Lifting weights / doing yoga

[Yogilifter]

I would like to know how many else in here combine their lifting weights with doing yoga, and how do you feel they complement each other? And do you do very physical yoga like Astanga/Power yoga or more meditative yoga?

[BallzDeep69]

Yoga? 

Wahahahaha! 

[kimura]

I do Bikram yoga which is very physical.  I believe it has helped me loosen up tight joints and tendons.

-Kimura

[Always Sore]

i thought about doing yoga once but then remembered i like girls...take off the silly tights and move some iron.

[JPM]

I'm somewhat involve with a Yoga center, though not a steady member. Hatha Yoga is very demanding on the CNS at first. In fact, it can train that CNS to responce and recover  from stress very well.. Holding most of those stretches and stands/positions would be beyond the abilities of most BB'ers, even for 30 or 60 seconds. I usually meditate once or twice a day. My normal breath will go down to the 2 or 3 breaths a minute. My heart can also drop down to 2 or 3 beats a minute. A certain points the breath & heart can be at rest for (paused/stopped) a short period. Not a master by any means, but have been meditating since my late teens. I'm quite large of body so some of the poses can be limiting. Doing a full Lotus is not with-in my achievements. Legs/calf's way too big. Half Lotus acceptable.

Yoga can help with lifting. Targeting the shoulder girdle and back/thigh/hams can give greater flexability to those areas. Better flexability give better blood flow to the muscles. Some Yoga teachers say that any heavy strain (lifting) is counter productive to the body. Of course I disagree with that. I've seem too many practual examples that it can be the opposite. I believe that some Ayurveda methods can help with muscle recovery (repair and rebuilding of muscle tissue). Massage, of the deep tissue, is another method of realining the body to repair and heals it's self. A friend of mine from Goa, India (a IIT grad) had asked me to set up a general lifting program for him and it seem to be working very well indeed. He also is into the practice of a form of Hatha yoga. Good Luck.

[Princess L]

I do Bikram yoga which is very physical.  I believe it has helped me loosen up tight joints and tendons.

-Kimura

Is that where you sit in a 120 degree room and sweat your ass off?

[kimura]

Is that where you sit in a 120 degree room and sweat your ass off?

Yep.  It's great when I have to make weight for grappling.

-Kimura

[JPM]

Lovethe Sport: It's never too late. Good Luck.

[Yogilifter]

i thought about doing yoga once but then remembered i like girls...take off the silly tights and move some iron.

Do you mean that men who do yoga don't like women, or women don't like men who do yoga? Or both?

[WOOO]

i thought about doing yoga once but then remembered i like girls...take off the silly tights and move some iron.

bump! 

[Always Sore]

Do you mean that men who do yoga don't like women, or women don't like men who do yoga? Or both?

i mean i think i am funny and was making a joke if you like downward facing dog good for you, me not so much.

[Yogilifter]

When I started lifting weights and practicing yoga 4 years ago, I was very skinny. Since then I have gained 15-20 lbs. of muscle, but my build is still slim more than muscular. I'm kinda torn between my wish for bigger muscles and my wish to maintain my flexibility. I don't think I'll be able to do yoga at the high level I aspire for if I get too big. How do you guys balance muscles with flexibility?

[WOOO]

When I started lifting weights and practicing yoga 4 years ago, I was very skinny. Since then I have gained 15-20 lbs. of muscle, but my build is still slim more than muscular. I'm kinda torn between my wish for bigger muscles and my wish to maintain my flexibility. I don't think I'll be able to do yoga at the high level I aspire for if I get too big. How do you guys balance muscles with flexibility?

we stop caring... eat something... lift something... report back

[Always Sore]

When I started lifting weights and practicing yoga 4 years ago, I was very skinny. Since then I have gained 15-20 lbs. of muscle, but my build is still slim more than muscular. I'm kinda torn between my wish for bigger muscles and my wish to maintain my flexibility. I don't think I'll be able to do yoga at the high level I aspire for if I get too big. How do you guys balance muscles with flexibility?

like anything else keep streaching and maintaing your flexibility, its like anything else if you do not keep it up you lose it. i do take issue with the standard line i hear all the time "if i get to big" its a slow process that you can control you don't go to the gym once or twice and just blow up, as you put on muscle and get to what you want then change your workouts to a lesser more moderate approach and maintain as opposed to forcing growth and eating more.

