MAX FITNESS

YOGA IRON
1. DOWNWARD
FACING DOG

HOW TO: Begin on your hands

and knees with your knees stacked
directly under your hips and your
shoulders in alignment with your
elbows and wrists. Spread your
fngers wide and press all fve
fngers evenly onto the ground.
(If you have sensitive wrists, turn
your hands slightly out.) Tuck your
toes under and with an exhalation
lift your knees away from the
ground and push your thighs back,
pressing chest towards thighs and
heels towards the ground. (If your
hamstrings are tight, keep a slight
bend in the knees and allow heels
to remain slightly elevated.) Get
your arms straight, rotate your
upper outer arms back and keep
your shoulder blades hugged back.
Allow your head to be relaxed and
hang in between your arms. Look
towards your navel.
BENEFITS: Strengthens hands
and wrists. Stretches shoulders,
hamstrings and Achilles tendon.
Decompresses the spine and
promotes a calming effect.

IF YOU ARE A BODYBUILDER OR YOU

HIT THE WEIGHTS DAILY, YOU NEED
TO DO THIS YOGA WORKOUT.
BY KELLY GONZALEZ, MS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL JOYNER PHOTOGRAPHY

YOGA HAS BEEN around for thousands of years, but in

the last decade it has become more mainstream in America.
Recreational and professional athletes alike are rolling out
their mats on a regular basis for improvements in athletic
performance and so much more.
Scientifcally, yoga has proven to provide numerous
benefts. Studies credit yoga with reduction of low back
pain, decreased risk of injuries, increased core strength and
fexibility, as well as neurological and hormonal changes that
elevate pain-tolerance levels, reduce anxiety and enhance
focus and concentration.
The word yoga literally means, to yoke, or union. It is
22 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM

APRIL 2015

the connection of breath (prana or life force) to movement that

restores the body, calms the mind and illuminates the spirit.
For the competitive strength training athlete and even
recreational exercisers, injuries from repetitive movements such
as squats, overhead presses and even gripping iron dumbbells
and barbells can lead to pain and discomfort over time. Not
only that, but frequent intense training sessions can wreak
havoc on your endocrine system if not properly balanced with
stress-relief methods.
Here are eight yoga poses to help you not only feel
balanced in your body, but also awaken to the mental and
spiritual benefts yoga has to offer.

2. FOREARM
SIDE PLANK

HOW TO: Begin in forearm

plank. Turn your right arm
so the outer edge of your
forearm is parallel to the
top of the mat. Bring feet
together and kick both heels
to the right. Stack your feet.
Lift your hips and extend your
left arm towards the sky in
line with your right shoulder.
BENEFITS: Strengthens
rotator cuff muscles, core and
hips. Helps prevent shoulder
injuries, IT band syndrome and
low back pain.

3. TRIANGLE POSE

HOW TO: Stand with feet

together. Step or jump feet
2.5-3.5 feet apart. Spread your
arms out to the sides in line with
your shoulders, palms facing
down. Turn right foot to the
right 90 degrees and left foot
in slightly to a 45-degree angle.
Firm your thighs, press into the
outer edge of the left heel and
extend your torso to the right.
Place your right hand on your
shin, ankle or the ground on the
outside of your right foot as you
reach your left arm upwards to
the sky in line with your right
shoulder. Gaze upward towards
your left arm or straight ahead.
BENEFITS: Improves hip
mobility; stretches hamstrings,
hips, shoulders, chest and spine.

6 REASONS
WHY STRENGTH
ATHLETES SHOULD
DO YOGA
1. FLEXIBILITY: Weight lifting can lead to
muscle imbalances that impair your range
of motion and power output. Stretching
helps you stay fexible and mobile.
2. FOCUS: The Sanskrit word, drishti,

translates to focus or gaze. Learning and

practicing this technique in yoga and
meditation can help you be more focused
in all of your workouts and life matters.
3. REDUCE STRESS: Less stress equals a faster

recovery and improved immune function.

