The Surprising Thing That Makes You a Better Weight Lifter
3 min
Svetikd
Like strength training and want to unleash your full weightlifting potential? Then we have a secret tip for you! And no, today it’s not about protein, although protein helps build muscle mass and that’s why treating yourself to a shake with our Whey Protein more often is probably a good idea*. But you already knew that.
Looking for a new approach to switch things up and give you the boost you need? Supplement your workout routine with a yoga session! Yes, you read that right! Yoga will make you a better strength athlete! Don’t worry, you don’t have to sit cross-legged for an hour chanting “ohm.” Even just a short 20-minute yoga session with targeted exercises can lead to tons of benefits. Curious? Here’s five reasons why yoga is a real game-changer when used to supplement strength training.
#1 Increases Your Range of Motion
Strength athletes often struggle with their muscles being tight. In yoga, flexibility exercises stretch out your muscle tissue. They also increase the range of motion in your joints and make your tendons and ligaments more flexible. This increased flexibility also increases the maximum range of motion you can use when weight training. So when you do a squat, you’re able to squat deeper and strengthen your muscles in the best way possible. So get closer to your peak performance level and hit the yoga mat!
#2 Supports Muscle Recovery
Want to build muscles? Then you need to focus on fast recovery, so you can put your muscles under stress again in your next workout and set new training goals. This is where yoga comes into play, in addition to our Recovery Aminos. During a yoga practice you have to hold different yoga poses. They usually involve working one muscle group while stretching the other, so you gradually activate and relax all your muscles throughout a session. These poses stimulate your blood circulation and supply your muscles with oxygen and nutrients: the best conditions for optimal muscle cell regeneration!
#3 Improves Your Balance
Basic exercises like squats, deadlifts, and pull-ups form the foundation of a good strength training plan. Did you know that a strong core and good balance stabilize you during all these free-standing exercises? Your sense of balance and well-trained deep muscles help you perform all kinds of movement patterns with precision and control. These muscles are even more important when you add weights and train under heavy loads. How often do you practice a standing balance exercise while working out? Never? Then it’s high time to do more yoga! Many yoga exercises test your balance skills and specifically work on your core and other deep postural muscles.
#4 Trains Your Mind-Muscle-Connection
When you do pull-ups, do you mainly feel your biceps instead of your back? Then it’s your mind-muscle-connection that you need to work on! A good mind-muscle connection helps you consciously activate the target muscle during your workout, perform the exercise correctly, and in the end, support healthy muscle development. What does yoga have to do with all this? Yoga isn’t about building lots of muscle mass, but it does focus on your ability to move and feel your body in a controlled way. All that means you’re more mindful, have better body awareness, and can improve your mind-muscle connection.
Reading tip: Find out everything you need to know about mind-muscle connection here
#5 Enables You to Focus Better
To perform at your peak in a strength training session, it’s not only your body but also your mental focus that needs to be at its best. All of us have different sources of stress in our daily lives. Whether it’s at work or at home, it’s not always easy to keep your cool. With yoga, you’ll find the mental balance you need for everyday life and peak performance at the gym. Two things help you maintain this balance: breathing and meditation.
All yoga exercises are practiced in combination with breathing, and for good reason. Breathing has a huge impact on how you feel. Depending on which breathing technique you choose, it can be either calming and activating. Meditation helps you calm your mind and keep your thoughts from spiraling. All of these are important factors for staying focused and using physical strength in a more controlled way during a workout.
Not convinced yet? Just give yoga a try! Click here for everything you need to know about yoga for beginners.
More healthy living tips from foodspring:
- Meditation: Slow yourself down! Here’s our best tips
- Strength Training Exercises, Effects and Beginner Tips
- Why Using These Muscle Boosters Will Help You Get Strong
- How to Reduce Stress: 9 amazing tips to bring you to a calmer place
- Breathing While Lifting: The most effective breathing techniques
*Protein contributes to muscle growth.
Sources for this article
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