Q: Hello, i came across your article on yoga advice-yoga & weight training here and would like to ask a question regarding this.

I’m relatively new to yoga, have been training weights past 1 yr. I often wondered whether there is a conflict between yoga and weight training. i find weight training tending to give rise to stiffness of my spine, and rest of body whilst building up muscles, and yoga does the opposite, building flexibility and fluidity of muscles, with relaxation. Would the net effect of combining both systems cancel each other out eventually? Does weight training shorten muscle and yoga lengthen them? Felt like i’m forced to choose either yoga or weights eventually.

A: You are right in thinking that in some cases weight training can shorten muscles and generate stiffness. However, there is a misconception that weight training is counter-productive to yoga. Let’s consider the following:

1) High performance athletes like gymnasts and performers like Cirque du Soleil have some of the highest proportion of muscular density, yet they have some of the greatest levels of flexibility. Yes, these athletics are often riddled with injuries, but this is not usually related to the mass of muscular tissue they have, but rather the pure, extreme overloading of tissues in their activities.

2) You can easiliy find people who are inactive, never have seen the inside of a gym, and thin as a toothpick, yet they can’t bend or twist due to a lack of flexibility training.

With these two considerations, one can come to an easy conclusion that weight training does not adversely affect body mobility and joint range of motion. Some body builders do have an excessive amount of muscle mass that it interferes with joint range of motion, but this is an extreme case and would be similar to that of someone who is obese. If weight training is done in an aggressive or poorly planned manner, weight training can leave the body stiff or even worse, suffering with chronic or acute injuries. Weight training once a week (“weekend warriors”) is a typical scenario where one neglects their exercise program for several days and then jumps into the gym shocking the tissues as though they have been working out regularly. This poor approach to exercising often leads to muscle soreness and musculoskeletal imbalances.

Weight training must have balance and consistency while providing ample rest periods. A big trend in exercise training is the boot camp style programs and plyometrics. I will be frank in saying that trainers who offer this type of training to all their clients are negligent. As a retired athlete, I clearly remember the intensity of these programs and the wear and tear these activities inflicted on the body. These types of activities should only be offered to people involved in high performance sport and activities. And even for these athletes, a skilled, qualified coach would not conduct these exercises as regular routines, but rather cycle this type of exercise regiment into their program to help them peak for their athletic events. Once the event and goal is achieved, athletes stop performing these activities and REST. Many trainers are giving the average person the impression that plyometrics and boot camp programs should be done on an ongoing, regular basis. In the long run, many people beating themselves up with these high impact programs incur injuries and may face a life-long battle dealing with damaged joints.

So to summarize, when weight training is performed with a holistic and functional approach, the body should not feel extreme stiffness or adverse reactions. Combining weight training with consistent yoga practices should result in improved joint range of motion. If you find that weight training is hindering the benefits of your yoga practice, consider consulting a trainer with an exercise science (kinesiology) degree who has the right intentions in designing a realistic, customized program for you (without all the jumping). Also consider what type of yoga you are doing and how you are doing it. Maybe it is not the weight training, but rather the yoga that is limiting the overall benefits. Doing weights with vigorous yoga flows like Ashtanga Yoga can be highly overloading and may not be allowing the body time for recovery.

Yoga is much like weight training. It also requires consistency especially as one moves into higher level flows and poses. Without consistency, the body is susceptible to injury. I have seen many people come to class after missing many days of practice only to return the next day complaining of how stiff and sore they are. They came back from their missed lessons with ego and pushed themselves too much. Rather than returning to their practice with the intention to gently lengthen muscles and create expansion, these people just shocked the tissues leaving micro-tears in the muscle fibers.

Weight training does shorten muscle tissue, but only in the short time frame of the exercise lesson. With a proper stretching or Yoga program, one can have a full weight training program while experiencing a substantial amount of flexibility. From the other viewpoint, one can have an extensive, rich Yoga practice while enjoying the benefits of weight training.

The body adapts well when we are kind to it. The body is constantly working towards balance and homeostasis. It tells us through its’ complex feedback network when we are pushing too much and when we aren’t doing enough. Find your balance with weight training and yoga. Do not feel that you have to exclude one for the other. Experiment with your programs and timing of practices. And always consider getting qualified one-on-one advice.

For more discussion on Yoga and weight training, CLICK HERE

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