Yoga *IS* strength training.

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.

But you can increase resistance by changing the pose. Many people start out in yoga unable to do the actual poses, and make modifications. As their strength improves, they can get closer to the pose as it's intended to be done. They can also move to one-armed and one-legged poses, which take lot of strength. And they can do things to change the leverage, for example, if balancing on their arms, they can change their leg position to move their center of gravity to make it harder.

Very similar to gymnastics. You can get pretty strong with just your body weight for resistance, with the right program.
At a certain point, yes, the strength training benefit will plateau. But it could be a long while for most people.

Very similar to gymnastics?! A SERIOUS STRETCH! People whose main physical activity is gymnastics and those whose main physical activity is yoga could not have less similar physiques.

If you believe your statement in reply to someone who has taken the time to patiently present a very true and valid point then you will be able to provide lots of pictorial evidence to support your opinion on physiques. Then look at pictures of the strongest men in the world and realise their physical look is not that of a bodysculturist.

Fact, most weight lifters lack condition and functional ability. Exercise should embrace all activity to create a complete package.

I had to giggle just a bit at everyone who is saying yoga is just for relaxation, or that it isn't "strength training." I've seen big, buff guys who do insane weights try yoga and fall into a huge puddle of fail. It may not work you the same way as lifting weights, but it does build muscle (and you can get VERY sore from it!)

last week, when I was 5 weeks post surgery, so I hadn't lifted for 5 weeks, and had only returned to cardio the week before.
I did 16 pushup, wearing a military weighted jacket...wonder how many that I could have done if I wasn't post surgery

I had to giggle just a bit at everyone who is saying yoga is just for relaxation, or that it isn't "strength training." I've seen big, buff guys who do insane weights try yoga and fall into a huge puddle of fail. It may not work you the same way as lifting weights, but it does build muscle (and you can get VERY sore from it!)

Increasing strength and building muscle are two different things. I would be surprised if many people who do yoga only for their workouts would be eating at a caloric level to build muscle. It could happen, but would be a very small percentage.

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.

But you can increase resistance by changing the pose. Many people start out in yoga unable to do the actual poses, and make modifications. As their strength improves, they can get closer to the pose as it's intended to be done. They can also move to one-armed and one-legged poses, which take lot of strength. And they can do things to change the leverage, for example, if balancing on their arms, they can change their leg position to move their center of gravity to make it harder.

Very similar to gymnastics. You can get pretty strong with just your body weight for resistance, with the right program.
At a certain point, yes, the strength training benefit will plateau. But it could be a long while for most people.

Very similar to gymnastics?! A SERIOUS STRETCH! People whose main physical activity is gymnastics and those whose main physical activity is yoga could not have less similar physiques.

If you believe your statement in reply to someone who has taken the time to patiently present a very true and valid point then you will be able to provide lots of pictorial evidence to support your opinion on physiques. Then look at pictures of the strongest men in the world and realise their physical look is not that of a bodysculturist.

Fact, most weight lifters lack condition and functional ability. Exercise should embrace all activity to create a complete package.

Not sure how that relates to my comment about the absurdity of comparing yoga to gymnastics . . .

Wierd. I thought yoga was a spiritual practice.

It is! It takes a lot of "spirit" to practice yoga....

If you are in any kind of shape at all you should be able to do at LEAST one solid push up, unless you are extremely heavy and have really long arms or something odd like that. I've never NOT been able to do a push up. I can't do a ton now in one set, but push ups are typically including in general physical fitness tests. There's a reason for that, if you are fit, you should be able to do push-ups.

OK, if someone can do ONE solid pushup and then fail, then working up to a set of 5 would be strength training for that person.

You look to be someone who lifts heavy weights and is in EXCELLENT shape, not just decent shape -- and you say you can't do a ton in one set. So I maintain that this is indeed a challenging exercise.

I think the pushups required in most general fitness tests are NOT the ones where you have have to touch your chest to the group. In yoga, you do full range pushups.

Yea I can't do a ton because it's primarily a chest exercise and as a female chest is particularlly challenging. i.e. why I can only bench 90lbs for 5 reps but can squat 170lbs for 5 reps at 112lb bodyweight.

Good for yoga peeps doing push ups, didn't say it wasn't challenging. I just believe if you believe yourself to be fit you should be able to do them. The fact that some people in some yoga classes do push ups hardly makes yoga strength training.

And I don't believe push ups to be very important in increasing a person's over-all strength, another reason I can't do a ton. I don't do them. Building up my chest isn't important to me and there are much, much better ways to train my biceps, triceps, traps, and other muscles used in stabilizing a push up. If you can do one push up and increase your reps you are primarily building muscle endurance not strength. Example (try not to over analyze and pick apart the numbers, that's not the point of the example, hopefully you'll understand) Doing 100 push-ups isn't equal to doing 25 push-ups with a weight vest on or a person sitting on your back.

WTF... why are we so hung up on pushups???

here are some other yoga moves that require a fair amount of strength...
crane pose
wheel pose
eight-angle pose
peacock pose
firefly pose
one-legged squat with leg extended

I'm not especially strong, but I can do 50 pushups straight.

You look pretty strong. Looking at your arms I think it's fair of me to assume that you are stronger than the average female casual exerciser.

Yea I can't do a ton because it's primarily a chest exercise and as a female chest is particularlly challenging. i.e. why I can only bench 90lbs for 5 reps but can squat 170lbs for 5 reps at 112lb bodyweight.

Okay, what?! You are saying that some moves are harder for most women than men, in general? Isn't that what I said that made you guys all jump down my throat for being "sexist?"
That is ALL I was saying. This is a move that is challenging for many women from a strength perspective, and as such could be legitimately considered a strength exercise for many.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

I gotta start doing some yoga to improve my bench strength asap!!