!

!
!
!
ALL-ROUNDER

YOGA FOR STRENGTH

!
DEFINING STRENGTH

‘ P h y s i c a l s t re n g t h i s t h e a b i l i t y … t o e x e r t f o rc e o n p h y s i c a l o b j e c t s u s i n g m u s c l e s . ’
Wikipedia

‘ S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g i s a t y p e o f p h y s i c a l e x e rc i s e s p e c i a l i s i n g i n t h e u s e o f re s i s t a n c e t o
i n d u c e m u s c u l a r c o n t r a c t i o n w h i c h b u i l d s s t re n g t h , a n a e ro b i c e n d u r a n c e a n d s i z e o f
skeletal muscles.’ Wikipedia

‘ M u s c u l a r e n d u r a n c e re f e r s t o t h e a b i l i t y t o p e r f o r m a s p e c i f i c m u s c u l a r a c t i o n f o r a
p ro l o n g e d p e r i o d o f t i m e … M u s c u l a r s t re n g t h i s a m u s c l e ’s c a p a c i t y t o e x e r t f o rc e
a g a i n s t re s i s t a n c e . ’ L i v e s t ro n g

BENEFITS OF STRENGTH TRAINING

• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g b u i l d s m u s c u l a r s t re n g t h a n d e n d u r a n c e .
• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g s t a b i l i s e s j o i n t s .

• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g i n c re a s e s t h e e ff i c i e n c y o f t h e c a rd i o v a s c u l a r s y s t e m .
• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g i n c re a s e s p o w e r.
• We i g h t - b e a r i n g e x e rc i s e s t re n g t h e n s b o n e s , i n c re a s e s b o n e d e n s i t y a n d re d u c e s t h e r i s k
o f o s t e o p o ro s i s .

• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g b o o s t s e n e rg y b y i n c re a s i n g b a s a l m e t a b o l i c r a t e .

• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g i n c re a s e s s t a m i n a .

• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g e n h a n c e s p h y s i c a l p e r f o r m a n c e .

• A s m u s c l e i s a c t i v e t i s s u e , s t re n g t h t r a i n i n g i n c re a s e s m e t a b o l i s m a n d p ro m o t e s f a t l o s s .
• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g i m p ro v e s b o d y c o m p o s i t i o n , m u s c l e t o n e a n d a p p e a r a n c e .
• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g i m p ro v e s b l o o d s u g a r c o n t ro l .
• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g i n c re a s e s f o c u s a n d m e n t a l c o n c e n t r a t i o n t h ro u g h n e u ro g e n e s i s .
• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g i m p ro v e s b a l a n c e , re d u c i n g s u s c e p t i b i l i t y t o f a l l s a n d i n j u r y.
• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g c a n re l i e v e b a c k , h i p a n d k n e e p a i n .
• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g i m p ro v e s p o s t u re .
• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g re l i e v e s s t re s s a n d i m p ro v e s m o o d b y b o o s t i n g d o p a m i n e , s e ro t o n i n
a n d n o re p i n e p h r i n e .

• Muscle weakness contributes to arthritis.

• S t re n g t h t r a i n i n g c a n i m p ro v e s l e e p .
 !
!
!
!
ALL-ROUNDER

YOGA VS TRADITIONAL WEIGHTLIFTING

Yo g a i s a n e ff e c t i v e f o r m o f b o d y w e i g h t s t re n g t h t r a i n i n g t h a t h a s m a n y b e n e f i t s o v e r
and above weightlifting.

• U n l i k e w e i g h t l i f t i n g , y o g a p o s e s s i m u l t a n e o u s l y b u i l d s t re n g t h , i n c re a s e f l e x i b i l i t y a n d
i m p ro v e m o b i l i t y.

• Yo g a a l s o t r a i n s b a l a n c e w h i c h i s a c r u c i a l m e t r i c o f f u n c t i o n a l s t re n g t h .
• Yo g a re c r u i t s e n t i re m u s c l e g ro u p s a s o p p o s e d t o f o c u s s i n g o n i s o l a t e d b o d y p a r t s l i k e
biceps and triceps.

