one's own perspective.
  • charliebrooke08
    charliebrooke08 Posts: 82
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    I did 16 pushup, wearing a military weighted jacket...wonder how many that I could have done if I wasn't post surgery
    did you touch your chest to the floor, like in yoga pushups, or did you go only partway like most people?

    hey how bout this, ixap you post a vid of how many amazing "yoga pushups" you can do! I bet everyone would enjoy seeing the incredible strength yoga can build. I know I would.
  • jwhit31
    jwhit31 Posts: 450 Member
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    Really?!?! I only ask because I did 60 this morning. Maybe I'm just a freak. :laugh:
    did you touch your chest to the floor, like in yoga pushups, or did you go only partway like most people?

    My boobies BUT they are pretty big so it might not count. :tongue:
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    I do think yogi masters and people who practice advanced forms of yoga are comparable to gymnast. Although a lot of us will never practice at this level it's still something to strive for. Is it muscle strengthening, conditioning, whatever....it's still pretty f*cking badassed. So don't sell yoga short. If you practice hard you can be in awesome physical condition and look great too....and if that's your goal then who the hell cares what some muscle head in the gym thinks! It feels good, I look good, piss off.
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
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    Fact, most weight lifters lack condition and functional ability. Exercise should embrace all activity to create a complete package.

    Exactly.
    Once again, the OP's profile is for a 57 year old woman. I could be wrong but in my opinion yoga might be a nice place for her to start.
  • jwhit31
    jwhit31 Posts: 450 Member
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    Really?!?! I only ask because I did 60 this morning. Maybe I'm just a freak. :laugh:


    ......and that was after benching 115lbs, 5x5

    You must do a lot of yoga :)

    Everyday. :wink:
  • charliebrooke08
    charliebrooke08 Posts: 82
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    I do think yogi masters and people who practice advanced forms of yoga are comparable to gymnast. Although a lot of us will never practice at this level it's still something to strive for. Is it muscle strengthening, conditioning, whatever....it's still pretty f*cking badassed. So don't sell yoga short. If you practice hard you can be in awesome physical condition and look great too....and if that's your goal then who the hell cares what some muscle head in the gym thinks! It feels good, I look good, piss off.


    lolololololololololololololololol
    Yoga is badassed???
    LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
    not even a word by the way
    Also obviously none of the people comparing yoga and gymnastics watched the olympics.
    Or are completely delusional. Yea delusional. That's probably it :)
  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
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    hey how bout this, ixap you post a vid of how many amazing "yoga pushups" you can do! I bet everyone would enjoy seeing the incredible strength yoga can build. I know I would.
    I don't do yoga. I lift a little. I have friends who do yoga (and no other strength training) and I'm very impressed with the stuff they can do. They do that eight-angle pose where they balance on their hands with their legs all off to the side. I'm not strong enough for that. We were all at the playground together, and they could do more pullups than I could too, even though they'd never tried to do one as an adult; they just had the arm strength to do them from their yoga.
  • charliebrooke08
    charliebrooke08 Posts: 82
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    Really?!?! I only ask because I did 60 this morning. Maybe I'm just a freak. :laugh:


    ......and that was after benching 115lbs, 5x5

    You must do a lot of yoga :)

    Everyday. :wink:

    I gotta start doing some yoga to improve my bench strength asap!!
  • vtachycardia
    vtachycardia Posts: 374
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    Not sure how that relates to my comment about the absurdity of comparing yoga to gymnastics . . .
    I was just giving an example of another discipline that uses a lot of bodyweight movements that require tons of strength.

    I was agreeing that body weight movements in general require a lot of strength and that you now claim it is absurd to compare yoga practitioner to gymnastics. I very simply asked, prove it. Male yoga physique versus a gymnast. The only absurd thing is comparing the basic simplicity of push pull more weight, with either yoga or gymnastics because one dimensional weight training cannot compare to balance, speed, agility combined with strength. I love strength training but I have seen the light.
  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
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    Really?!?! I only ask because I did 60 this morning. Maybe I'm just a freak. :laugh:
    did you touch your chest to the floor, like in yoga pushups, or did you go only partway like most people?

    My boobies BUT they are pretty big so it might not count. :tongue:
    That totally counts. You went as low as physically possibly. If you did 60 in a row with no rest breaks, I am way impressed. Good for you. I hope to be that strong someday.
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
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    Obviously, by the comments, a very touchy subject. I do think that yoga is a great workout. I've tried yoga and it is very difficult. My problem with calling it strength training is that the resistance is not being increased. Most people will either remain the same weight or lose weight. You may have better muscle endurance, but you're not really getting that much stronger. It should be listed as cardio.

    I have to respectfully disagree with this assessment of yoga. There are many forms of yoga and some of them focus specifically on strength and balance. Many poses have several variations designed for progression as one increases their strength. Being able to propel oneself into a free form hand stand or lift into a full wheel has little to due with muscle endurance or cardio fitness.

    Yes, that does take a tremendous amount of strength to accomplish. However, once a person is able to do these things, unless they are getting heavier or attaching weights to themselves, they aren't going to get stronger just by continually doing these movements with their current body weight.

    Ok, your point is well taken. But also consider that people may have different goals, other than infinitely increasing the amount of weight they can lift. Let's say my goal is to increase my strength until I am strong enough to do a hand stand push-up. I can ultimately get there by practicing yoga. Thus, for me, yoga has been strength training. It's all in one's own perspective.

    And that is perfectly fine if that is your goal. Please understand that I'm not discrediting yoga. Yoga provides many benefits to someone and I wish I could perform some of the movements better than I do. My failure to perform them is because I don't practice them and most require a great amount of balance. I feel there is a finite level of strength that can be obtain through yoga.
  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
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    lolololololololololololololololol
    Yoga is badassed???
    LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
    wow that's pretty rude. :(
  • charliebrooke08
    charliebrooke08 Posts: 82
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    Also no problem with yoga. Think it's great training for some goals, and probably pretty fun/relaxing/challenging all sorts of things. But some of you people are making it out to be something it's not. Also really pisses me off that any of you think your strength would at all compare to a gymnast. Sorry but that's plain dumb. And I'm not talking about a person who just took/takes gymnastics. A gymnast is different. Just like there are people who go to the gym, and there are people who TRAIN.
  • Hayesgang
    Hayesgang Posts: 624
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    Here is a great video if you are truly interested to see if you need strength to do yoga:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loszrEZvS_k


    EDIT: This is something that ANYONE can achieve with enough strength and practice.
  • charliebrooke08
    charliebrooke08 Posts: 82
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    Would like to rant/troll more but gotta go actually train. Deadlifts tonight! Peace!
  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
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    Also really pisses me off that any of you think your strength would at all compare to a gymnast. Sorry but that's plain dumb. And I'm not talking about a person who just took/takes gymnastics. A gymnast is different. Just like there are people who go to the gym, and there are people who TRAIN.
    Who compared her strength to that of a gymnast?
    Obviously someone who is a casual yoga practitioner would not have the strength of a serious gymnast, just like someone who just took/takes gymnastics for fun wouldn't have the strength of an accomplished yogi.
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
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    this doesn't require some strength? 30+ year old woman doing one armed peacocks?

    423508_10151019259177986_1804207553_n.jpg
  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
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    this doesn't require some strength? 30+ year old woman doing one armed peacocks?
    Nah. that's just fun and relaxation, obviously. *eyeroll*

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