According to the International Journal
of Preventive Medicine, yoga stimulates
the down-regulation of the hypothalamic
pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and the
sympathetic nervous system.
4. IMPROVE PAIN TOLERANCE: In order to reach

4. LOW LUNGE,
VARIATION

HOW TO: Start in a low lunge

with your right leg forward,
knee bent at a 90-degree angle.
Keep your hips square to the
front of your mat. Avoid leaning
into the pose and over-arching
the low back. Place your right
hand on your thigh for support.
With an inhale reach your left
arm up. Exhale as you side-bend
to the right.
BENEFITS: Stretches tensor
fascia latae at the top of the
IT band, psoas and latissimus
dorsi.

the next level, you must break free of

your comfort and safely push the limits.
Researchers found that yoga practitioners
had greater gray matter volume in brain
regions related to pain processing, pain
regulation and attention.
5. IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH: Numerous studies
credit yoga as an effective method for
stress reduction. A study in the Journal
of Complementary Therapies in Medicine
discovered that 10 weekly 1-hour hatha
yoga classes reduced stress and anxiety
as much as relaxation and proved to
be more effective for improving mental
health.
6. REDUCE LOW-BACK PAIN: A 2013 study in

the Clinical Journal of Pain found yoga to

be an effective method for short-term and
long-term relief for chronic low-back pain.
APRIL 2015

WWW.MAXSPORTSANDFITNESS.COM

23

5. BRIDGE

BRIDGE

6. PIGEON

PIGEON

HOW TO: Lie on your back with your feet hip distance
apart and your arms at your sides. Bend your knees bringing
your heels towards your glutes. With an inhalation lift your
hips off the ground. Interlace your fngers under your back.
Lightly frm the outer glutes and lift the hips until your thighs
are parallel to the foor. (For a restorative version place a
block under your sacrum.) Extend your tailbone towards the
back of the knees, but keep your knees in line with your
ankles. Elongate your cervical spine by slightly lifting the chin
away from your sternum. Firm the shoulder blades against
your back. Get your arms totally straight. Rotate the triceps
down so the eye of the elbow turns upwards, and try to get
the palms to touch. BENEFITS: Strengthens glutes and
hamstrings. Stretches chest, neck and shoulders.

HOW TO: Starting in downward facing dog, lift your right

leg up, lunge your right foot in between your hands. Drop the
left knee to the foor. Release your left toes and slide your
left leg way back. Walk your right foot to your left hand and
drop your right knee to the foor. Make sure your right shin is
parallel to the front of your mat. Keep your right foot fexed
to protect the knee. (Modifcation: Keep a block under your
right hip.) Square your hips by rolling your left hip down.
Rotate your left inner thigh to the sky. Pull your sternum
forward. Depending on your fexibility, remain upright, lower
down to your forearms or reach arms forward.
BENEFITS: Stretches hip fexors, thighs and glute
muscles. Helps prevent back pain.

7. RECLINED SPINAL TWIST

HOW TO: Start lying on your back with legs extended out.
Hug your right knee into your chest. Release your right arm
out until the right palm faces up. Look to the right.
Drop your right knee over to the left side of your body.
Scoot your left hip back 1-2 inches to the right. BENEFITS:
Balances nervous system, releases tension in the low back.

RECLINED SPINAL TWIST

8. CORPSE

HOW TO: Lie on your back with legs extended and arms
relaxed at your sides with palms facing up. (For comfort, roll
a blanket under your knees and neck.) Relax your body and
quiet your mind. Remain in this pose for 5-10 minutes or as
long as necessary. BENEFITS: Releases tension and stress.
Calms the body and mind and helps you absorb the benefts
of your practice or workout. MS&F

BREATHE
DEEPLY

What makes yoga a transformative practice is the

linking of breath to movement. The term pranayama
refers to the practice of controlling the breath. Prana
literally means life force. Our breath provides life
and energy and can also be used to calm the mind and
relieve stress. Breathing in through the nose stimulates
the olfactory nerve, which triggers the parasympathetic
nervous system providing stress relief.
Ujjayi means, to become victorious. Using
this breath during your yoga practice puts you in the
fow as it creates heat in the body, strengthens the
cardiorespiratory system, and promotes focus and
calmness. Try experimenting with Ujjayi breathing while
strength training or other demanding physical practices
to transform your workout into a moving meditation.
24 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM

APRIL 2015

CORPSE

HOW TO: Breathe in slowly and evenly through your nose. Keep your mouth closed and constrict the back of the throat as if you were
going to whisper as you exhale through the nostrils. Allow the breath to be audible like the sound of an ocean wave.
LINK BREATH TO MOVEMENT: Inhale as you rise or come into a pose and exhale as you move out or lower down. Maintain ujjayi
breathing while holding poses.