admin Strength training offers many benefits to the body, from protecting bone health to increasing muscle mass. I’ve recently started yoga, and I’m really enjoying it. Is there a way to practice yoga for strength training specifically, and can yoga replace my other strength-focused workouts?
Our Short Answer
In certain yoga postures, you’re already gaining strength by putting on your entire body and triggering various muscles. The difference is that, at this moment, you’re not doing repetitions but instead employing your body like a dumbbell. This means that based on the poses and the style of yoga you practice…yes, you can use yoga to build strength.
If you do eventually reach your plateau, you might need to boost your weight-bearing routine (either by incorporating more complicated yoga poses for weight-bearing or with the gym’s weights and other equipment) to continue progressing in your training for strength.
Our Long Answer
Yoga can be described as an activity that is weight-bearing, as the practice relies on your body weight when you hold and move through different postures. When you practice, do you spend much time doing weight-bearing poses like chaturanga, a four-limbed stance? Do you perform leg-strengthening exercises such as high lunges frequently?
As per the Department of Health and Human Services According to the Department of Health and Human Services, it is recommended that we attend at least two full-body strength sessions per week to keep our fitness and health. If you are a yoga practitioner regularly, at least twice per week, you are able to utilize it to build muscles as well! To achieve this, however, you must do poses that target particular muscles (e.g., core abdominals, legs, or abs) more frequently.
In addition to improving your flexibility and inner peace, practicing yoga correctly can provide you with a more sturdier body. Here’s a short list of poses that show that you can utilize yoga to build strength.
Pose in Plank This posture strengthens your vertebrae, arms, wrists, as well as your core.
Side Plank – This plank variant will strengthen your obliques, side abs, as well as your biceps.
Plank position for Dolphin This full-body workout stimulates your biceps, core, and calves.
The crouch poses This pose helps build strength in the shoulders, arms, and core.
Handstand – This well-known yoga inversion is not only for gaining the strength of your core and arm, but it also helps improve your balance. Please take note that you shouldn’t do it randomly. This pose. Begin with a slow and low pace, then get a yoga instructor’s guidance to ensure you are practicing safely.
Here’s a great strengthening guide (with instructions and video) that teaches you how to strengthen various muscles by practicing yoga.
As with exercise for strength, you’ll eventually reach a plateau. If this happens, you’ll need to increase the weight you carry to continue getting the best results from your strength-based yoga routine.
To build strength and endurance, it is recommended to supplement your yoga practice with a specific workout routine that focuses on strength or weight! You could also mix the two and include the use of dumbbells or resistance bands in your yoga practice.
