Yoga Advice - Yoga and Weight Training
Can you tell me the best way to incorporate weight training and yoga? Is it advisable to do on same day - if so, what order? Every other day?
There are several approaches one can (or should) take when incorporating weight training and yoga. First, I would like to address the basic physiological principles with weight training. People who perform weight training do so for one of two main goals – either to gain muscle mass (low repetition exercises with high amounts of weight to build strength) or tone muscle tissues (high repetition exercises with low amounts of weight to build endurance and tone muscles).
Regardless of the approach, one needs to target muscle groups effectively and progressively in each session followed by adequate rest. Typically, a minimum of 48 hours is required for muscle tissue to recover and be ready for another bout of loading. Without this recovery period, muscle fibers become stressed and will rapidly lose strength, which ultimately can lead to poor performance and injury.
How does this relate to yoga? This now depends on the style of yoga that you are doing. If you are doing vigorous power/vinyasa style yoga, it may become difficult to coordinate recovery time for your tissues with an in-depth weight training program. Imagine performing power yoga the day after doing a chest and shoulder workout. These muscle groups may not have the energetic capacity to perform the demanding vinyasa flows and the practice may move into a place of struggle. On the other hand, if your preferred yoga practice is a lighter, slower hatha yoga which places only a light amount of loading on the musculoskeletal system, then yoga can be a great restorative tool for your weight training program.
So here are my basic recommendations:
*Set your weight training schedule with specific understanding and emphasis on which muscle groups you wish to target and the method of training desired (muscle building or muscle toning). Establish 48 hours of recovery time for every muscle group worked.
*Determine what type of yoga best suits your body with this weight training program (power yoga versus light, restorative). Integrate your yoga schedule into the overall program addressing the recovery needs from weight training. Focus on poses that expand the muscles that have been recently conditioned with weight training along with other yoga poses that will balance out the rest of your program.
Can you do yoga the same day as weight training?
Yes! I use my yoga practice as tool to establish inner connection and to set a positive tone of thought and action for the day. I prefer to do yoga after any stimulating activity to balance this energy. Personally, I would do your weight training first (and any cardiovascular exercises) and then move into a suitable yoga flow right after. After vigorous exercise, the body remains at a slightly elevated state (heart rate and respiration) as the body needs to flush out lactic acid and re-saturate tissues with oxygen. A yoga practice following vigorous exercise can enhance this temporarily, elevated state by more effectively cooling down the nervous system while directing more conscious breath into the body.
If you are doing a yoga practice later in the day or the following day, I would definitely move into a gentler flow rather than a vigorous flow as your body has already moved into a recovery state from weight training.
Here is an example practice schedule:
Monday morning: 30 minutes weights (chest, shoulders, thighs) followed by a core yoga flow (that minimizes loading of the limbs and focuses on core conditioning)
Tuesday morning: 20 minutes cardio followed by a restorative, expanding flow (again, minimal loading of limbs and shoulders)
Wednesday morning: 30 minutes weights (back, arms, hamstrings) followed by a vinyasa yoga flow (primary muscles for vinyasa flows have recovered by this time from the previous weight training session)
Thursday morning: 20 minutes cardio followed by a restorative, expanding flow
Friday morning: 30 minutes weights (chest, shoulders, thighs) followed by a core yoga flow
Saturday morning: 20 minutes cardio followed by a restorative, expanding flow
Sunday: no physical activity…enjoy a meditation practice with breathing and relaxation
Repeat the schedule the following week with the “back and arms†day starting on Monday.
This is just an example program and I recommend that you consult a qualified exercise specialist to determine the appropriate program for you. But as you can see from this example program, I have integrated specific yoga flows with the weight training to balance the time needed for recovery. On alternate days, the lighter yoga flows provide the physical opening without placing loads on recovering tissues.
My other recommendations is to not incorporate weights directly into your yoga practice (holding onto weights while doing poses). This is a new trend being applied by the “fitness industry†and highly degrades the integrity of one’s yoga practice. Avoid making your yoga practice a “workoutâ€. As you experience clear physical benefits, do not become solely drawn into the physicality of the poses.
