yoga as strength training?

I have been told continuously that weight training is the key to keeping your metabolism going and holding on to your muscle. Does yoga serve this function well? Anyone have experience with this? I hate lifting weights but find yoga pleasant, challenging, and relaxing.

Im going to go out on a limb here and say No, yoga does not count as strength training, unless you do the dance pose with a 10lb weight in your hand and another one strapped to your foot lol yoga helps tremendously when incorporated into strength training if you use it before and after you may find weights easier and more enjoyable.

I don't think it's strength training liek the way a lifter would, but it's definitely an exercise that will enhance your body-weight strength if you do the power yoga.

Yeah, BABY!!!

Try power yoga for sure.... if you find the right teacher to challenge you it can be very intensive.

It depends a lot on the type of yoga and the difficulty. Anything from holding poses longer to pushing to your furthest flexibility or isolating certain muscle groups for an extended time can make yoga very good for strength training not just light stretching. That being said it all depends what kind of strength you want. I personally find yoga great for strengthening my arms, shoulders and core, though I still love lifting as well.

I do yoga, and I lift heavy...I like them both. But no, yoga isn't strength training. It definitely helps, I love the core movements and being stronger in yoga has helped me be stronger in the weight room, but you still need to deadlift and squat yoga is perfect for the "in between" days, and to just let your stress go. There is power yoga, or hot yoga, but I still wouldn't think it's comparable to weight lifting. You aren't going to get "buff" by lifting weights, you're not a man, and even men have a hard time bulking.

Same here. I do both as well and would never want to choose one or the other.
I find they compliment each other well & prefer vinyasa flow yoga over other types.

edited for clarification

I do hot yoga once a week and I would not say it's traditional strength training, but it definitely think it does strengthen your core. I find it's good to add it to my regime with cardio and weights.

I do yoga, and I lift heavy...I like them both. But no, yoga isn't strength training. It definitely helps, I love the core movements and being stronger in yoga has helped me be stronger in the weight room, but you still need to deadlift and squat yoga is perfect for the "in between" days, and to just let your stress go. There is power yoga, or hot yoga, but I still wouldn't think it's comparable to weight lifting. You aren't going to get "buff" by lifting weights, you're not a man, and even men have a hard time bulking.

Same here. I do both as well and would never want to choose one or the other.
I find they compliment each other well & prefer vinyasa flow yoga over other types.

edited for clarification

I think it is more accurate to say that Yoga as strength developing elements within it to a lesser or greater degree, depending on what style, intensity and teacher you practise with.

Like bodyweight training, you can say a person can gain strength up to a point and then level off, but that depends on whether a person can find the next level of difficulty to continue to progress. Yoga is the same in my opinion - if you just hang out doing the same routine or same level of intensity every session, you will not gain strength (or anything else really), but if you meet each session with new vigour and play to your edge, you will progress.

I have been told continuously that weight training is the key to keeping your metabolism going and holding on to your muscle. Does yoga serve this function well? Anyone have experience with this? I hate lifting weights but find yoga pleasant, challenging, and relaxing.

I think yoga is a great strengthening exercise. The plank and many other core exercises use all of your muscles and body as the weight.

The plank is more for core strength rather then upper body strength, maybe im wrong but unless your doing plank push up, plank oblique pushups, or plank jacks i dont know that a standard plank is strength training.

Uh, didn't I say core?
The are also derivatives of plank that strengthen other areas like the gluteus. I always get a good arm burn if I do a lot of planks and try to hold myself low to the ground so I know the arms are being recruited,too.

These are all very great points, and I'll consider them. I think for now, since yoga is challenging and is making me very sore, as well as being fun, I'll stick to yoga, but maybe I will go to a weight class one of these days to check that out too.

Good plan, you'll notice a different kind of sore when you start weight training, but it's very motivational. Keep up the yoga no matter what though, it's not only good for your body but mind/spirit too Namaste