Can anyone recommend a structured strength training program that helps with yoga specifically? And I don’t mean yoga practices that focus on strength–I mean strength training, on its own, but to target yoga muscles!
My yoga practice is often limited by strength in arms and legs, not just flexibility. I know plenty of weight training exercises (former gym lover and athlete), but I’m looking for an affordable structured program so I don’t have to reinvent the wheel on my own.
I’ve tried Asana Rebel and have been sorely disappointed (rapid, unsafe transitions, untargeted workouts even when labelled " upper body strength", not really yoga or strength training, and not good on the knees). I’ve also done Core Play with Karin Dimitrovova which is fabulous for core strength and inversions. But I still need to build stronger arms and legs.
I’d appreciate any pointers in the right direction. Thanks!
I’d also love to see a DYWM program that’s just this A girl can wish right?
We are always looking for ideas, it is something we can look into! I don’t know of anything other than weight training or boot camp style sessions out there. My new 5 day activated series does focus on strength and is intended to be done over and over to see progress, that might help a bit?
There’s an app called Sport Yogi. It has free classes as well as paid subscriber. The classes are more like drills. I do the classes in the Injury Prevention section for exactly what you’re describing and have benefited from doing them.
I highly recommend Dean Pohlman’s “Man Flow Yoga” (fortunately, most of it applies to any gender; he has minimal content that is specific for men’s anatomy, etc.). I think he calls his style of yoga “functional yoga”, but whenever I referred my friends to it, I describe it as “strength-training for yoga”. He focuses on working all the intrinsic stabilizing muscles so that you do a yoga pose properly. Every pose you do, he clearly articulates what muscle you’re supposed to be working & how to activate / engage it. He has a membership site with tons more content than his YouTube site with a variety of programs for building strength, and increasing functional mobility. His Strength Foundations program (only on his membership site) is excellent. Besides articulating each yoga pose, his style also incorporates calisthenics, some Pilates, & physical therapy exercises. I have gained so much strength, as well as flexibility, in the past few months. If you try it, keep in mind that it’s somewhat “instructional”. His sequences are not calming, meditative, nor flowy type of yoga classes you may find here. He does not do sun salutations. There is no savasana, nor any “namaste”. Each sequence is a specific set of “exercises” leading up to “full body” poses that incorporate what you’ve activated throughout the sequence. I hope I’ve explained it well!
Thank you, I will check him out! I’m actually looking for something that is NOT yoga, but pure strength training, with the goal of building strength in muscles I can use for yoga rather than, say, running or basketball. For example, warrior depends on strong quads, and plank requires strong triceps and shoulders (even if the core is already strong).
When I did weight-lifting at the gym pre-covid, I noticed a HUGE improvement in my yoga practice. And that wasn’t even “yoga specific” strength training. Now I want to strength-train at home on my non-yoga days.
Thank you for this recommendation! I’m just getting back into my yoga practice and wanted to build strength alongside yoga. Dean’s videos are perfect for me even though I am not the target market. I’m going to get my husband to try MFY as he only lifts weights but lacks flexibility and strength in those stabilizer muscles. Thank you!
So far the videos I’ve done of Dean’s aren’t yoga, but routines/exercises to build strength and flexibility directed towards yoga. Check it out, it might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Hello - My experience might be helpful. I practiced for ten years before I too become frustrated that lack of strength seemed to be holding me back. I started working with a trainer six years ago, and the difference is AMAZING! And she has developed an online presence at Phalanx Ubiquity. You can buy individual programs for about $3 that you can use forever! Good luck!
A girl can wish right?