Holy shitballs! I just got back from my first yoga class a few minutes ago. I had no idea how much it helps loosen the hips.
I went to my rack to try a high-bar, close stance back squat. Rock-mother-fucking-bottom!! I have never gotten that deep! My ass touched the floor!
If you haven’t taken a yoga class, DO IT! Next up… Pilates.
Hey ryno, glad you got some good exposure to yoga. What type of class did you attend? I’ve been doing yoga for about 2 1/2 years now, and think it’s great. I’ve long been a proponent of flexibilty training to go along with strength/bodybuilding training, and yoga is a great compliment to lifting. Some of the breathing techniques can really help your lifting as well. I’ve tried Pilates, and it’s good, but a much different focus than yoga. You’ll build a lot of “core” strength with Pilates method, but not as much emphasis on relaxation techniques. I’d say give it a try if you’re interested. I stick to yoga, a lot because it’s tough to fit too much other stuff in, so you choose what is best for you. Good luck!
Ya know Kong, I’m not really sure what kind of yoga it was. I know they offer something called ‘Hatha’(sp?), but I’m not sure if that was it.
I was planning on just sticking with yoga, but the instructor told me to come back Thursday to try Pilates, as well. (and hot damn, she was smokin’! “You can bet your sweet ass I’m coming back!”) – I just started training MMA though, so I figure the core work will be a good thing.
They also offer a class called 30/30 which is 30 mins of Yoga, and 30 mins of Pilates so maybe I’ll stick with that… we’ll see what happens.
Either of those classes sound good ryno. Just sticking with it will be good. The more advance yoga stuff will be good for core strength & balance, both of which help lifting. Good luck with it, and keep me posted on the hot instructor!!
Oh, yeah, just FYI… Hatha yoga is a pretty broad term. It encompasses many different types of yoga. Hatha actually just means “breath”. I practice Ashtanga yoga (also called Power yoga), which has a lot of strength & balance movements.
Again, have fun with it, and good luck.
I’m in a Yoga class this term as well. It kicks ass.
That’s cool, Ike. Is it a class through school? I actually instruct a Power yoga class at the YMCA facility where I workout. (I use the term instruct loosely. A more accurate description would be that I “lead” the class.) Glad to see some T-men getting into yoga. Lots of benefits to be had!
BTW, Ike, hope to see you at the CT/MM seminar in August. I’m working on getting there. (keeping my fingers crossed)
Yep, through the university here. Lots of fun!
Regarding August: hope to see you there too. As I told my brother, I’ll be there, even if I have to sell blood & semen to do it! 
I almost started a new thread about yoga, but I decided to resurrect this one instead, in part because it included the words “blood” and “semen” (directly above).
After more than a year of my wife trying to convince me to do it, I finally went to a yoga class with her today. We actually started the day by hitting the big farmers’ market downtown before the class. The granola element missing from the morning was Birkenstocks. What can I say, she found it romantic.
Anyway, I honestly expected the class to kick my ass and it really didn’t. Given, it wasn’t a real hardcore class but I’ve kind of watched it through the windows before and I thought it would be harder. The worst part was using a mat from the gym instead of a real yoga mat. They are damn slippery.
My wife is a nurse and she uses yoga to deal with the work-induced aches and pains. What the class really showed me is that I need to get her to do some regular lifting to address some of the weaknesses these classes don’t – things that can really contribute to on-the-job injuries.
I’ll probably keep going once a week or so, in part because it is pretty relaxing and in part to make her happy. If any other guys have been thinking about trying it, but have been worried about looking dorky or being the only guy, get over it.
alright bro im glad to hear about the rock bottom squat, but what i want to know is, were there any fine vixens bending and stretching right in front of you while in class? and if so, did you get a boner?
Haha. I was going in the mornings, so it was nothing but chunky housewives. The instructor was baaaad though… and yes, she got what was coming to her ;-).
I still talk to her a little bit, but I haven’t been to her class in a while.
I really think that shit was making me weak though. My strength was going down, and I just felt slow on the mat. I don’t know if it was in my head or what. My hips felt great at first… but I couldn’t stand feeling weak anymore.