More Strengthening & Stabilizing Practices

Objective

Be prepared to choose and teach many exercises, poses and techniques for cultivating upper and lower body strength, and for engaging muscles for stabilization purposes.

Overview

In this digest, we bring together pose variations, exercises and techniques that focus on strengthening within these categories:

• Upper Body
• Lower Body
• Core strengthening is covered separately here

Introduction

Active asana is naturally strength-building but can be more so with intention, as Nina Zolotow notes:

Any active yoga pose will strengthen both your bones and muscles. A well-rounded active yoga practice that includes a good mix of standing poses, backbends, twists, and forward bends will provide all-around muscle and bone strength building. But if you want to focus specifically on strength in your yoga practice, you can enhance the effects of your practice by choosing the best poses for your needs, holding those poses for the best amount of time, practicing those regularly, and using a few other techniques that I’m outlining here. – Nina Zolotow 

Strength training with weight that is heavy for the individual is highly recommended for many reasons backed by extensive research. In addition, strengthening practices with light weight and body weight such as in asana classes, physical therapy and so on, have other valuable benefits, as Caitlin Casella DPT explains:

The strength training world looooves heavy weight, and for good reason… Low intensity activity [also] have their own set of benefits… I love lifting heavy. Building up the capacity of my tissues (thicker muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones) and neuromuscular tolerance for stress (gradually increasing load so my nervous system feels safe with movement) has helped me get out of pain, remain pain-free, and do more in life with confidence and ease… Working with light resistance has been my stepping stone on the way to lifting heavy, and an ongoing strategy for me and the students who attend my classes. Here are a few benefits of moving with light resistance, such as light weights, resistance bands, and bodyweight:

1. Daily self-assessment. A practice that asks, “How’s my body feeling and what’s it asking for today?”
2. Warm-up before lifting heavy. Super effective. Not rocket science. Do the exact same lift with light weight that you plan to perform with heavier weight.
3. Active range of motion through the entire available range or motion. Psst – it’s known to increase available range of motion, aka improve mobility.
4. Facilitates a conversation between body and brain. Increases sensory feedback and proprioception. Aides in improving coordination and body control.

– Caitlin Casella DPT 

Balancing Strength & Mobility

The body thrives when in balance. One way balance is expressed is in terms of muscular strength and mobility.

• For example, optimal joint health relies on mobility and strength of the surrounding muscles. “Too much mobility without the strength to support it could potentially yield injured tissues. Too much strength and not enough mobility decreases range of motion.” (Leah Sugerman) In some cases, students with a lot of hip flexibility, for example, are “attracted to yoga poses that require lots of flexibility and therefore tend to overdo them.” (Baxter Bell MD) In other cases, a student might practice a subset of poses without other movements that bring balance. For example, “yoga practice has a strong tendency toward strengthening the quadriceps… and stretching the hamstrings… It’s rare that we invert this and stretch the quadriceps and strengthen the hamstrings.” (Leah Sugerman)
• Another common concern is adequate strength in the glutes and hips. Due to excessive sitting, the posterior chain is typically underused resulting in “glute amnesia” or “dead butt.” (Rachel Cosgrove) Weak glutes can cause lower back pain due to compensation. And other weak hip muscles can lead to knee issues, for example. (Amber Sayer)
• See more in Sequencing: Choosing & Arranging Poses (for balancing strength and mobility, plus other objectives).

Strengthening & Stabilizing in Asana

Another consideration can be referred to as “functional movement” with a specific concern regarding which muscles are recruited for which tasks. In more technical terms, the concern is with engaging the “deep stabilizers.” See Core Fundamental Teachings for a detailed look at using the abdominals as stabilizers as opposed to prime movers. Amy Ippoliti speaks to this subject here, which the author summarizes this way: “Want to avoid asana burnout?… The trick is all in optimizing functionality by engaging the deep stabilizers while finding ways to give the major movement muscles a break.”

