Is Yoga Strength Training?

While there are many proven benefits of yoga, some may wonder whether adding yoga to their fitness routine can actually help them build strength. When we think of traditional strength training, we might think of moving against the resistance of weights, bands, or our own body weight. Yoga is in part a movement practice, but does it really qualify as strength training? 

In this article, we will explore whether yoga represents an alternative or complementary discipline for those looking to get stronger, the ways in which yoga can build strength, and how you can best incorporate it into your fitness routine. Let’s explore: 

• Is yoga considered strength training?

• How does yoga build strength?

• The benefits of using yoga as strength training

• Which muscles does yoga work?

• How to incorporate yoga into your strength training regimen

• What are the best yoga poses to build muscle strength?

• Is yoga strength training or cardio?

Is yoga considered strength training?

Strength training is defined as any exercise that uses resistance to induce muscular contraction, which helps stimulate strength, endurance, and the size of skeletal muscles. Traditional strength training includes lifting weights, resistance band exercises, and bodyweight movements that challenge your muscles against an external force (think push-ups or bodyweight squats). One of the key principles of strength training is progressive overload, the idea of increasing the weight or repetitions from session to session so that the body understands it must adapt and become stronger to handle the load.

There are many different styles of yoga, some of which are more meditative and could not meaningfully be considered strength training. For the purposes of this discussion, we are going to focus on Vinyasa Yoga and related styles, such as power yoga, Ashtanga yoga, and Bikram yoga. We will also acknowledge but for right now disregard the very modern yoga-adjacent styles like Yoga Sculpt that include dumbbells and emphasize more explosive, cardio-based movements. 

While traditional yoga does not use external weights or resistance bands, many poses require you to support your own bodyweight in challenging positions, engaging muscles in a way that builds endurance and strength. While it may not replace heavy weightlifting for those seeking maximum hypertrophy (the increase in the size of muscle fibers), yoga can still be a valuable form of strength training, particularly for muscular endurance and stabilization.

How does yoga build strength?

Yoga builds strength primarily through isometric contractions, where muscles are engaged and held in a static position (think holding a high crescent lunge pose). But yoga can also support strength gains through controlled eccentric and concentric movements (think transitions between poses, like stepping from downward-facing dog into a lunge). Many yoga poses, such as plank, chaturanga, and Warrior 1, 2 and 3, require sustained muscular engagement, improving both strength and endurance over time.

Additionally, yoga enhances functional strength, promoting mobility, stability, and flexibility alongside muscle engagement. Most people also associate yoga with an improvement in the “mind-body connection.” By improving neuromuscular coordination, yoga helps develop better control over movements, which can be beneficial for overall strength and athletic performance. 

The benefits of using yoga as strength training

There are a ton of benefits of doing yoga workouts to build strength, including: 

1. Improved muscular endurance

Holding yoga poses for extended periods develops muscular endurance, making it easier to sustain effort in other physical activities. While some of this is physical, yoga also trains the mental discipline needed to hold challenging positions. We are stronger than we sometimes give ourselves credit for, and yoga is a helpful reminder of our full capacity.

2. Increased core strength

Many yoga postures require deep core engagement, which can enhance overall strength and stability. In just about every yoga pose, there is a responsibility that the core has to hold things together. This translates to those big, compound movements in weightlifting, like the deadlift, that require tremendous effort from the core to execute safely and effectively.

3. Better mobility and flexibility

Yoga also improves flexibility, reducing the risk of injuries and promoting better range of motion. For example, adding in yoga sessions can help you get deeper into your loaded back squat by increasing openness in the hips, ankles, and thoracic spine.

4. Body awareness and control

Yoga enhances proprioception (body awareness), helping you engage muscles more effectively during other strength exercises. No matter the movement, a controlled repetition is going to ensure that you are effectively targeting the muscles you want to be targeting. Yoga encourages this intentional and controlled movement so that you rely less on momentum and ancillary recruitment of other muscles during your strength exercises.

5. Joint health and injury prevention

Unlike high-impact strength training methods, yoga strengthens muscles with minimal stress on the joints, making it ideal for injury prevention and recovery. Yoga is also a great way to strengthen the joints in the hands and feet, your primary touchpoints during the practice. 

