Yoga pose: Warrior 3 ( Virabhadrasana III)

[Tyciol]

I've seen this illustrated a couple different ways:


I'm wondering if people use either or both variations? I know these aren't exactly body-building exercises but I can't find a flexibility/stretching section on BB.com (is there one) so I'm not sure where else to discuss it (maybe Injury Prevention?)

I was thinking that you could also do somewhere halfway in between the two where your arms are not pointing forward or back. They could be hanging straight down (which reminds me of a single-legged stiff-legged deadlift) out out to the sides like at the top of a bent-over lateral raise.

Arms-forward seems like an angle similar to what people use to do prone dumbbell raises for traps. Doing it on a bench would probably let people use heavier weights due to the stability and not stressing the lower back, but if just holding for time I figure it could help.

Do people ever use light dumbbells when holding these warrior poses? I'm trying to think of how they might make stretching the hamstring muscles easier, and how we could build lower back endurance.

When doing standing forward bends (like a straight-legged deadlift) I find to get a prone torso you need to hinge a lot at the hip joint (much more than 90) due to pelvis drifting back to keep balance.

By keeping 1 foot raised in the back, I think this helps to shift the weight back but the base leg is more vertical so it's like we don't have to flex as much. On the other hand, the base leg has to be twice as strong and there's a narrower base to balance sideways, so that makes it harder.

For people who have experience training both variations (I've only briefly tried both and not enough to get a good sense) which do you prefer and which is easier to balance, or more harder for the hamstrings, etc? I find it weird because you'd think the guy with arms forward would look different but it almost looks the same as the girl. All I can figure is that his weight is differently proportioned than hers.

I was wondering if to make the pose harder you could maybe do a bent-over row with a pair of dumbbells too. It'll always obviously be less than when you are more stable, but maybe it could make it progressively harder to hold the pose as an alternative to adding more time?

[kanis999]

I was under the impression that the arms back version is easier and for slightly less advanced practitioners. In p90x they have the model that's supposed to be doing the easy version of all the exercises performing the arms back variation. I find that they are both equally difficult to balance, but with arms extended you're using your upper back and shoulders much more. I can't imagine using dumbbells on this exercise.

[PeterGibbons316]

What the hell is wrong with you? I asked you a question in the last thread you made, but you never even posted in it after your first post.

Do you have multiple personality disorder? Seriously, I know you have a mental defect of some kind, what is it?

[Cheese3216]

sounds pretty ridiculous to me to be honest. this is a bodybuilding forum

bent over rows with dumbells holding a one legged yoga pose?

you may as well use the 1.5lb pink dumbells while you're at it bro because this is getting ridiculous

[scarboro]

What the hell is wrong with you? I asked you a question in the last thread you made, but you never even posted in it after your first post.

Do you have multiple personality disorder? Seriously, I know you have a mental defect of some kind, what is it?

Lol you should be aware of his MO by now. Overanalyze everything and never actually lift.

[PeterGibbons316]

Lol you should be aware of his MO by now. Overanalyze everything and never actually lift.

I'm used to it, but ****. He is so scatterbrained, yet intently focused. There has to be something broken inside his head. I seriously wonder if he is autistic or something like that.

[Cheese3216]

I'm used to it, but ****. He is so scatterbrained, yet intently focused. There has to be something broken inside his head. I seriously wonder if he is autistic or something like that.

hes ok but he just spends too much time thinking about how to lift rather than acually lifting. i dont think he has a gym membership either so thats probably a big part of it

[Tyciol]

I was under the impression that the arms back version is easier and for slightly less advanced practitioners. In p90x they have the model that's supposed to be doing the easy version of all the exercises performing the arms back variation. I find that they are both equally difficult to balance, but with arms extended you're using your upper back and shoulders much more. I can't imagine using dumbbells on this exercise.

I agree with arms-back being easier, that's why I figured the easier variation would be more suited to adding weights. As for DBs I meant light ones, like even 1-10lbs would make it more challenging.

What the hell is wrong with you? I asked you a question in the last thread you made, but you never even posted in it after your first post. Do you have multiple personality disorder? Seriously, I know you have a mental defect of some kind, what is it?

I'll look into it, I think it's more due to forgetfulness than MPD TBH. Forgetfulness is a mental defect so you're correct. I'll look for and reply to your question.

sounds pretty ridiculous to me to be honest. this is a bodybuilding forum bent over rows with dumbells holding a one legged yoga pose? you may as well use the 1.5lb pink dumbells while you're at it bro because this is getting ridiculous

My pink DBs are actually only 1lb, my 1.5lbers are foam.

Anyway like I said, I would have put this on a 'stretching' subforum if there were one. I think I also said I was picturing this as sort of a single+stiff legged deadlift-like movement.

When people are doing things like preacher curls and single-arm DB curls I really don't see why movements like this should get any flack when they probably expend a lot more energy and get a lot more work done at once. People let all kinds of weird arm moves slide but will flack on any leg/torso movement that isn't utterly badass like squats/deads, it's kinda funny.

i dont think he has a gym membership either so thats probably a big part of it

Yeah I assure you if I had one I'd be in there using all their awesome machines to become stronger. Fingers crossed that I get hired for one of the new jobs I applied for recently.

Anywho, personal examination aside, I'd like if it people actually interested in yoga exercises and possibly combining them with light weightlifting would respond. If you don't like the movement that's fine. I find it pretty challenging and would be impressed by anyone who could lift any decent weight in it.

[vampborn]

I do like yoga and I like this pose. I do arms forward. I believe it allows me to put more weight onto my hamstrings and tilt backwards farther. I sometimes lift my grounded foot so that i'm on my heel with all of my weight in my hamstring. I also use the leg that's in the air to pull towards that direction. It looks more slanted than straight like this good morning.

[samcol]

look up single leg rdl. it's a very good exercise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erVRy0P3BGc

[Tyciol]

Sweet GM picture VB. I think I've read the book that pic is from, seems familiar.

I'm paranoid about that movement since I heard that's how Bruce Lee got injured though. I like the idea of SDL since you can bail the weight more easily.



Sweet thanks sam.