In this digest, we focus particularly on cultivating strength in an asana class. While asana need not replace other strength training, it can certainly be used to build strength and in the case of standing poses, for instance, strengthening is a clear objective. Even when the focus is on mobility, engaging muscles for stabilization is required in many poses for safe and effective practice. A personal trainer and yoga teacher makes these additional observations:

While strength training in the gym requires the use of heavier weight to overload the muscles, yoga uses pure body weight to provide a more balanced and functional approach to strengthening and toning muscles. Yoga also has the advantage of toning both large and small muscle groups in balance with each other… Yoga relies on an eccentric contraction, where the muscle stretches as it contracts, giving it a sleek, elongated look. Traditional strength training is a great complement to yoga. By training and increasing muscle strength and definition evenly throughout the body, yoga can help prevent injuries from muscular imbalances created in the gym. – Jennifer Williams-Fields 

Practice Techniques

Please see Sequencing: Choosing & Arranging Poses. In addition, there a teaching and practice techniques that can further support strengthening intentions:

• Nina Zolotow recommends here to consciously activate muscles, hold or repeat poses, and alternate strengthening with rest.
• Baxter Bell MD recommends here to hold poses for 30 sec or more for building bone strength; use dynamic flows to build muscles; and when building endurance in holds to hold the pose isometrically until targeted muscles become shaky and fatigued.
• And here, Baxter Bell MD commented on research regarding the greater effectiveness of eccentric muscle contraction for building strong muscles. As a result, he offered this practice tip: “I have been taking dynamic versions of poses … and slowing the time in and out of poses (4 to 6 seconds for each specific movement) while keeping the breath relaxed. That might mean you take two full breaths to make the move instead of just one inhalation or exhalation. When you practice this way, it looks like you are moving in slow motion…  it feels like you are working in a very different, stronger way than when moving in and out of a pose on just the inhalation or exhalation.”

Building Inner Strength & Resilience

Since asana is practiced with mindfulness and inner attention, it’s “a way to not only get stronger in your body but to also explore what it feels like to be strong from the inside… [helping] you to access and tap into the inner core of strength that can support you in meeting challenges.” (Barrie Risman)

Sequences

For sequences focused on strength-building, see Anatomy & Strengthening Themed Classes.

Readings

MORE STRENGTH THAN SEEMS POSSIBLE CAN BE BUILT WITH CONSISTENT PRACTICE

I didn’t think I’d ever be able to come into any of the poses. I’d never been an athlete or dancer or gymnast and I sort of figured those people were simply born strong. I was wrong. With consistent practice, over many months and years, I created more physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength than I’d ever thought was possible. The secret was being humble enough to begin with the basics and put in the work (almost) every day… When practiced regularly, yoga can be the means to a sort of unshakable strength that both comes from and results in a calm and steady mind. – Kino MacGregor

MUSCULAR ENGAGEMENT IS KEY TO SUPPORTING JOINTS, PARTICULARLY WHEN WORKING IN MAX RANGE

Asana can help to develop not only flexibility, but also a balance of flexibility and strength. However, there are plenty of yoga postures that ask us to push our joints to their end range of motion. So, if we choose to practice these postures, it is important to have adequate muscular engagement and strength to support the joints. This is especially true when working toward maximum range. – Leah Sugerman 

PHYSICAL STRENGTH HELPS WITH HORMONAL HEALTH, BONE DENSITY, MENTAL CLARITY & EVEN FLEXIBILITY

Strength is important for your overall health. Working on your body’s physical strength can produce higher levels of HDL, also known as the “good cholesterol” in your body, increase your bone density — and even improve your thinking skills… In your yoga practice, building strength has the added benefit of improving your flexibility. – Ellen O’Brien [Research here shows that strength training contributed to flexibility as well.]

ASSESS COMFORT WITH WEIGHT-BEARING POSES

If you have difficulty holding weight-bearing poses, such as down dog, plank, arm balances, or inversions, more upper body strength is going to be your friend. – Jake Panasevich 

INSPIRATIONAL FOCUS DURING STRENGTH PRACTICE

Consider these three aspects of inner strength as you practice…Strength helps you feel powerful…Strength is stable… Strength is reliable… Strength endures, it persists, and it allows you to as well. As you develop physical strength, you can use it to cultivate greater fortitude and resilience. You will come to know you can depend on yourself to persevere no matter what life throws at you. – Barrie Risman 

BUILDING CONFIDENCE & FEELING STRONGER ON THE INSIDE

Confidence is trusting in your decisions, believing in your abilities, and being okay with your limitations. It’s liking who you are—and this makes others feel good. And of course, yoga can help! Just the act of going to a yoga class can boost our self-esteem and self-confidence. It sends such a positive message to our hearts and minds that shows we care about ourselves. This alone can elevate our opinion of ourselves. As we start to build our physical strength and work our way into more challenging poses, we feel stronger on the inside. – Anna Coventry

