WEEK 119 :: What Is The Best Yoga Workout?

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* Note: How can I win? Answer all questions in the order that they are asked.

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TOPIC: What Is The Best Yoga Workout?

For the week of: 4/29-5/04
Sunday @ Midnight Is The Final Cut (Mountain Time, US & Canada).

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Probably everyone knows at least one person who swears by yoga. However, there are many different types of yoga to choose from.

What is the best type of yoga?

What is the be yoga workout? Be specific.

What kind of results can one expect from using yoga?

BONUS QUESTION: Do you use yoga? If so, what kind of benefits do you get from it? If not, why?

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Don't discuss any other topic in this section. ONLY discuss the question above.

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The best response will get $75 in credit, and second place will get $50 in credit to use in our online store and will have their workout posted on our main site for the world to see!

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Thanks,
Bodybuilding.com

[Veeshmack]

interesting...
no practice or work today, i might do this one later tonight

[mekernan]

What is the best type of yoga?
Bikram Yoga is the "meat and potatoes" of yoga.

What is the be yoga workout? Be specific.
Bikram Yoga is a form of Hot Yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury. It is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105-115?F with a humidity of 40%. Classes are guided by specific dialogue through 26 postures conducted over 90 minutes. Each Yoga Pose is performed twice, each leads on from the next, preparing the body. Practice begins with one warm up breathing exercise progressing through 24 posturs, half in a Standing Series and half in a floor series, then finishing with one toxin eliminating breathing posture.

Standing Series Postures Pictures Link:
http://www.bikramyoganyc.com/posture..._standing.html

Floor Series Postures Pictures Link:
http://www.bikramyoganyc.com/posture...res_floor.html

What kind of results can one expect from using yoga?

Results of Bikram Yoga:
Ensures healthy and balanced functioning of the skeletal, muscular, circulatory, nervous,digestive, elimination, respiratory, endocrine, and mental systems of the body
Works every organ, gland, nerve, tendon, ligament and muscle in the whole body every Bikram Yoga session
Reshapes your body
Restores flexibility
Tones, strengthens, and lengthens your muscles
Strengthens your spine
Improves circulation
Reduces risk of sports injury
Achieves relief from pain
Reduces your weight by balancing your metabolism
Raises energy level
Diminishes the effects of stress
Increases balance, coordination, focus and discipline
Clears your mind
Calms your soul
Skin revitalization
Restful steep
Flushed lymphatic system
Expands your capacity to breathe deeply and fully
Improvement in posture and body awareness
Improve the healing and regenerative powers of your body
Improvement in T-cell function and your immune system
Improvement in digestion
Weight bearing exercise will help prevent osteoporosis
Improves heart and lung function
Integration of both sides of the brain to improve memory, learning, body coordination and balance


Results of the Heat:
Warms the muscles for greater flexibility
Helps achieve a deeper stretch
Flushes toxins from the body
Improves efficiency of the immune system
Creates a cardiovascular workout
Burns calories
Builds endurance and stamina
Minimizes muscle strain, lactic acid build up and reduces the chance of injury


BONUS QUESTION: Do you use yoga? If so, what kind of benefits do you get from it? If not, why?

I practice Bikram 1-2 times a week. It is a great supplement to my weight training and cardio. Also, I have tendonitis in my knee and it has virtually eliminated any pain I've received through running and heavy lifting. Bikram has given me the ability to focus on achieving my goals through intense concentration, patience, determination and self-control. It centers and calms my mind and body by teaching me to live in the present. My metabolism and digestive system have become regular and I find myself not craving junk or processed foods. My muscles are stretched and strengthened which has assisted me in reaching my weight training goals, my posture is better, and my skin has the "Bikram Glow."

[Mighty Kev]

Here's my article for the week! The clean version is attached below.




Probably everyone knows at least one person who swears by yoga. However, there are many different types of yoga to choose from.

What is the best type of yoga?
The word gym is very commonly associated with huge guys thunking around with their huge muscles, lifting weight. Now more than ever, this image is being dissolved with the addition of many different programs that gyms are including in the cost of their membership prices. These programs include yoga, Pilates, spin classes, in addition to a vast variety of other aerobic and strength related activities. Although we?ve trudged on an interesting topic, let?s focus on the idea of yoga.
Yoga is the traditional practice of meditation combined with an assortment of physical postures. It seems that when the use of yoga first began, it was associated with human philosophy and theology. More recently, it has transferred into a form of exercise. This isn?t to say that it doesn?t have spiritual connections anymore, but it is based much more on the individual. Now, there are a variety of different types of yoga to choose from, depending on the expectations and goals of the person, but let us only going to focus on the basics for the purpose of this article.
The best type of yoga for strength and flexibility enhancement is essentially called Hatha Yoga, which is the yoga that connects the mind and body through a series of postures, which challenge the body in a variety of ways. These postures are combined with controlled breathing techniques which aid in focusing in on the mind to body connection. Some people even claim that with practice, this type of yoga touches them on a spiritual level.

What is the best yoga workout? Be specific.
The best kind of yoga workout focuses on muscular endurance in addition to flexibility. A collection of postures and breathing techniques are combined to achieve gains in these areas. First of all, if you?re a beginner, I?d advise you get yourself into a class, where an instructor can show you step by step how to do the postures and stretches. Now, it?s extremely difficult to describe the workout in writing, but I?m going to begin to attempt nevertheless.

