5 Yoga Poses to Help Weight Lifters

As a weight lifter, you’re familiar with testing your endurance and strength—your workout builds muscle mass and increases cardiovascular endurance. Yoga postures can achieve these same goals, plus bring your body into greater balance by lengthening muscles that are traditionally tightened by weight-lifting routines.

You can incorporate these yoga poses into your routine.

Side Plank Pose – Parsvottanasana

The side plank is a great way to improve your muscle strength and balance. You support your weight with one foot and one hand while your core strength helps to prevent your hips from sagging.

You must feel buoyant and light while maintaining your weight to achieve this pose. To create the feeling of being lightweight, keep the edge of your foot firmly planted and lift your hips higher.

Use this tip to practice: Distribute your weight evenly across the surface of your hand and fingers by moving your wrist slightly forward.

Warrior III: Virabhadrasana

This pose was named after the fierce warrior of Hindu mythology, who was created from the hair of the creator of the universe (Shiva). The name Vira Bhadra is translated as Vira(hero) and Bhadra (friend).

This is the idea you should keep in mind to sustain this pose. You will need to fold your hips forward until your chest is at a parallel angle to the floor. Then, extend your left leg back behind you and reach your arms in opposition.

Warrior II increases your heart rate and teaches you how to balance your body weight on one leg. The extension of the legs and arms will lengthen the thighs and also the upper arm muscles.

Practice tip: Rotate your legs internally. Your hips should remain in line as you lift the back leg. The back knee should also rotate towards the ground instead of flaring out to the sides of the room.

Upward-Facing Dog -Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

This stretch is essential to prevent chest muscle tightening from intense weight lifting.

Practice tip: Engage your legs, lift your front abdomen inwards (like zipping a pair of tight pants), and make sure that your weight is evenly distributed through your hands. Encourage your chest to stretch up and forward.

Crow Pose (Kakasana)

All your weight should be balanced on your hands. In order to keep the pose light, you must maintain a solid core and direct your gaze forward towards your fingertips. The weight of your head can bring you down if you look at your feet.

Use the Crow pose for a fearless and conscious awareness of your head’s position in space.

Bridge Pose – Setu Bandhasana

After you have worked your front and sides, your arms, and your core hard, it is time to do a counter stretch. This will open up these areas and strengthen your lower back and the backs and sides of your legs.

Bridge Pose is a great way to tone and strengthen the muscles that support your lower back and your hips.

When you want to change up your workout, let your body weight and yoga guide you.

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