• Yo g a i n t e g r a t e s m u l t i p l e m u s c l e g ro u p s - a r m s , l e g s , c h e s t a n d b a c k - t o w o r k t o g e t h e r.
• B o d y w e i g h t s t re n g t h t r a i n i n g re c r u i t s f re q u e n t l y u n d e r- u t i l i s e d m u s c l e s i n c l u d i n g t h e
deep stabiliser muscles.

• Yo g a c o m b i n e s i s o m e t r i c , e c c e n t r i c a n d c o n c e n t r i c m o v e m e n t s .
• Yo g a b u i l d s s t re n g t h i n m u s c l e s t h a t a re u n d e r- d e v e l o p e d i n a p a r t i c u l a r s p o r t s u c h a s
r u n n i n g , c y c l i n g o r s w i m m i n g , c re a t i n g a m o re b a l a n c e d a n d o p t i m a l l y f u n c t i o n a l o v e r a l l
s t re n g t h .

• Yo g a i s m o re n e u ro l o g i c a l l y d e m a n d i n g t h a n w e i g h t l i f t i n g a s i t i n v o l v e s c o m p l i c a t e d
c o m b i n a t i o n s o f p o s e s t h a t re q u i re a h i g h l e v e l o f f o c u s a n d m e n t a l c o n c e n t r a t i o n .

• R e s i s t a n c e m a c h i n e s re s t r i c t m o v e m e n t t o a s i n g l e p l a n e o f m o t i o n t h a t i s u n n a t u r a l a n d
may cause injury and/or dysfunctional movement patterns.

• Yo g a i s l e s s d e m a n d i n g o n t h e j o i n t s a n d t h e re f o re c a u s e s l e s s e x e rc i s e - re l a t e d p a i n .
• Yo g a c a n b e d o n e a n y w h e re w i t h m i n i m a l e q u i p m e n t .
• Yo g a e n c o u r a g e s y o u t o t u n e i n t o h o w y o u r b o d y i s f e e l i n g r a t h e r t h a n j u s t g o i n g
t h ro u g h t h e m o t i o n s .

• Yo g a i s m o re v a r i e d a n d f u n w h i c h l e a d s t o g re a t e r c o m p l i a n c e .
• Yo g a i s a l o w - r i s k f o r m o f s t re n g t h t r a i n i n g b e c a u s e y o u r c e n t r a l n e r v o u s s y s t e m
p ro t e c t s y o u f ro m m o v i n g i n a w a y t h a t c o u l d c a u s e y o u h a r m . I n w e i g h t l i f t i n g , t h i s
p ro t e c t i o n m e c h a n i s m c a n e a s i l y b e o v e r r i d d e n i f t h e w e i g h t i s t o o h e a v y.

• We i g h t l i f t i n g p ro g r a m s a re o f t e n p o o r l y d e s i g n e d a n d u n b a l a n c e d . T h i s re s u l t s i n
u n e v e n s t re n g t h a n d l a c k o f f l e x i b i l i t y.
 !
!
!
!
ALL-ROUNDER

YOGA + WEIGHTLIFTING

• We i g h t l i f t i n g i s o l a t e s m u s c l e s i n o rd e r t o t r a i n t h e m a t a h i g h e r i n t e n s i t y w h e re a s y o g a
t r a i n s e n t i re m u s c l e g ro u p s t o w o r k t o g e t h e r.

• L i f t i n g w e i g h t s b u i l d s m a x i m u m s t re n g t h w h e re a s s u s t a i n i n g y o g a p o s e s f o c u s e s o n
muscular endurance. By incorporating the two, you combine varying intensities and
d u r a t i o n s o f e x e r t i o n f o r o p t i m a l s t re n g t h .

• We i g h t l i f t i n g i s m o re e ff e c t i v e a t b u i l d i n g e x t e r i o r m u s c l e s l i k e b i c e p s , c h e s t a n d b a c k
w h e re a s y o g a e x c e l s a t s t re n g t h e n i n g t h e c o re s t a b i l i s e r m u s c l e s i n t h e a b s , o b l i q u e s ,
lower back and pelvis.

