POLL: Yoga...yes or no?

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Ok, I'm tired of being stiff and unflexable all the time, so I'm thinking of signing up for an Yoga class. As well as a weight lifting class at my local gym.

What I want to know is your opinion on Yoga. Is it worh it?

Poll Information
This poll contains 1 question(s). 18 user(s) have voted.
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Poll Results: Yoga...yes or no? (18 votes.)

Yoga...yes or no? (Choose 1)
* Yes - 28% (5)
* No - 6% (1)
* Never taken Yoga classes - 67% (12)

 

What's that kind of Yoga that you do while you're having sex?

That's the class to get into...

 

That might not work out good. Depends on your training goals though.

Working out and Yoga have opposite goals. If you work out, you decrease in flexibility, and when you increase in flexibility, you decrease in musclemass and thus in strength.

I suggest taking yoga first for a while, because you say you are stiff all the time. When this goes better and your pretty flexible, then start working out. This way you'll have a bufferzone which you can sacrifice for musclemass.

 

Yoga no.

Yoda yes.

Seriously, I prefer running or lifting weights on those rare ocassions I feel the need to "work out".

 

@Faragon: That all depends on HOW you lift weights. If you're trying to bulk up and lift the typical three sets, 12-15 reps to muscle fatigue, heavy weights, then you're right. However, you can build muscle tone, strength, and stamina by lifting more reps of lighter weights - and that method has much less of an adverse impact on flexibility and agility.

@Kitrax: Yoga is certainly worth a try. Another alternative is Pilates. Always be sure to stretch out well AFTER every workout.

 

There are a lot of different varieties of yoga. If you are very physically fit, I recommend Iyengar. It tones muscle as well as increasing flexibility, and it focuses on stretching out joints (particularly in the spine) that can be compressed by weight-bearing exercise. It is actually a great all-around workout if you are in good enough shape to keep up with an aggressively-paced class. When you walk out you feel like you're ten feet tall and floating on air. Great stuff! By the way, I strongly recommend taking a class instead of learning from books or videotapes. Self-teaching is fine for a supplement when you've already got an understanding of the postures, but doing each posture correctly is of great importance and it's too easy to pick up a bad habit without an instructor manhandling you into the correct position.

 

I've heard positive feedback from my friends who have tried yoga. Even the breathing exercises they had were helpful.

 

Ummm...I don't think so. I think Pilates was invented for the "dirt poor"...I prefer equment like a bench press when I work out.

 

Faragon said exactly what i was going to say.

If you want to become flexible, you might want to try a martial art. I used to do Karate (Shokokai style) and we did immense stretching exercises before and after training.
If you want to lift weights, firstly, make sure you stretch thouroughly before AND after liftiing.

One possible approach while 'bulking' would be, alternate between weights and swimming. Swimming is great exercise and because you're constantly using your arms AND applying force to them, you can do a workout and not feel like your muscles are too tight afterwards.

 

Yoga is... interesting to say the least. Painful in some cases too, and it often makes you feel realy stupid...

 

Since you said you might want take a weight lifting class, talk to a professional trainer there. That's how I started out. I was not flexible at all and a puny little poor excuse for a man. Ok, not that bad.
My trainer worked with me to improve my flexibility as well as tone up. I alternated where one day I did stregnth building, then the next did cardiovascular and flexibility training. Worked out pretty well!

 

Yoga intresting...

No..

 

@Rallymama: True enough. However, when someone says lifting weights, it's usually comes down to 3 sets, 8-10 repeats, heavy weights. Solely for bulking up. You can take it the way you described, and true, it will be less of an impact on agility, but it will be an impact none the less, which means you will lose effective training time on both the yoga as the fitness.

And I have to agree with Intentioner, Martial Arts are always a good way to go. (depends a bit on which art though.)

 

Absolutely, and all-around activity is the best way to work out. Certainly best for keeping me interested! My poison used to be fencing.

@Kitrax: I'm really puzzled by your comments regarding Pilates. First, even if it were developed for the "dirt poor" (which it wasn't), why would that matter? Isn't the efficacy of an exercise program the important thing? Are you more interested in it after knowing that it's still quite the rage among the rich and powerful in Hollywood? Second, why do you think that exercise has to use equipment to be effective? If that's what you prefer, fine, but make sure your objections are based on fact, please. The objective of Pilates is to build strength of the body's core muscles first, and all-over flexibility. If you look into a it a little you might be surprised.

[ March 09, 2003, 14:49: Message edited by: Rallymama ]

 

I tried yoga, but couldn't handle it.

(I have a short attention span and awful concentration, heheh... that's also known as /spikes in the arse/.)

My alternative was Tai Chi Chuan. It's like meditation in movement... very relaxing, and also great for health. Can be converted to martial defence if needed. though you may be looking for something a little more active... then look for something among Wu Shu (sp?) is what I'll recommend.

I really enjoy it.

 

The only thing even halway relavent I have is, you know those bendy chicks you see in the circus?

The first thing that they are told to do before they even remotely start doing bendy stuff, is to build up their strength. Not lean out their muscles and fat. But to just build raw strength.

I guess you have to have the muscle to be able to stretch out your tendons and ligaments like that.

 

That's just the way I was raised.

I don't mean to offend anyone, but Palates strikes me as a "work out" for women recovering from pregnancy.

I had a little talk with a fitness instructor at my gym, and he said that Yoga probably wouldn’t be right for me. He suggested martial arts, and at the same time, tried to sign me up for one of their classes.

Now I have a new problem. I really like the sound of martial arts, but there are so many different ones out there. If I take a martial arts class, I want to learn how to fight with weapons...like swords and stuff like that.

 

Well, swordfighting is good, but if you want flexibility, I wouldn't really go with swordfighting In case you want, this place should be able to hook you up with a school in your neighbourhood where they teach swordfighting.

For flexibiility I would suggest JiuJitsu, but that's just my biased self (Karate is also very good, though I prefer JiuJitsu, because it is more allround.) Judo is also a good way to become more flexible, though again not as allround as JiuJitsu.