[JPM]

If you still wish to remain flexably (maybe even more so) than include those movements in a workout plan. SLDL's, GMornings, pullovers-straight, bent arm or both, Sissy squats, Hindu squats, pull up's-different hand spacings- including behind the neck, PBN, dips, etc. One of the better shoulder girdle flexability moves is just to hang from a chinning bar, using anywhere from an extra wide grip to a hand-touching-hand grip, relax for at least 60 seconds or more. As we all know, relaxing the opposing muscle group during a stretching exercise is of most importance. Might try hanging with one arm also, which can have a great effect for shoulder realining and balance. You can used any of the above movements as a warm-up, rather than a heavy duty exercise, before your regular workouts. I'll do Hindu squats (bwt) & SLDl's (basic 135 lbs bar) before leg work, PBN for overhead pressing (bar only) and Hindu push-ups (bwt) before Benches or dips. Usually between 50 to 100 lights reps each.

Than when we all get flexably enought, the engaging in the different positions of Tantric/tantra
(Atharva Veda) becomes so much more rewarding. Not familar with the Downward facing dog but the Karma Suta can offer some great sexual positions. Good Luck.

[benchthis]

i tried yoga it was kinda hard so i went back to squating 495 for 10 reps 

[Bluto]

flex and ronnie are pretty flexible for bodybuilders

[apache zen]

I personally feel that yoga is more of a mind exercise.  It also helps people heal if they've experienced some traumatic event.  Such as abuse.  I'm all for it.  Some people are naturally flexible and need it to stay that way.  I feel you will have less injury when you get old.  I aploud all the yogaers. . .
Stay with it.  I'm still learning. . .
Any advice would be appreciated.

[bigguns175]

I actually went and tryed yoga over winter break, my gym holds some classes.  Thought I could improve my flexibility which could help me from tearing stuff and prevent injury..... Sadly, yoga wasn't what it was cracked up to be.  For a free class provided to the general public it wasn't that basic at all.  The positions were very hard, and I was only able to do maybe 3 out of the 30 or 40 that they did because of my lack of flexibility.  I wasn't able to gain any flexibility because I couldn't do any of the holds because I was too big and already lacked flexibility which pissed me off.  How the fuck am I supposed to stretch my body when I can't even bend or reach those areas already...very dissappointing.  If it was partners yoga it could have been beneficial, having somebody to push and hold my muscles but it wasn't.   Plus the class moved too fast.  There wasn't many ppl at the class and I go to a huge gym and I could see why no one attends because after the hardness of this free class no one would want to do it again.  I think they could have at least instituted different levels or something.  Very unhappy now I'm stuck using those seated stretch machines and stretch cages.

[runnerbabe]

I crosstrain like crazy and do Yoga and associated poses/stretches daily-- that controlled breathing has helped me improve my VO2 max for running and keep my muscles and hip flexors looser so I have had only one injury in 10 years of lifting continuously and running lots of miles.  I am a believer!

Namaste

[loco]

I started doing yoga a month ago for back pain, and to become more flexible in order to avoid injury in the gym.

1. I got stronger on the Squat and Deadlift.  Why?  I don't know, but I did get a lot stronger for some reason after I started yoga
2. I am more flexible
3. A nagging back and shoulder pain has gone away
4. I feel younger
5. There are lots of hot girls in the class, including the instructor

[Fury]

i thought about doing yoga once but then remembered i like girls...take off the silly tights and move some iron.

Funny, a large number of college and NFL football players and other athletes are now taking up yoga and it's working well for them. Last I checked, some of those guys probably get more pussy in one week than you have in the last 4 years. 

[sandycoosworth]

i have gradually cut down on my weights and replaced them with what is essentially yoga

i focus on doing functional bodyweight exercises and isometric holds, some of which i nebbed from yoga

the purpose of this isnt size, functional strength ... and since i began this my wrestling and striking has gone to another level ... i can even do handstand pushups in the middle of the ring now!

[mesmorph78]

no offense...
yoga is for females

[DAVISTER]

I do Ashtanga Yoga twice a week... It does wonders to flexibility, balance and overall strengh. Those who are making fun of Yoga should try sometime and I´m certain they would change their mind.