See Also

1. Choosing & Arranging Poses (to promote a balance of strength and flexibility)  link
2. Sthira Sukham Asanam / Right Effort  link
3. Balance as a Theme (for balancing strength and flexibility)  link
4. About the Polarities of Yin & Yang  link
5. Biomechanics – Muscle Movement and Contraction  link
6. Core Strengthening Exercises  link
7. Core Strengthening as an Asana Category  link
8. Balancing Poses (which require recruitment of deep stabilizing muscles)  link
9. Hip Strengthening Exercises (for those with conditions or weak hips)  link

Arms, Shoulders, Upper Back, Chest

Lat Pull DownWith or Without Strap	Mimic a lat pull down exercise as shown here. From any standing or seated pose:Hold strap with hands wider than shoulder width.Straighten arms above head.Bend elbows, drawing shoulder blades together and chest up.Avoid sinking into low back.Or do the same movement without a strap. For example, from Warrior 1 leg setup, exhale to take arms into “cactus” or “goal post” arms, engaging the back. Inhale, reach arms straight and exhale into cactus arms. As with other version, keep core engaged to avoid sinking into low back.
PadangusthasanaHand to Big Toe Pose Focusing on Biceps	Wrap first two fingers around big toes. Take elbows out to side, focusing on feeling the biceps contract.
Virabhadrasana IIArms in a T or Arm Variations	See Virabhadrasana II.
Bridge PoseEngage Triceps	In Bridge Pose, to focus on triceps, bend elbows 90 degrees and press elbows down.
Cat / Table Pose VariationLift Knees One Inch	Not shown. Tuck toes and lift knees an inch. Strengthens core and arms.
Plank Pose VariationsCore, Arms, Shoulders, Wrists, Legs	See Plank Pose for instructions and may variations that make it more accessible such as the version shown here.
Plank Pose VariationsCore, Arms, Shoulders, Wrists, Legs	See Plank Pose for instructions and may variations that make it more challenging such as the version shown here.For another strengthening variation shown here, Jake Panasevich teaches a flow between Plank and Forearm Plank:From Plank Pose, bend one arm and place forearm on floor so that the elbow is below the shoulder.Bend the other elbow into push-up position with elbow pointing away enough to keep chest expanded.Next, bring the second forearm down to be parallel with first for Forearm Plank.Return to Plank by reversing the steps you took to get into Forearm Plank.
Urdhva Mukha SvanasanaUpward Facing Dog Pose	See Urdhva Mukha Svanasana.
Forearm PlankShoulders, Arms, Core, Legs	See Forearm Plank.
Adho Mukha SvanasanaDownward Facing Dog Variations	See Adho Mukha Svanasana for many variations.Or try a one-handed version, as taught by Jake Panasevich here, coming up onto fingertips of one hand or placing it on the hip.To target triceps, transition between Down Dog and Dolphin Pose as suggested here.Called “Pike Push-Ups” by Jake Panasevich here, he offers additional instructions for a flow between Down Dog and a modified Dolphin:From Down Dog, bend elbows 90 degrees out to side (and “forward enough to maintain a subtle lift under armpits”).Thus, as shown here, elbows are wider than a typical Dolphin Pose .Breathe mindfully and engage muscles in shoulders and upper back evenly.Straighten arms slowly.Repeat up to 10 times.
Dolphin PoseShoulders, Arms, Core, Legs	See Dolphin Pose.

Reverse Table TopPurvottanasana Variation	See Reverse Table Top.
PurvottanasanaUpward Plank	See Purvottanasana.
VasisthasanaSide Plank Variations	See Vasisthasana.
Chaturanga DandasanaCore, Arms, Shoulders, Wrists, Legs	See Chaturanga Dandasana for variations to make pose more accessible, or variations that add challenge.

Plank Pose with RowVariation for Back, Shoulder & Bicep	Single-arm row variation  shown here.Use a dumbbell, block or other weight.Begin in Plank Pose focusing on keeping wrists straight, legs hip-width apart and back flat.Exhale, “squeeze right shoulder blade into the centerline of your back while bending your elbow to a 90-degree angle, keeping it tucked by your side. Your hand should be just under your pec muscle.”Inhale, straighten arm back down to floor.Repeat on the other side.Engages bicep, deltoid, and upper back to bring weight to chest. Core and opposite arm work to keep body stable.
Bakasana / Kakasana / Baby CrowArm Balancing & Prep Poses	See Bakasana / Kakasana.
Half HandstandAnd Handstand Hops or Other Variations	See Adho Mukha Vrksasana.Or see here for instructions on shifting weight into one hand.