6. Balanced muscle development

Yoga works multiple muscle groups simultaneously, ensuring a more balanced approach to strength development compared to some isolated strength exercises.If you have not practiced yoga before, one of the first things you will notice is your imbalances. We all have them, but by practicing yoga, we can start to address areas in the body that are weaker or tighter on one side versus the other.

Which muscles does yoga work?

Yoga is a full-body workout that engages various muscle groups depending on the poses performed. Some key muscle groups that yoga targets include:

• Core: Poses like boat pose, plank, and side plank engage the deep core muscles, including the transverse abdominis and obliques.

• Upper body: Chaturanga, downward dog, and dolphin poses develop strength in the shoulders, chest, and arms.

• Lower body: Warrior poses, chair pose, and lunges strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

• Back and spine:Backbends such as cobra, locust, and bridge poses help build strength in the lower and upper back.

How to incorporate yoga into your strength training regimen

To maximize the benefits of yoga as part of a strength training program, consider the following strategies:

1. Use yoga as a warm-up or cooldown: Flowing yoga sequences like Sun Salutation A and B can be an excellent way to warm up your muscles before lifting. Poses that come towards the end of a yoga practice—such as pigeon, bound angle fold, or a supine twist—are a perfect addition to your post-workout cooldown and stretch..

2. Have dedicated strength-focused yoga sessions: Incorporate yoga sessions that emphasize strength-building poses to supplement traditional strength training. Consider a full-length Vinyasa yoga practice as an excellent way to maintain your strength gains on a day when you choose not to lift weights.

3. Use yoga for active recovery days: Because yoga is so low-impact and encourages you to listen to your body, it is a great option for active recovery. You will keep the momentum and benefits from moving your body while allowing for a bit of a reset.

4. Pair yoga with resistance training: Alternate weightlifting days with yoga days, and you will be on your way to a body that is not just stronger, but more open and resilient. Programming in yoga days is a great way to ensure that you take sufficient time to recover from your weightlifting sessions and that your yoga practice progresses.

What are the best yoga poses to build muscle strength?

Certain yoga poses are particularly effective for building muscle strength, including: 

• Plank pose (Phalakasana): Engages the core, shoulders, and arms, similar to holding a push-up position.

• Chaturanga Dandasana (four-limbed staff pose): Works the triceps, chest, and core, resembling a controlled push-up.

• Chair pose (Utkatasana): Strengthens the quadriceps, glutes, and core, similar to a squat.

• Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): Builds lower-body strength and endurance by engaging the quads, glutes, and core.

• Boat pose (Navasana): Targets the core and hip flexors, similar to a V-sit exercise.

• Crow pose (Bakasana): Strengthens the arms, shoulders, and core while improving balance.

• Locust pose (Salabhasana): Engages the posterior chain, including the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.

Is yoga strength training or cardio?

Vinyasa yoga emphasizes prolonged holds and controlled transitions between poses. Using your bodyweight as resistance, this type of yoga can enhance both muscular strength and endurance. It does not meaningfully provide cardiovascular benefits if practiced at the intentional breath-to-movement pace. 

As mentioned earlier, there are new yoga-adjacent modalities such as Yoga Sculpt which can elevate the heart rate and provide more of a cardio-style workout. 

Start building strength with yoga today!

Yoga is a powerful tool for building strength, enhancing flexibility, and improving overall body control. It comes with a slew of mental health benefits as well. While it may not replace traditional weightlifting for maximum hypertrophy, it offers significant benefits for muscular endurance, core stability, and injury prevention. Yoga can be a very effective workout on its own, but it also serves as an excellent tool for active recovery.

In the modern fitness and wellness world, people have goals to not just get stronger, but also become more mobile, flexible, and physically resilient; yoga is a fantastic practice that supports all of these goals. 

For those looking to incorporate yoga into their strength-building routine, Hydrow’s library of yoga workouts includes strength-focused yoga flows as well as restorative sessions for those times when you just need to relax and have a good stretch.

Explore Hydrow’s yoga workouts today!