• Yo g a l e n g t h e n s a n d re l i e v e s t i g h t n e s s i n m u s c l e s t h a t a re c o n t r a c t e d a f t e r w e i g h t l i f t i n g .

• We i g h t l i f t i n g i s c o m p e t i t i v e w h i c h c a n b o o s t p e r f o r m a n c e . Yo g a i s re f l e c t i v e w h i c h
develops self-discipline.

• Yo g a re c o v e r y s e s s i o n s g i v e t h e m u s c l e s , j o i n t s a n d b o n e s t i m e t o re p a i r a n d g ro w.

STRENGTH AND POSTURE

‘ P o o r p o s t u re … re s u l t s f ro m c e r t a i n m u s c l e s t i g h t e n i n g u p o r s h o r t e n i n g w h i l e o t h e r s
l e n g t h e n a n d b e c o m e w e a k w h i c h o f t e n o c c u r s a s a re s u l t o f o n e ’s d a i l y a c t i v i t i e s . ’
Wikipedia

• Yo g a s t re n g t h e n s t h e s t a b i l i s e r m u s c l e s i n y o u r b a c k t h a t a t ro p h y a s a re s u l t o f
p ro l o n g e d p e r i o d s s i t t i n g h u n c h e d o v e r.

• Yo g a s t re n g t h e n s t h e d e e p a b d o m i n a l m u s c l e s a n d e n c o u r a g e s y o u t o s i t a n d s t a n d i n
c o r re c t a l i g n m e n t .

• Yo g a s t re n g t h e n s f e e t a n d a n k l e s t h a t b e c o m e w e a k f ro m a l w a y s w e a r i n g s h o e s .

• I n c re a s e d b o d y a w a re n e s s re m i n d s y o u t o a d j u s t y o u r p o s i t i o n w h e n y o u a re s l o u c h i n g .

STRENGTH AND BALANCE

• B a l a n c e p o s e s s t re n g t h e n t h e c o re m u s c u l a t u re - t h e h i p s , a b s , l o w e r b a c k a n d o b l i q u e s .

• O n e - l e g g e d b a l a n c e p o s e s s t re n g t h e n t h e m u s c l e s i n t h e f e e t , l e g s a n d g l u t e s .

• Balance poses stabilise the ankles, knees and hips.

• P r a c t i c i n g b a re f o o t s t re n g t h e n s t h e m u s c l e s i n y o u r f e e t , a rc h e s , a n k l e s a n d l o w e r l e g s .

• B a l a n c e p o s e s re q u i re s u s t a i n e d i s o m e t r i c c o n t r a c t i o n s o f m a n y l a rg e a n d s m a l l m u s c l e s
t h ro u g h o u t t h e b o d y.

• T h e l o n g e r y o u h o l d a p o s e , t h e g re a t e r t h e m u s c u l a r s t re n g t h a n d j o i n t s t a b i l i t y g a i n s .
 !
!
!
!
ALL-ROUNDER

UPPER BODY STRENGTH POSES

PLANK DOWNWARD DOG SIDE PLANK

COBRA BRIDGE WILD THING

LOCUST BOAT TREE

!
S t re n g t h e n :

• hands

• wrists

• arms

• shoulders

• upper back

• chest

• neck
 !
!
!
!
ALL-ROUNDER

CORE POSES

BOAT PLANK SIDE PLANK

LOCUST COBRA SPHINX

HALF MOON WARRIOR 3 REVOLVED SIDE ANGLE

!
S t re n g t h e n :

• abs

• obliques

• lower back

!
A l l b a l a n c e p o s e s s t re n g t h e n t h e c o re .

!
!
 !
!
!
!
ALL-ROUNDER

LOWER BODY POSES

CHAIR SILVER SURFER TRIANGLE

WARRIOR 1 WARRIOR 2 HIGH LUNGE

WARRIOR 3 TREE EAGLE

!
S t re n g t h e n :

• feet

• ankles

• legs

• hips

• glutes

!
A l l o n e - l e g g e d b a l a n c e p o s e s s t re n g t h e n t h e l o w e r b o d y.
 !
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Feel free to send this guide to anyone that you think might find it useful and sign up at www.yoga15.com for
additional free articles and resources.