Yoga as Strength Training

What is it about lifting weights that you hate?

And yes , it could be considered a body weight strength workout. Strength training isn't just about building muscles though, it's about strengthening targeted areas of your body (weak knee? Bad hip? Could never balance on one foot? All could be improved).

If strength is what you're specifically after, you can gain great amounts of strength just by being in your heavier body and starting with a bodyweight program. You don't need to start lifting right away even if you are considering lifting in the future, and you don't have to lift ever if you're not considering it at all.

When I first started, I couldn't even do one bodyweight squat. I had to do it assisted by placing my hands on a counter taking some of the load off my legs with my hands on my way up. Asking me to squat with an added weight would not have been realistic. Find a good beginner bodyweight program and build up from there. An example simple program would be to very gradually build up to 3 sets of 15 with a minute rest in between of these basic exercises (you can google them if you don't know how they're performed) then move to more challenging versions:

1. Wall pushups
2. Assisted squats
3. Supermans
4. Glute bridges
Plus start trying planks and try to hold them longer every time. It can start with as few as 2 seconds, and that's alright.

That's just something I made up of the things I started with, I'm pretty sure there are much better programs out there, but this one felt enough to build strength at my starting weight. I'm not an expert in strength training, but I'm an expert at being heavy and knowing how demanding some "beginner" programs can be for a heavy person. For what it's worth, I never advanced to weight lifting because I don't enjoy it and have problems that make loading the spine bad for me, but I can do some substantially more challenging bodyweight moves now.

OP, I do yoga and it definitely does help with strength. Granted, it won’t help with strength as much as other exercises, but it does help a bit.

Where I work, one of the incentive programs for insurance they have is an exercise log. On it, they state "Yoga counts as both cardiovascular and strength training". If you have done it, then you know yes, it is strength training. No, you aren't going to get bulked up and ripped like a champion body builder, but you will get strength, tone and definition.

If you want to do weights, get a few free weights, look up "at home weight training" and see what comes up. modify it from there for you. Do a routine for a few weeks, then modify it more. Keep modifying & adding til you find your routine. Find a personal trainer (or ask in the message boards here!) for help. They really aren't that scary once you start breaking them down into bite sized chunks.

If you are doing yoga at home, PLENTY of yogis on YouTube!!! My personal fave is Cole Chance. She was with YogaTX, then moved on to Om Yoga Tribe. She is fab!

No bendy yoga here. Think about swimming. I use pool weights and a water bike. There are water treadmills, too. It's great for healing and recovery from pain and injuries. I swim with a veteran who's recovering from many injuries. PTSD, depression, weight gain (400 lbs) has led him to the pool. It's working for him and all his back, knees and shoulders can handle right now.

I only Buti yoga and have more strength and definition in my arms, legs, and core than with hiit, cardio, and weights.

Amerikanka5 wrote: »

amusedmonkey wrote: »

Cherimoose wrote: »

Amerikanka5 wrote: »

Mostly just an intimidation factor. And before I got an armband for my phone there was nothing to listen to. I have no idea what I'm doing with weights and I don't have a program.

Most things are intimidating the first time - then they become no big deal after a while. Don't let it stop you from getting results from having lifted weights - the ease of lifting stuff in your daily life, stronger bones, being better at sports, confidence to do more, etc. Yoga is incomplete as strength training, because it's lacking in "pulling" exercises, since there is nothing pull. Pulling ("back") and pushing ("chest") exercises should be about equal in number. At the very least, add some Table Bodyweight Rows, which are explained on Youtube. But bodyweight exercises including yoga don't train your lifting ability.. which is the skill of handling heavier objects (furniture, luggage, etc). That's where weights are useful. Check the pinned post for a list of programs. There's also a simple program in my profile.
Post an update next month.

The thing is, beginner programs assume a normal or slightly overweight beginner. When I was 300+ pounds, there was no chance in hell I would have been able to hold, let alone pull, my body up with table rows. A better option would be performing pulling exercises with bands, progressing to more advanced bands gradually. People don't know what heavier people have to go through. Even regular one arm rows were a nightmare when I tried them because holding the position long enough to perform the set was hard on my supporting shoulder carrying all that weight on top of it.

I don't know where OP is weight-wise, but if she is anywhere near where I was she needs to start with gentler things before she can move to more challenging exercises to avoid pain and frustration, and even if she is on the lighter side of overweight, she needs to build up core strength first before attempting table rows to perform them properly.

I guess I am only slightly overweight. I'm 5'2 and 185 lbs. 2 years ago I was 125. I agree that I need to work on my core strength. Any good exercises for focusing on that?

I bought a gym membership (Gold's gym) so I have access to most equipment.

Keep doing yoga. It's nice for core strength and shoulder conditioning, which will help a lot with any pulling exercises. If you want to augment with additional core training, there are many variations of planks out there!

A rule of thumb: start any strength exercise where it feels slightly to moderately challenging, but not so challenging you can't perform it correctly. If you find a good training program (which I recommend you do, because proper strength gain needs proper progression programming), don't be afraid to modify exercises to be easier or harder depending on how challenging you perceive them. The folks here will always be willing to help suggest modifications if you want.