Weight Lifting and Yoga

I teach 3 classes a week at an athletic club here in Grass Valley (besides my college classes), and I have recently been asked several times this very question. I would like to offer a definitive answer. Any suggestions? Any and all replies are most appreciated....

ANSWERS:

From Gyandev:

I've lifted weights for even more years than I've done Hatha Yoga, and I've found that it works best for me to separate the activities by at least an hour, preferably more. They're just so different, both physically and vibrationally

I've found that lifting after postures diminishes the vibration of the postures; I have to force the mind to come outward when I've worked so hard to bring it inward and upward. There's even a resistance to lifting, so the benefits of lifting aren't as great, either.

On the other hand, lifting before postures brings me into the postures all tired, sometimes even shaking (if I've lifted with sufficient enthusiasm). It's hard to go inward superconsciously; it ends up being more subconscious. However, I have found it very helpful to do some warming/stretching both before lifting (for safety) and after lifting (for preservation of flexibility). But I don't call that my Hatha Yoga practice; it's just plain old stretching.

From Diane Koziatek:

Dear Robert,

I too teach Yoga at a Health Club & find it best to offer Yoga after weightlifting as a means of stretching and allowing tightened muscles to relax, releasing lactic acid and helping flexibility.

After restorative poses and final Savasana, my class is so relaxed and mellow. The thought of getting a powerful weight workout seems impossible to most of them anyway! While some poses can help "warm-up" the weightlifter, everything I've read suggests having Yoga practice AFTER weights. Hope this helps!

Diane
White, South Dakota

From: Ellen Ruszkowski:

I have students who have lifted before class and complained of trembling and stiffness. Muscles are not stretched very far when lifting weights, and therefore become stiff and contracted. I myself have experienced that.

I personally prefer to do weight lifting and yoga on separate days. When I have lifted after yoga, I lose the feeling of the great stretch of muscles from yoga, and also the quiet centeredness.

BLESSINGS, ELLEN AYTT 4/02

From: Mary from Ontario Canada (YTT'01)

I have personal experience with yoga and weightlifting. I weight lifted for about 20 years a couple times a week (I was a certified Weight training instructor so I think I knew what I was doing and how to do it right) before I ever did yoga and always spent about 1/2 hour stretching before and after my routines.

When I started practicing yoga, after about 4 years, I realized that although my body was strong for the postures that needed a lot of strength, it was too hard or developed in places to "open" for many other postures, even with all the stretching I did as part of my routine (and I never did the two practices back-to-back either). I wondered if the weight lifting was undermining my yoga, so I decided to practice "nonattachment" and let the weight training go (which was very difficult at first. After twenty years, it becomes part of your lifestyle).

Anyway, it’s been about 19 months since I stopped, and I am glad I did. My yoga has truly blossomed and become more inward and nurturing. I have become less goal-oriented and feel that I am finally attuning to the 'essence' of asana practice. Although my body shape has changed, it has become soft where it needs to be and is still strong and firm and best of all more "open" to allow the ''undoing'' that needs to happen in many of the more advanced poses. Psychologically I have become more accepting of my body and its limitations and more nurturing and loving to myself which is a great thing. So that is where I am now, and Yoga is all I need or want in my life.

But saying that.....I think there can be a place for both in one's regime. I guess my advise would be to not lift heavy weights therefore building ''bulk" and don't do it any more than a few times a week and always stretch before and after. But especially... watch out for EGO because I think it can seduce you too much into your physical self when you notice these positive changes in your body and it is noticed by others. Don't let the weight training become more important than the yoga practice, remembering that it is only a small tool to enhance your yoga.

I hope my story helped

Blessings.

Mary

From: Fran Zabica, San Pedro, CA

Jan 2000 Graduate

I remembered reading an article in Yoga Journal about using weights to develop strength for various asanas. It was the July/August 2000 issue.

I have written and erased several tries at expressing my viewpoint on this subject. I feel that this sums it up: If your students cannot maintain a smooth, warm, controlled and rhythmic ujjayi breath in Circle of Joy, if they hold their breath in Chandrasana, or don't understand how to use an inhale to create space and an exhale to release, all the weights and Pilates in the world are of no use. Diaphragmatic Breath training comes first!

Love and Light

From: Kyle Forman:

Robert,

I too teach yoga at a health club and I myself lift weights. I recommend lifting first and then doing yoga to stretch the muscles back out. You've strengthened, then you will want to stretch the muscles back to their lengthened, resting state. The same thing goes for doing aerobics first, then your yoga practice.

It is always recommended to do the majority of your stretching after you warm the muscles up. Also, by time you finish yoga and I presume meditate, you are in a more relaxed state and wouldn't want to jump into weight lifting or aerobics.

Hope this gives you some direction.

Ms.Kyle Forman
Nat. Cert. Massage Therapist
Cert. Yoga Instructor

From: John Tonin, Guelph Ontario Canada

Greetings Robert

Your message is quite timely. I just arrived home from teaching a 90 min. yoga and meditation class. After my students left, I stayed and did 45 min. of weight lifting. I find that my workouts are better because:

my muscles are warm and stretched from the asana practice -this helps reduce the risk of injury
I'm still in "the greater the will, the greater the flow of energy" state of mind [from the Energization Exercises] and feeling "Positive, Energetic & Enthusiastic"[SCLs]
my mind is more focused from meditation.

After, I'll do some easy stretches to maintain flexibility. Also, experiment with the 'double breath' [stationary bike, rowing, climbing stairs]-- double inhale for pulling exercises [chin-ups, bicep curls etc], double exhale for pushing exercises [bench press, triceps etc].

Years ago when I first got into yoga, I asked a swami [from the Sivananda lineage] if I had to give up weight lifting. He replied "no", the two activities compliment each other - weights build up the muscles as and asana practice will give them the long, sleek look. And they will both help to improve life quality and longevity [The late American health pioneer Paul Braggs, of 'Liquid Aminos' fame, had a weightlifting club -you had to be AT LEAST 90 YEARS YOUNG to join]

Blessings'
John Tonin
Ontario, Canada

P.S. Most gyms pump out loud rock, metal, alternative music [I guess] in an effort to motivate its member’s -did you know that the vibrations of these types of music actually weaken the muscles?

From Gyandev:

I was remiss in not pointing out earlier that Paramhansa Yogananda recommended against weightlifting, at least in part because its focus is so outward (focus on the weight instead of the inner energy, which is the source of one's strength). So if one intends to continue to lift weights (I still do it), try to focus on the energy (as in Energization) that's lifting the weight instead of simply focusing on moving the weight from here to there.

In any case, I can't say that my results with lifting are as energizing as the Energization Exercises by any means: I feel like a limp noodle after lifting, and a tiger after Energization. Hmmmmmm.