Normally a yoga session begins with a series of slow stretches, (forgive me for not remembering the technical terms for them) such as sitting toe touches, standing forward toe touches (focusing on the bend and stretch of the lower back). After the beginning stretches, more complicated stretches are then executed (or attempted in my case.) These poses include headstands, shoulder-stands, and a variety of stretches that strongly incorporate the muscles of the core. I would strongly advise that you invest in a beginner?s yoga session to get you started.

What kind of results can one expect from using yoga?
There are numerous benefits associated with the practice of yoga, including stress relief, vast increases in flexibility, and gains in core muscular strength, in addition to a possible spiritual connection. Although I was skeptical when I first went to a beginner?s yoga session, the way I felt after walking out of the place cleared me of my doubts. You feel like a new person after a yoga session. On another note, since I know a lot of guys read articles on this site, I have to say that although it may sound sleazy but a yoga class is an excellent place to find nice looking ladies. That?s one of the unexpected but extremely desirable results possible.

BONUS QUESTION: Do you use yoga? If so, what kind of benefits do you get from it? If not, why?
I actually went to a couple of yoga classes, and try to incorporate elements that I learned in the classes into my stretching routine after I warm up prior to my weight training workouts. I firmly believe that the core strength that the yoga techniques build has prevented me from injury. I am training to compete in a triathlon in addition to weight training 3 times a week, which clearly puts me at a higher risk of injury than most people, but I have remained injury free. Although I am not still attending the yoga classes, I would still advise that anyone with an interest in fitness or anyone who wants to just be a more flexible person give yoga a try. After thinking about it, I?m going to be looking to get into a regular yoga group if I can find one nearby.


Thanks for reading!
-K (Opiewags99)

[Risat]

What is the best type of yoga and what kind of results can one expect from using yoga?

Bikram's Yoga

Hello People of the World, Children of the Universal Universe or so starts off each e-mail I receive from the yoga studio I attend, don't those words just make you feel like you are part of something BIG? Yoga practice is your practice, you are there only for yourself, to take 1.5 hours out of your day to focus and breathe, to release all the metnal and physical toxins from your mind, body and spirit...lol...yes, I know its very deep, but believe me, when youare sweating in Bikram's yoga these statements are come true.

Bikram's yoga class is a 26 pose (ASANA) series performed in a heated room. Every pose is meant to be performed in the given order, to your best ability, each one building upon the previous one to bring you to that point where everything is at peace with the world.

Yoga affects each and every system in the body, by starting with breathing you bring fresh O2 into your system; next is stretching, this affects the muscles, ligaments, joints, helps realign all that is out of whack from a "day in the life"; Balancing poses helps with concentration, patience, focus; the first half are all standing poses, then you move to the floor, and start be squeezing systematically, each pose squeezes then releases, cleansing internally releasing toxins from your systems. I was told in class that there have been instances of people breaking down after a class, they emotional release has been that dramatic (has not happened to me thank goodness)

Bikram yoga is recognized by the medical profession and today, many more holistic approaches are explored than ever before. It can help with our cultural problems of stress, bad posture, poor eating habits, and the relief of limitations caused by aging, illness, injury, and self doubt. What more could you want?

(From the website of the studio I go to) "By a tourniquet effect: stretching, balancing, and creating pressure all at the same time. The blood supply in the arteries and veins is being cut off, creating pressure. When released, a lock gate effect is created, causing blood to rush through veins and arteries, flushing them out. This awakens and energizes the organs, systems, and tissues so they function at their maximum potential."


BONUS QUESTION: Do you use yoga? If so, what kind of benefits do you get from it? If not, why?

Why yes, of course, though I am embarrased to say I haven't been (really need to go). I started about 2 years ago, thought I would just about die after that first class. The room was about 116 deg, I was not wearing the right kind of clothes (my friend had set me up for failure, lol), but after one class I was hooked and went back again and again.

As I built more muscle the need to stretch them out was very real (I compete in fitness and need to stay limber) This type of yoga, done in a heated room makes the stretching more comfortable, you do each post twice, so you have the chance to increase your range of motion, the instructor is there to facilitate, encourage you to go just that much further/deeper into your practice.

Helpful hints - Wear something comfortable that doesn't constrict and is moisture wicking (you want to sweat), bring a large beach towel and mat (yogi, a bottle of water (room temp) and a small towel (if you want to wipe the sweat from your eyes - no make-up ladies!). Drink water to prepare yourself for the exercise, go into this with an open mind, focus on something you want to work on during the practice, a question or issue you might be going through. Remember that this is YOUR practice, you are not there to compete with the person next to you, use the mirror to focus into your eyes. Most studios encourage you to go for ten days in a row, set up in the 2d row (more advanced in the front, they can also be your guides through the poses), listen to the instructor (advanced students can go to silent classes). Remember to breathe! The first and last breathing is done through the mouth and has specific purpose, all the rest of the breathing is done through the nose. Bikram yoga has a cumulative effect on your body/


"No matter how old or sick or out of shape, you can still stretch and have a new beginning with yoga"- Bikram Choudhury.