ExRx.net

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone could tell me the difference in results that I might expect from two workouts I have in mind. Short & effecient, while not being overwhelming in complexity is what I'm trying to put together. Increased energy, concentration, and muscle mass/tone would be additional goals.

Option 1 is 30 minute circuit training workouts, utilizing compound exercises with dumbbells, 3x/week. (i.e. Core Performance Essentials)

Option 2 is @30 minute power yoga workouts 3x/week. (i.e. Yoga for Regular Guys). I'ts mostly sun salutation variations blended w/ calisthenics.

Cardio rowing would be done on off days for both.

Would the physical results from each option be pretty much the same? I'm leaning toward the power yoga as the stress relief aspect is a big plus. Anything I would be missing if I did that though?

Thanks for any insight,
Rich

Well, I hate to try to compare apples to oranges (but it may not be that). Optiuon 1 looks pretty decent, in terms of overall fitness (I looked up your reference) and although I couldn't get specifics, it's pretty obvious by your description that it's circuits using compound and muticompound moves, probably ground based (on your feet for most of it) placing lots of emphasis on your core. Nothing really new or earth shattering, but very effective for general conditioning. You ask about tone, well in conjunmction with a good diet, plenty of that. Unless you're a beginner though, don't expect a lot of muscle mass though. If you are a beginner, you will probably put some on, then start to level out, which is pretty normal for these types of circuits, but yes, I think it's a good thing.
The Yoga reference, well, I looked up the reference and couldn't find any examples .Yoga in itself is a good thing, and would compliment weights quite nicel, but I get the impression what your talking about is somewhere in between. Could you give an example.
The rowing on off days will tend to keep you leaned out as well as provide good cardiovascular health.
Tim

I'd recommend, instead of the yoga, to look at pilates. I haven't personally tried yoga more than once, but I've done pilates to build up my core strength for wall climbing/bouldering, and it does an excellent job. It also improves flexibility and I found it makes you much tuned into proper form in other activities (wall climbing, and weight lifting, in my case).

Yoga, on the other hand, seems to be mainly focused on flexibility, so you probably won't get the same core strength gains as you would from pilates. Not sure what "power yoga" is, though, so it might be different than what I'm thinking of.

Log in...

Good goals.


This gets my vote, that sounds very good.



I think the physical results would be more pronounced with option 1. However, one of your goals is concentration, and I can't see circuit training being particularly effective in that area. I hate to ask, but, could you in any way blend these two options? I assume the yoga/calisthenics are a class... is it not at your gym? In other words, what prevents you from lifting after the yoga/calisthenics? (it may be time, location, or whatever)

I do 'Yoga For Surfers 2" which claims to be 'Fluid Power Yoga'. I've only tried it three or four times but currently can't do it for more than 20 minutes. (How long is the DVD? Maybe I'll never know...)

There's a lot of Yoga out there aimed at people who want to pretend to be working out, much like the people I see 'walk' on the eliptical machine every day. It's known in the yoga community what types of yoga are helpful or not (in the way that we know doing 1 set of 50 reps isn't 'helpful'), and I'd say any form of yoga that includes the word 'power' in it is probably pretty good, and in my uninformed opinion much better than pilates.

I'd go with option one, if only because my roomate does yoga and a few other exercises and he's weak and in terrible shape.