Yoga is known for growing flexibility and is widely practiced across the world. Yet does yoga build muscle too? Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, an athlete, or you simply like to maintain yourself healthy. Building muscle is necessary for everyone. Activities such as weight lifting are mainly known for building muscle, yoga can be undervalued, yet a functional tool in your arsenal.
The benefits of yoga may comprise building strength and muscle as well. Yoga is not only about stretching, it is even more than that. Once performed appropriately, certain yoga poses can focus on your muscles. It also aids in functional strengths gains, and torch your core. Powerful yoga practice includes principles such as mechanical stress, and progressive overload. And mechanical destruction to enhance muscle mass. The principle of creating muscle through various types of yoga is alike to weight training. This means it increases the repetitions and number of sets to have muscle growth.
Check these Yoga Poses to Build Muscle
Building muscle is one of the greatest ways to keep healthy. Not only you’re improving your metabolism. Yet, you are also making everyday tasks a bit easier on yourself. Yoga is a comprehensive and diverse practice, this means that you’ve got more to select from. Below are some of the favorite yoga poses shared by Barajas for gaining strength and building muscle. Caesar F. Barajas is a trainer that shares how to build muscle by practicing yoga.
- Warrior Pose
The single-leg nature of this pose needs balance and engages your core. Warrior three unlike any other pose has a forward-leaning angle. It puts a lot of weight on the standing leg and performs the complete backside of the body. Expect to have strength and endurance in your hamstrings, calves, shoulders, and glutes.
- Three-Pose
This single-leg pose aids the body’s roots through the ground and also form balance. It works all the stabilizer muscles around the knee, ankle, and hip of the planted leg. While providing the other leg a better groin stretch. The core must keep engaged to have your body steady from start till the end.
- Chair Pose
Chair Pose engages the glutes and legs and needs a strong lower back to keep yourself steady and core. You will feel your glutes and quads burn with your feet together. This aids your weight in this limited, half-squat position.
- Plank Pose
According to Barajas, the plank pose is a great upper body strength builder. Also, a killer way to protect your core. Combine your planks with different variations to keep things interesting. Barajas recommends practicing low planks on your forearms, high planks on your hands, and side planks as well.
Once you’re new to yoga, these poses will be quite challenging. Yet, once you do them often, the easier it will get. Soon, your body will be stronger compared to when you begin as you build muscle with yoga. Yoga produces functional strength while stabilizing and lengthening the body. This can be seen both inside and outside of the gym.
