Yoga For Strength

When people want to become stronger and build their strength, they automatically think that they have to begin lifting weights.

If you aren't used to weights, lifting too heavily too quickly can damage your muscles. However, a lot of people seem to forget that you can use your own body weight to build up your strength and develop your muscles. 

Yoga is primarily known for relaxation and calm, so how can it be used to develop your strength? It is a misconception that yoga is easy, it can be really tough! But this is no reason to be put off.

Yoga can help to relax your mind and body whilst building strength using your own body weight. 

This article will show you some yoga poses that you can do at home that can help to increase your strength.

They are suitable for beginners and for people who are more advanced at yoga, so give them a go and see how strong you become!

Can Yoga Build Muscle?

Yoga is very effective in increasing your strength, but it depends on how much muscle you want to build.

There is a limit to how much weight you can use in yoga as your body is your weight, but when you are strength training with weights, you can keep adding more weight.

If you are looking to feel physically stronger but not bulk up, then yoga can help you to start developing your muscles. 

If you want to begin bulking up, then using weights will allow you to see a significant difference in yourself. You can continue to increase the weights as you get stronger. This article, for example, discusses how to increase bench press, which will definitely allow you to bulk up. 

Even if you do use weights, yoga for strength is extremely beneficial for developing your body strength. 

How Does Yoga Help To Build Strength?

There are lots of different styles of yoga that can help to build strength. Styles of yoga where the poses are held for longer than usual help to develop your strength as they increase your stamina.

It is important to have a strong core to be able to hold yoga poses as this helps to increase your balance, and yoga for core exercises can help you achieve this. 

Also, having a strong back helps to support your spine. This is because your spine has to work harder to maintain its position while holding these poses. 

When performing yoga for strength, it is essential to focus on each pose individually.

Focus on what you need to do to perform the pose correctly, rather than trying to complete the entire sequence all at once.

Doing one pose at a time allows you to concentrate fully on that particular pose, helping you to achieve better results. 

Yoga Poses That Will Develop Strength

Below are some examples of yoga poses that will help to build strength. These are perfect for beginners or those who are more experienced at yoga.

Each pose requires only a few simple movements, making them ideal for anyone who wants to try out yoga for strength. Find out more below!

Cobra Yoga Pose

The Cobra yoga pose is popular as it allows you to focus on strengthening your back muscles.

To start the pose, lie on your stomach on the floor and place your forehead on the floor too.

Place your hands underneath your shoulders and keep your elbows close to your sides. 

Keeping your hips and pelvis on the floor, inhale and slowly lift your shoulders and chest off the floor.

Do not use your hands to help you as this will stop your back muscles from engaging in the pose.

Make sure that your face remains looking at the floor, so you don't strain your neck muscles. 

When you exhale, lower yourself back to your starting position on the mat. You can repeat this pose to stretch your muscles and strengthen your back muscles.

Do not hold the pose for longer than you can as you do not want to damage your muscles. 

Tree Yoga Pose

The Tree yoga pose is perfect for strengthening your body as you are balancing on your legs and engaging your core.

To begin the pose, stand with your feet the same distance apart as your hips with a slight bend in your knees.

Gently move onto the ball of one of your feet and transfer your body weight onto the opposite leg. 

Lift your foot fully off the floor, bend your knee, and move your knee to the side to open up your hip. The sole of your foot should be on the inside of your thigh.

If you cannot reach your thigh, don't worry! Place your foot as high as you can on the opposite leg and work your way up to being able to place the sole of your foot on your thigh. 

You can position your hands above your head as this will help to strengthen your core muscles.

If you are a beginner, you can start the pose against the wall and use it for support. You can then gradually begin to improve your balance as your core strengthens. 

Plank Yoga Pose

The Plank pose is popular for workouts as it helps to strengthen your core, lower back, and shoulders all in one pose.

You need to make sure that your form is correct when in the plank position as you want to make sure that you are able to work all of these muscles.

You can do the pose in front of a mirror first to see how your form is. 

Position yourself on your hands and knees on the mat and place your shoulders directly over your wrists. Straighten your legs behind you, so you are up on your toes.

You can spread your fingers out to make sure that you are fully supporting your weight in this position.

You can either do this pose on your hands or with your elbows touching the floor so that your lower arms are supporting your weight. 

Your hips need to be in the correct position to make sure that your core is engaged properly. Your back needs to be positioned in a straight line, so your body is straight from your head all the way down to your feet.

If you struggle to hold this position, you can drop it down to your knees to make it easier, so you can build your way up to holding the proper plank pose. 

Boat Yoga Pose

The Boat yoga pose is on of the best yoga for core strengthening. To perform the pose, you need to sit on the floor with your feet flat on the floor. Bend your knees and keep your hands by your sides.

When you are ready, lean back to lift your feet off the floor and keep your hands up. Your shins should be parallel to the floor, so keep your knees bent. You can also flutter your legs to make the pose harder. 

If you are new to this pose and struggle to balance, you can position your hands on the back of your thighs.

You can also bring your arms above your head with your palms turned in. Straighten your legs to make the pose more difficult, but you can always work up to this position. 

To keep working your core muscles, you can move between the Low Boat pose and the Boat pose.

This will help to work your core muscles and allow them to become stronger. If you struggle to hold this pose, do not force your body as you could injure yourself. 

Warrior ll Yoga Pose

The Warrior ll yoga pose is an effective yoga for muscle building as it helps to strengthen your entire body by making your legs, core, arms, and back stronger.

To begin, place one of your feet at the front of the mat and the other at the back of the mat.

Your back foot needs to be turned out and your hips should be pointing to the side. Bend your front knee so that your front thigh is parallel to the mat. 

Position your arms so that they are straight out at either side, extending your front arm as far as you can with your head facing the front of the mat.

Hold this pose while taking between 5 and 10 deep breaths, or for as long as you can. Repeat this pose on the other side with the opposite leg at the front. 

Final Thoughts

To conclude, yoga is an excellent way to strengthen your body. The longer that you are able to hold the poses, the stronger your muscles will become.

It is important to make sure that you do not hold the pose for longer than you can as this could cause you to injure yourself or strain your muscles.

You can also make the poses easier by not stretching as much, so you are able to develop your strength. 

These yoga poses are suitable for beginners as well as people who are more advanced at yoga. This means that these poses are suitable for anyone who is looking to improve their strength.