Yoga *IS* strength training.

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  • splashangel
    splashangel Posts: 494 Member
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    BUMP
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    I didn't have time to read the comments yet.

    My thoughts:

    1) Most of you have only ever seen yoga on the videos and at the gym. You have not seen the people that support themselves on one hand with one leg bent over their back facing in the same direction as their face and the other leg out to the side.

    2) You are just bitter because when you were in middle school and high school the bisexual yoga gals never invited you to the wild sex orgies.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I didn't have time to read the comments yet.

    My thoughts:

    1) Most of you have only ever seen yoga on the videos and at the gym. You have not seen the people that support themselves on one hand with one leg bent over their back facing in the same direction as their face and the other leg out to the side.

    2) You are just bitter because when you were in middle school and high school the bisexual yoga gals never invited you to the wild sex orgies.

    Wait..........What?!?!!!
  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
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    I think that would depend on the person.
    Pushups are not really strength training for most guys, but new exercisers and many women even in decent shape probably can't do more than sets of 5 full range of motion pushups. Same for one-legged squats and holding your body weight on one arm.

    Seriously??? A woman that is decently in shape can't do more than sets of 5 full range pushups???? Are you kidding me????

    ...i know! really? i just did 20 'real' pushups earlier! oh, but ya know what? i also do yoga!
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    I think that would depend on the person.
    Pushups are not really strength training for most guys, but new exercisers and many women even in decent shape probably can't do more than sets of 5 full range of motion pushups. Same for one-legged squats and holding your body weight on one arm.

    Seriously??? A woman that is decently in shape can't do more than sets of 5 full range pushups???? Are you kidding me????

    ...i know! really? i just did 20 'real' pushups earlier! oh, but ya know what? i also do yoga!

    Most yogis can do numerous one legged pistol squats in a row.
  • Sbell1068
    Sbell1068 Posts: 1
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    i agree, i do heated yoga for 60-90 minutes and its way more calories burned than what this site and others list
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    I didn't have time to read the comments yet.

    My thoughts:

    1) Most of you have only ever seen yoga on the videos and at the gym. You have not seen the people that support themselves on one hand with one leg bent over their back facing in the same direction as their face and the other leg out to the side.

    2) You are just bitter because when you were in middle school and high school the bisexual yoga gals never invited you to the wild sex orgies.

    True story
  • KALMdown
    KALMdown Posts: 211 Member
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    What a weakling...


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  • KALMdown
    KALMdown Posts: 211 Member
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  • Cristofori44
    Cristofori44 Posts: 201
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    With pullups there is no artificial resistance. Same with mountain climbing. Sprinting. The notion you need a weight room to be strong seems erroneous on its face. ...

    Perhaps some of the posters on here are confusing the word "strength" with "getting cut." Yoga may not build muscle mass in the same way as performing three sets of 10-12 reps of weight until muscular fatigue. It probably also won't build strength efficiently as performing low reps with high weights. But that doesn't mean it doesn't build strength...

    Insofar as yoga includes bodyweight-supported poses, however, it is likely to build strength as long as the exercise fatigues the muscle. And it definitely builds muscular endurance and flexibility, which are useful in nearly every sport.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    I don't think its a strength training workout. While it has some poses that would help improve your strength but I won't consider it similar to weight lifting.

    Yoga is more of a flexibility workout.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Depending on the type of yoga...it is training for flexibility and balance, muscular endurance training, or very serious body weight exercises (similar to the beast skills type of stuff or You are your own gym...etc). Yoga is the foundation for a lot of the more dynamic types of weight training that require endurance, balance and flexible muscles, tendons, ligaments. It's also excellent for the abs mostly because of all the plank variations.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    I can't believe this has gone so far.
    I've got experience in both pounding the weights (when I was younger) and also in doing a lot of yoga and body weight training (now).
    My opinion is that yoga sometimes can be strength training in disguise. Many of the advanced postures require a lot of strength and balancing ability. It is a whole different feel compared to traditional weight lifting, but you do build functional strength doing it. The older I get the more of a proponent of bodyweight training & yoga I become.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
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    With pullups there is no artificial resistance. Same with mountain climbing. Sprinting. The notion you need a weight room to be strong seems erroneous on its face. ...

    Perhaps some of the posters on here are confusing the word "strength" with "getting cut." Yoga may not build muscle mass in the same way as performing three sets of 10-12 reps of weight until muscular fatigue. It probably also won't build strength efficiently as performing low reps with high weights. But that doesn't mean it doesn't build strength...

    Insofar as yoga includes bodyweight-supported poses, however, it is likely to build strength as long as the exercise fatigues the muscle. And it definitely builds muscular endurance and flexibility, which are useful in nearly every sport.

    It builds strength to a point. Beyond that point you need higher resistance. That means either adding weighted vest, belt ankle bracelets etc. to bodyweight stuff or lifting weights. I don't think anyone gets to 1xbw OHP, 1.5xbw bench, 2xbw squats, 2.5x bw deadlifts type strength with bodyweight exercises alone.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    Of course it's strength training for a while. Anything that makes you stronger is.
    You won't get anywhere near your body's capacity to build strength, though.
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
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    Yoda is strength training

    Yoda-Working-Out.jpg
  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
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    i agree, i do heated yoga for 60-90 minutes and its way more calories burned than what this site and others list

    FYI, heated yoga burnes no more calories than the same yoga performed in normal temps. It might still be a great work out, but the heat is to increase flexibilty and not calories burned.

    I think yoga is more similar to strength training than cardio. I also see no problem with it being listed under cardio in MFP since strength training is also listed under cardio.
  • BenderFitness
    BenderFitness Posts: 349
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    Some of the replies on this thread are a bit over the top. I have had many of my body building friends try some of my workouts, and struggle though. Some of them have even been guests on my videos, and they were shocked at the difficulty of my routines. Strength training does not have to be done with the goal of getting huge muscles. Nor does it have to be done with weights.

    Yoga does increase your strength, and utilize resistance and muscle contractions. It also has cardiovascular benefits, depending on the style of yoga you are participating in.
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,738 Member
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    It is debateable as to whether that would strictly be considered strength training or conditioning
    I think that would depend on the person.
    Pushups are not really strength training for most guys, but new exercisers and many women even in decent shape probably can't do more than sets of 5 full range of motion pushups. Same for one-legged squats and holding your body weight on one arm.

    I'm not sure you know anything about women. And pushups are definitely strength training for guys.
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    Yoda is strength training

    Yoda-Working-Out.jpg

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    Thanks for bringing some levity to the thread. Maybe we all need to lighten up!

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