A few weeks ago was my first foray into a yoga studio. Although our CrossFit gym has had yoga instructors come in to do classes at our box, I had never ventured into yogi territory before. After seeing a Google coupon for a Stillpoint Yoga Studio class package, I took the plunge and got a great deal. K and I ended up going to a "power yoga" session taught by Stillpoint's founder, Jack Forgosh. Besides sounding badd*ss, I didn't know what to expect from power yoga. Naturally, I googled it and found information on the reliable(?) site, About.com: "The term 'power yoga' came into common usage in themid 1990s, when several yoga teachers were looking for a way to make Ashtanga yoga more accessible to western students. Unlike Ashtanga, power yoga does not follow a series of poses. Therefore any power yoga class can vary widely from the next. What they have in common is an emphasis on strength and flexibility." Strength and flexibilty? Sign me up!
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Lots of people think CrossFit is about strength, and while this may be true, I think it's about strength expressed through efficient movement. Correct positioning could make the difference between a failed lift and a PR. Therefore, the biggest reason I bought this package was for the opportunity to work on flexibilty. Much like our clients need the structure and supervision of CrossFit to workout, I wanted the structure and supervision of stretching. During the hour-long class, we moved quickly from positions like downward dog to warrior to eagle. Many positions involved stretching of the hamstrings (great for someone who sits at a desk during the day) and I found myself applying the yoga positions to CrossFit. Below are some examples:
Chair pose - lumbar curve engaged? SQUAT.
High plank to low plank poses - elbows in, slow lowering? PUSH UP.
Warrior pose - front knee over ankle? SPLIT JERK.
Corpse pose - laying down on ground? POST WOD COLLAPSE.
Some CrossFitters tend to beat down anything that isn't CrossFit, and while I don't see myself going to daily yoga classes, I do see the practicality on working out kinks and flexibility weaknesses. As much as I'd like to dedicate an hour each day to stretching, the reality is that very few people have the discipline to do that. Going once a week to power yoga won't work miracles, but it will keep me conscious of the fact that I have a lot to work on (namely shoulder, thoracic, and hip flexibility) and hopefully encourage me to create a routine. Jack is also great at giving verbal cues and making you realize what you should be feeling in each movement. If you're in the King of Prussia area, go check out Stillpoint.
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i got this same deal, P.Lentus...looking forward to my first class. the six months when i was in India, i did yoga every morning and really loved how flexi i got as a result. yoga is a nice offset to the tightness resulting from going heavy and as you note, a lot of times the difference between a successful lift and a fail is positioning of the body...flexibility a primary component of that. great post.
ReplyDeleteI got this dealio too, looking forward to that, nice posting on something that many other men do not know about- but will help with their, um performance (in the gym!) geesh
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Chris. Yoga can be pretty humbling. I incorporate a lot of basic yoga moves into my warm ups and post-workout stretching. Some of those folks who do power yoga are bodyweight beasts. You wouldn't know it by looking at them but they can do some crazy gymnastic holds. Definitely something I need to work on.
ReplyDeleteNice write up Chris. I've heard that you should spend as much time stretching as working out, and since then I've added yoga as a goal to do weekly. Weekly does not equal all of my working out time but it's a step in the right direction. I find it's really been helping my flexibility and I think it's helping my recovery time as well - espeically when I was doing more endurance running/biking work. I think yoga also helps you become more aware of your body in space, and helps you develop or continue to develop your core stabilization. Doing yoga in a form that works for you is a great addition to your workout regime!
ReplyDeleteStillpoint is great! Debra is amazing, I did a month (yes almost everyday) at Stillpoint post disc herniation in 2009 and when I came back to CrossFit hit a huge PR on FGB.
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