# Yoga?



## Kframe (Nov 10, 2013)

Hey guys. Can anyone with experience tell me what the real truth behind yoga is. I know its famous for flexability, which I need. The instructor also says it will also increase strength and muscular endurance.   Is that true? I sat through a power yoga session and they moved pretty quick, doing planks and such. 

Is yoga like body weight excersise or just fancy stretching? Im bored with weight training. I go to the YMCA and I have no partner and feel lost on the weights. I cant push it to my max because of no spotter.  I see so many possible benfits of yoga that I may just start doing that on top of my MA and spinning. 

 Being that im a big guy, with weight to loose, will I gain strength through yoga? I know as I loose weight the amount of resistance my muscles will face will go down.  

Thanks guys for the information.

As far as other options, the YMCA has a Tighten and Tone class and various other classes that are higher speed and don't use the free weights. They also have a basic flex and stretch class as well.


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## jks9199 (Nov 10, 2013)

Yoga can be a lot of things; it depends on the method and instructors.  It will almost certainly increase your core strength and flexibility and control over your body.  It has some aspects of body weight training.  

You may also want to look at some of the New Rules for Lifting books by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove.  They're readable, with good info -- and good workouts.


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## Xue Sheng (Nov 10, 2013)

It can all depend on the style of Yoga as to what it will do for you.


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## Kframe (Nov 10, 2013)

Well it is a power yoga class. They move pretty quickly through the poses. Lots of planks and things involving bending my chest?  They also do warrior poses and other things. 

My mma coach had us doing some of the very things they were doing.  Some of the poses that they held for a few minutes looked like they would indeed be working my leg muscles and arm/shoulder muscles. Especially the deep warrior  and weird pushup thingy.   

Out side of the core muscles(which look like they get a heck of a work out) and the flexability and balance improvements, does it do anything for the arm and leg muscles?


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## Xue Sheng (Nov 10, 2013)

Power yoga is similar to Ashtanga and it will do a lot of what you are asking

If done properly and long enough it will increase flexability, increase strength and muscular endurance and it is not just fancy stretching.

Different levels if Power yoga is a body weight excersise to verying degrees so you can gain strenght through yoga. And power yoga is what Tony Horton is doing in all his DVD training programs


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## Kframe (Nov 10, 2013)

Thank you very much. sure the easy was is to hit the barbells but I am just not motivated by my self to do them. Especially that I have to do it near max and I don't have a dedicated training partner. 

I have signed up for the class. The also have a beginner class which is slower but focus's more on the balance and stretching. It is before the power yoga class in the same room. I might as well do both! 

This YMCA seams to offer a bunch of different yoga programs, just with different names. They have a program called TGIFLOW which, when I investigated is Vinyasa flow yoga. 

Thanks for the insights guys.


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## Tames D (Nov 10, 2013)

I'm not an expert on Yoga, far from it. But the benefits I've been getting from it are better flexibility and a feeling of calm that I can't describe. Probably from the breath control. I participate in the P90X Yoga program and it's based on Hatha Yoga.


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## Xue Sheng (Nov 11, 2013)

Kframe said:


> Thank you very much. sure the easy was is to hit the barbells but I am just not motivated by my self to do them. Especially that I have to do it near max and I don't have a dedicated training partner.
> 
> I have signed up for the class. The also have a beginner class which is slower but focus's more on the balance and stretching. It is before the power yoga class in the same room. I might as well do both!
> 
> ...



One word of advice, stick with the beginner stuff as long as necessary and do not be in  a hurry to go to advanced postures... advance to quick and injury is possible...take it slow


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## J W (Nov 11, 2013)

I started doing some yoga a couple of months ago at my wife's urging (she's big into Ashtanga), she was convinced it would help my kung fu. So far so good, I took a "beginner's series" that introduced all of the basics and have done a few other classes since that ended. 

I would say it is a combination of both stretching and strength training; I'm no expert but it seems like some of the different styles focus more on one thing or the other. The class I took on Saturday left my arms feeling pretty well-used, it takes some strength to hold some of the poses. I would say give it a try, seems like a worthwhile practice to me so far, but stick to the beginner classes- I'm very cautious with it so far myself, some of the poses seem like a quick ticket to injury if you don't do them right.


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## Kframe (Nov 11, 2013)

Xue Sheng said:


> One word of advice, stick with the beginner stuff as long as necessary and do not be in  a hurry to go to advanced postures... advance to quick and injury is possible...take it slow



Thank you for the warning. The Power yoga class doesn't really do anything that is to advanced. IE things I cant do. Its more along the lines of "I can do them but its gonna be a lot of work"  She also suggests alternate postures for new members when she comes to something advanced.  

Your warning is well heeded, as I am well aware what can happen if you try to rush into stuff your not prepared for.


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## Makalakumu (Nov 12, 2013)

Here is a short yoga routine a student of mine created for martial arts training. This is designed with MA in mind, to provide some strength and flexibility for both. I start all of my beginning students on it and when they get good at it, we move on to more rigorous training.

http://youtu.be/qU8jla49fOs


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## Tony Dismukes (Nov 12, 2013)

I find yoga to be essential for balancing out the wear and tear from my regular martial arts practice.  Whenever I slack off on my yoga practice for too long I start accumulating knots of tension and sore spots in my muscles.


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## wingchun100 (Feb 11, 2014)

Yoga helps a lot with balance too, which I am bad at. You will also be strengthening a bit because you will feel your muscles twitching and shaking to hold those balance poses.


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