3 reasons why yoga and strength training are a perfect match

The reality is this: there’s a stereotypical yoga person, and there’s a stereotypical weightlifter, and these two paths don’t intersect. What the yogi has isn’t what the weightlifter wants and vice versa, but that’s where both parties are wrong.

1. When I started doing yoga, I could do a few arm balance poses but not many. Lifting weights has made me stronger starting from my core and going all the way out to every limb, and that has made me better at doing those tough poses. That being said, to get into those poses takes flexibility, and the best way to increase your flexibility and tone your muscles is to do yoga.
2. The best way to increase your endurance and explosiveness is to have a combination of weight training and yoga. The reason for this is when you’re doing explosive weight lifting, you are engaging your fast twitch muscle fibers. When you’re doing yoga, according to mindbodygreen.com, and holding poses for a longer period of time and going through movements more methodically, you’re engaging your slow twitch muscle fibers. This dual combination of yoga and lifting enables you to engage each and every fiber of the muscle.
3. This combination can increase muscle shape. From the obvious fact that you’re lifting weights and increasing the bulk of your muscles to the less obvious eccentric contraction (where the muscles stretches as it contracts, according to gaiam.com) that yoga provides. Eccentric contraction gives your muscles that sleek, elongated look. Doing yoga and weight lifting will not only increase your strength but make your muscles look the best they can possibly.

For me, I do equal parts yoga and weight training. This combination is the sweet spot, and I now strongly encourage both to anyone who asks me about yoga or lifting.So, if you haven’t tried it yet, come join us every Wednesday for Express Yoga at 6:30! There’s no better time than now.-Bre