Dear Yoga Student,

Is it possible to be strong AND flexible?

Yes, but it takes effort. You see, strength and flexibility
are the yang and the yin of yoga. If you’re an avid
runner, for example, chances are good that your
hamstrings and calves are really tight and probably
your hips too.

Doesn’t HAVE to be this way, but generally it is.

Here’s why: we tend to over-emphasize yang exercises
(running, strength training, cycling) or perhaps the
opposite with too many yin exercises (deep stretching,
meditation).

Balance is impossible, but it should be the aim.

Here’s why I bring this up: Yoga students often
ask if they should QUIT running or lifting or playing
sports to improve their yoga practice.

Personally, I think that’s crazy.

If you love yang sports, don’t ever give them up.
Physical activity is so powerful for your physical
AND mental health, I’d never restrict yourself (unless
you were getting injuries, of course) just because it
might make your yoga classes easier.

But yeah, it’s true. If you’re a body builder, you’re
really going to struggle with flexibility. No way around
that.

Lifting weights is the ultimate yang practice and
you’d need to at least have a 2-to-1 match with
lifting-to-stretching to balance that out.

So… balance is the aim, you like yang activities,
so what do you do?

HERE YOU GO:

1. For every 60 minutes spent with yang practices,
spend 15 minutes doing deep stretches ideally
when your body is ultra warmed up.

2. Try to determine which area of your body is
getting stiffer from the yang practice (shoulders in
tennis, hamstrings from running, etc) and always
consciously over-emphasize stretching those
areas.

3. Make absolutely sure that you don’t lose flexibility.
Remember, unlike strength, flexibility doesn’t just
disappear on its own. Repetitive yang activities or
lack of activities are what reverse your flexibility so
you want to always keep it in check so you maintain
(or improve) your flexibility continuously.

Hope that’s helpful!

Stay bendy,

Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
Check out my friend Lucas Rockwood’s great website HERERead more...

Yesterday, I ordered a 1 pood (16kg, 35 pound) kettlebell from eBay. And I’M EXCITED!

I picked up a copy of Pavel’s “Enter the Kettlebell” in digital form. I’ve been reading it and watching the accompanying DVD. If I were to buy it again, I’d skip the ebook and just get the DVD. He is reading most of what is in the book, verbatim. You can find the products here: http://www.dragondoor.com/b33.html

I’m excited to add some strength training into my life. I signed up for 2 months of yoga, unlimited classes, last week. That’s been a good way to keep me active when Michigan’s spring brings cold weather. Otherwise, I try to bike 4-5 days a week.

I will post videos of the kettlebell exercises when I get the basics down. My plan is to start slow and build some muscle.

Stay tuned…Read more...

My current work-out schedule (has been about the same for the past few months except for the Bikram yoga which I just added in 2 weeks ago, switching it for more frequent Kickboxing classe. This regimin will change in 4 weeks when I go travel in Europe and then again mid-June when I settle in the Baltimore area)

• Sunday: 8:30 am Spinning, 9:30 am Spinning, 10:30 am Kickboxing
• Monday: 9:30 am Spinning, afternoon Bikram yoga, 7:30 pm Spinning
• Tuesday: 8:30 am Spinning, evening: none or Bikram yoga or Spinning
• Wednesday: 9:30 am Spinning, 6:30 pm Kickboxing, 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm Spinning
• Thursday: 8:30 am Spinning, afternoon: Bikram yoga
• Friday: 9:30 am Spinning, afternoon Bikram yoga OR evening 6:30 pm Spinning (or both)
• Saturday: 10:15 am Spinning, 11:00 am walk/jog, 11:30 am Kickboxing

Most off-Bikram days I go in the sauna for 30 minutes. If I feel like mixing things up a bit I’ll take a Boxing, Kickboxing, and/or Urban Rebounding class in the city just for fun.

If I have plans that interfere with this work-out schedule I either miss a work-out (there are enough that I can miss a few a week no problem) or add in a walk/jog session on the treadmill or outside.

Weights: I don’t schedule in resistance training time but instead I do weights sporadically between classes. During Spinning classes, almost all of the hills are really resistance training disguised as cardio, so I am able to avoid spending too much time doing lower body weight training in the weight room. However, I always do 3 sets of 12-reps of dead-lifts with a 65-pound barbell at least twice per week- it makes me feel powerful! As for my upper body, my favorite parts to train are my deltoids and biceps, but we must remember the wee-lonely triceps and back. Luckily again for me, kickboxing and Bikram yoga certainly give these parts a real run for their money!!

A word on having a day ‘off’: I am 100% in favor of a ‘rest day’ each week, and always force myself to take one. As a rule, that ‘rest day’ will incorporate some form of light activity- anything from a walk outdoors to a recovery bike ride. Instead of scheduling in this day each week I find it much more convenient to listen to my body or work the ‘rest day’ around my schedule. If I know I will be out of town all day on a certain day of the week then that day will be the ‘rest day’. If Bikram and 3 spin classes really kick my butt then the next day might be my ‘rest day’.

A word on over-training: In my experience, over-training happens when you do not give yourself a ‘rest day’ and when you are sleep deprived. How do you know you are over-training? Typically you will feel sluggish, fatigued, and not energized during a work-out. With proper nutrition and hydration, adequate sleep and naps, a ‘rest day’ each week, and a brief stretching routine after each work-out, you should not encounter problems with over-training and should in fact be able to push yourself to the limit!!

Have fun, work hard, and play harder!!!!!

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