Hot yoga vs conventional cardio

[weighted chinup]

This is an interesting concept I would love to implement at some point.

I would like to hear your guys thoughts on this, but I basically first heard about this reading an article written by IFBB Pro Mark Dugdale where he talked about doing hot yoga in the morning upon waking instead of conventional cardio during one of his contest preps.

Some things to consider:

• an hour session burns about 500 calories
• heat stress increases HSP's
• HSP's help with recovery (heat shock proteins)
• HSP may help with insulin resistance (potentially huge for enhanced guys using growth hormone)
• improved mobility/flexibility (less injuries and aches and pains)
• calming / relaxation benefits
• not going to promote muscle loss

Cons:

• less time efficient than LISS for calories burned (for myself 30 minutes of LISS on a treadmill @ 124bpm HR and estimated calories burned is almost 400 on the machine)
• access/availability to classes
• scaling up / increasing amount done can be tricky to balance

Those cons are not to be overlooked especially if dieting hard, but those benefits...

 

[Roger rabbit]

A plus often forgotten about yoga is reduced stress which equates to reduce blood pressure and also lower cortisol.

 

[weighted chinup]

I'm considering making the switch to this as my main form of cardio during my current diet because LISS is becoming a pain in the ass getting my heart rate to the target range, my conditioning has improved to the point where muscle loss, especially on lower body, is becoming a concern in the process of getting my HR in fat burn range.

A hot room OTOH will in itself increase your HR without any additional muscle loss from the activity itself.

Very tempting.

 

[Roger rabbit]

I'm considering making the switch to this as my main form of cardio during my current diet because LISS is becoming a pain in the ass getting my heart rate to the target range, my conditioning has improved to the point where muscle loss, especially on lower body, is becoming a concern in the process of getting my HR in fat burn range.

A hot room OTOH will in itself increase your HR without any additional muscle loss from the activity itself.

Very tempting.

Do and let us know! I’d be interested for sure

 

[LeoTC]

Done yoga for years, and actually got a gym full of powerlifters and fighters doing it offering (free) classes.

Everyone felt fucking phenomenal after a month. And yeah, even without cranking the heat it's fantastic cardio if you keep tension through the movements.

I can get my heart rate up in like 20-30 seconds.

 

[showstoppa]

It's a great way to stay healthy and burning extra calories.

WC you are an older guy like myself, at least time under the bar wise, and at our training age it is important to do things like this to stay healthy.

I'm this is a great way to burn calories and work on mobility. Better mobility opens the possibility to more/different lifts.

 

[Test_Subject]

I've never tried hot yoga, but since I started doing yoga three times a week a few years ago, my injury frequency have been reduced drastically. My mobility is good enough that I can do 3" deficit stiff-legged deadlifts and literally sit on my heels during paused squats at 38 years old. Not exactly mind blowing, but pretty decent I'd say.

I'll have to give hot yoga a try since I absolutely despise cardio.

 

[Mac11wildcat]

I’m not sure i buy in to making this your cardio, especially during a prep, but using it as a supplement/recovery program to a training protocol sounds more than beneficial.

The TNation articlesare cool to read, but if hot yoga was producing superior results it would have spread.

It’s effectiveness as cardio doesn’t take away from all the great shit.

 

[weighted chinup]

I’m not sure i buy in to making this your cardio, especially during a prep, but using it as a supplement/recovery program to a training protocol sounds more than beneficial.

The TNation articlesare cool to read, but if hot yoga was producing superior results it would have spread.

It’s effectiveness as cardio doesn’t take away from all the great shit.

That’s what I’m suspecting is the case, I would never experiment with it myself during a pivotal time like prep and risk it being ineffective when I could do something I know that works, but the general consensus seems to be to do it for its other benefits.

 

[Demondosage]

I've done it, it's rough as hell but you feel amazing after doing it. I've taken classes 60 min and after the first half I thought I was gonna die!!

I see improvements in my sleep, my back, breathing, sense of well being, and I also feel stronger in the gym when I do yoga