Yoga is a discipline involving the use of ones own body weight through multiple postures that challenge every muscle group from head to toe. Weight training can be complemented very well with Yoga poses, but one needs to be mindful how to combine these practices in order to avoid over training and tissue fatigue.
Guidelines
Before practicing yoga with weights you must learn the basics first.
- When using weights in a yoga class you must protect your shoulders and other vulnerable joints such as the knees, hips, ankles and wrists.
- When moving through postures make sure you bring your weights into your chest before moving your arms up/out.
- Always keep a micro-bend in your elbows to protect your joints.
- Be mindful of foot movements, pivoting through postures to protect the knees and ankles.
Also keep in mind that weight training leaves a temporary residual ‘fatigue’ in the muscles that can affect the performance in your Yoga practice (for up to a couple of days) especially for practices that involve poses requiring endurance and/or strength-based transitions.
Yoga Asanas
Utkatasana (Chair pose (Db))
- Holding Db in both hands by your sides and knees together, inhale and bend knees, placing your weight back into heels, tail bone tucks under
- Arms in line with your ears.
- Rise back and repeat 8 times.
Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose I (Db))
- Holding Db, inhale lift your right leg high, heel reaches back, toes point down to the floor
- Exhale step right foot forward to low lunge, foot between hands
- On an inhale your back heel stays lifted as you sweep your hands up over head, palms face each other
- Stack front knee over front ankle
- Shoulders are stacked above your hips, drop your tailbone down
- Back leg is engaged
- While returning back , bring down your arms to your shoulder first, bring back your leg and then arms by your side. Repeat.
Challenges like these can be implement in some yoga asanas but only once you have mastered the asana without weights.