Always return to the fundamental purpose of the practice and the definition of yoga poses: asanas are physical Yoga postures that are designed to help master the body and enhance the body’s functions, thus to create a healthy body in order to move more readily to the state of oneness and realization. Imagine now that we apply this same observance and principle of yoga to our weight training program. How powerful would that be?
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Hi Stephanie, The primarily element to weight training is progressive overload with rest periods - doing hot yoga in between weight training days may hinder recovery and result in tissue breakdown - I personally would first try doing weight training, then hot yoga on the same day and THEN have a rest day between. You will need to be extra mindful of hydration before the yoga session especially if your weight training session is vigorous and sweaty. You will also need to really manage your hydration after yoga - becoming chronically dehydrated will severely hinder your training recovery and lead to issues like reduced energy, reduced training performance, and impaired immune system. Give it a try - if it doesnt work, then explore the split routine instead and see how your body responds. Namaste, Kreg My Yoga Online
this was very useful, thanks for the info! i am also wondering about incorporating a weight lifting routine alongside hot yoga (moksha). can I lift weights on the same day as hot yoga and leave a day off in between? can i weight lift M-W-F and hot yoga on Tu-Th-Sat? which of these two plans would be most beneficial to increase lean muscle and burn fat?
I’m searching for sites related to making relationships work and yours came up, this is helpful content, even though on a side track. TY.
I like the authors perspective on balance - however; the workout he suggests resembles a bodybuilders program. I would think a powerlifter or olympic lifting program would be more compatible to a yoga practice. EG:
Mon/Weds/Fri?- squat/overhead press/ deadlift - full body functional basic strength movements. On one day of the week alternate the power moves- push press/cleans/snatch (with coaching- oly moves arent someting you teach yourself that easily)
Progress your workouts from light to medium to heavy loading- with rest days longest after your heavy days.
On alternate days adjust your yoga accordingly- with restorative work done after medium and heavy days. This also obviates the need for “cardio”
haha ? the one who is posting the comments
hello Kreg,
i’m a basketball player trying to get in some university on a scholarship. i was doing heavy weight-training till my mom put me in a Yoga class last week (Sivananda Yoga). i want to go back to weight-training but i’m a bit scared of messing up either.
if its possible will u plz plan a workout for me? i’m doing 90 minutes of yoga everyday early morning. i guess i cant train AFTER the yoga but i dont have time before the class. so do i train in the evening and practice basketball in the afternoon? is it okay to run in the morning before class?
i’m 20, can bench about 180 lbs, lift abt 50 with each hand, squat about 280 if thats any help. also, my lower body is quite heavy compared to my upperbody which ( i think) results in a slight decrease in my flexibilty (i cant quite hold onto my toes is what).
thnx in advance. i apologize for the spelling and punctuation .i’m trying to quit this.
Hi Rick,
3 days/week of weight training is much more than most people do and can be very sufficient. This all depends on how the workout is structured:
*are all muscle groups being targeted effectively, thus maintaining balance?
*are you loading the muscles mindfully, yet progressively to promote positive health gains?
*are you allowing proper rest periods between vigorous exercise days to allow for tissue recovery?
*does your workout compliment and address other activities (including work activities) to promote daily holistic balance?
There is much to consider when applying a workout program and that is why it is beneficial to seek one-on-one advice from a qualified exercise therapist/trainer.
In terms of adding Yoga to your program, I recommend that your Yoga practice enhance your workouts and not hinder them. If you are working out very hard and then doing a very vigorous Yoga practice the next day, you are not allowing your body to recovery. Tissues will break down and chronic injury along with physical burnout may occur.
Therefore, I recommend doing a combination of moderate to light Hatha Yoga flows when also doing a structured exercise program. Use Yoga as a method of flushing out lactic acid from your workouts. Use Yoga as a means to balance the nervous system and rejuvenate organs. By releasing physical and mental tension, the body’s metabolism becomes more efficient and hormonal balance is improved. This leads to easier management of body composition. One then has to apply less effort in “working off” calories.
My motto - Exercise and do Yoga smart - not hard. We should not have to spend half our lives in the gym and Yoga studio.
I AM TRYING TO FIND THE CORRECT YOGA TO INCLUDE WITH MY 30 MINUTE WEIGHT WORKOUT. I ONLY WORKOUT 3 TIMES A WEEK. IS 3 DAYS OK?