Yoga and power lifting / most effective combination
I don’t typically train clients for bulk, nor do I do Crossfit, so I would appreciate some recommendations in this area.
I have a growing group of weight lifters who are taking my gentle yoga class. They do Crossfit and heavy lifting, and they take class both for the restorative benefits as well as the mobility that they need in order to do some of the lifting. So far, so good. BUT, a couple of them are working on their physical aesthetic, no for competition but to “look good.” They want to ensure that yoga enhances their performance and contributes to their goals.
1) One asked if there is a relationship between the increased mobility in yoga and muscle production, whether positive or negative. Is anyone aware of scientific data that shows a relationship between yoga / stretch / mobility and increase gains in bulk? I have read about the timing of stretching, that a lot of stretching immediately before a heavy lifting workout can de-stabilize in the short term. …but what about on a rest day? Will it contribute to their ability to make strength gains?
2) Any other considerations I should be aware of? At this time, the four men who lift together are taking my gentle class in the evening after a morning heavy lift. I think they take one other instructors’ class on another day.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for your reply, Ariadne.
Since I teach in a gym and not a yoga studio, I have become very aware of the multitude of reasons people attend my class. Some of them are into the full yoga experience – what we learn when we are reaching for our toes, not just the ability to touch them, and how that is a mirror for other places in our lives. Others just want a good stretch for all of their major body parts. So I do understand where you are coming from on how the use of yoga to help bodybuild might not be a study that would come from the yoga community because, in the opinion of the yoga practitioner, that’s not the point of yoga.
At the same time, I have a healthy young man whose goals, although different than mine, are important to him. …so I told him I’d do the best that I could do find out.
It also makes total sense that Bikram and Ashtanga would be easier to study, given the specificity of those practices. It might be easier to find data on stretching versus yoga per se, and even then it might not match exactly. It might also make sense for me to research the topic from the Crossfit side – what their recommendations are, and why. I’m not in that world at all, so it will be interesting to learn if there is an official opinion and if so, what it is.
Thank you for referring me to your friend. I will take a look at the site. Cute website name.