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Weight lifting and Yoga

dirtnap63
Posts: 1,387 Member
Any heavy lifters here do yoga also. If so, have you found it helpful, indifferent, or a hindrance? What kind of yoga do you do, and how often?
Enquiring minds want to know!
Enquiring minds want to know!
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Replies
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I have only done yoga in programs like P90X, but always thought it was very beneficial to increasing strength. Also, it prevents injury.0
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I'm a pansy so I don't lift heavy but I do yoga about once a week. I do about an hour in total. The first half hour focusing on core and the last half hour to recovery. I have found it has helped with my hip flexibility which has helped my form on squats. Also, it's just really relaxing for me.0
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BTW, Yoga should be done after the weight training. It is supposed to help release lactic acid build up and help you maintain range of motion and mobility.0
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Thanks all. It sounds like yoga, at the very least is inconsequential to weight lifting, and probably on some levels beneficial. Which is pretty much what I suspected. I'm going to try to incorporate yoga into my routine at least once a week.0
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I don't lift heavy but love having yoga in my routine at least once a week. Depending on what kind of practice you are doing it should greatly support all the other work you are doing. Focusing on posture, breath, being comfortable with the limits of your body, and working in terms of space rather than set weight and rep limits is a wonderful contrast to lifting. Having your body balance and be in line to support itself, working together as a whole will give you a stronger foundation as you increase the amount you lift. Driving your motions through breath will help give your body more oxygen to fuel your muscles. Another nice part about most yoga classes is there more modifications for every skill level.
Sounds like from your last post you are going to give it a try....hope all goes well!!0 -
I will note at the very least, you will increase flexibility which will make your body less prone to injury and it should improve muscle endurance.0
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psulemon and nikki_zav - All good points. Tomorrow I'll be going to my second class. My first one was about a month ago. I found it pretty challenging, and quite relaxing too. I had a little Zen high going for awhile afterwards, until reality rudely intruded. However between work and the holidays I haven't had a chance to return, until now. I'm going to try to keep at it for a bit, and see what happens.0
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I do it. Are you asking if it's beneficial to lifting-related goals? I'm not sure... haven't really been doing either long enough to say if I've seen any long term connection. I do feel better after yoga... not as tight, better mobility/flexibility, etc. I'm not sure if that has any direct impact on lifting, but it's good for a variety of other reasons.
Oh, my yoga routine focuses on stretching/mobility. You can certainly get into more of a "power" yoga if you wanted more of a body weight type workout though.0 -
I do it. Are you asking if it's beneficial to lifting-related goals? I'm not sure... haven't really been doing either long enough to say if I've seen any long term connection. I do feel better after yoga... not as tight, better mobility/flexibility, etc. I'm not sure if that has any direct impact on lifting, but it's good for a variety of other reasons.
Oh, my yoga routine focuses on stretching/mobility. You can certainly get into more of a "power" yoga if you wanted more of a body weight type workout though.
These are great benefits, I know another thing that really helped me out was a foam roller (it was part of the P90X2 routine) and it was phenomenal for recovery and eliminating knots in my back and legs. Most of the time, I was about to cry when I used it but the following day I felt amazing.0 -
I do it. Are you asking if it's beneficial to lifting-related goals? I'm not sure... haven't really been doing either long enough to say if I've seen any long term connection. I do feel better after yoga... not as tight, better mobility/flexibility, etc. I'm not sure if that has any direct impact on lifting, but it's good for a variety of other reasons.
Oh, my yoga routine focuses on stretching/mobility. You can certainly get into more of a "power" yoga if you wanted more of a body weight type workout though.
Yeah, i was wondering if it was beneficial, or for that matter, detrimental to lifting related goals. I can't seem to find much info on crossover but everything mentioned in the previous posts seems to make sense. At the very least there doesn't seem to be any good reason not to include yoga. My wife has done yoga for awhile and she recently started lifting, so I thought it would be only fair if I gave yoga a try.0 -
I don't do yoga per se but I use a few yoga/pilates moves in my general mobility work. I think it definitely helps with the mobility and avoiding getting overly tight. That is my rest day activity normally.0
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I do yoga once or twice a week on non-lifting days. I haven't been consistent enough with it to know if it hinders or helps my lifting. I do it for endurance and flexibility. (Wow that sounds sexual lol)0
This discussion has been closed.