Ok all you yogis out there, please don’t be offended by this but I’m just gonna come out and say it - I hate yoga. Hate it. Not the CONCEPT, mind you, but the practice itself, for myself.
I'll be the first to say that the practice of yoga is amazing and has done great things for countless people. I promise I'm not knocking it!
I am so envious of the placid, flexible, graceful folks out there who look so comfortable and strong in tree pose, and so at home during sun salutations. Needless to say, I am not one of those people!
If you couldn’t tell by looking at me, I’m much more “meathead” than “zen”… Nothing wrong with that, but despite my efforts and full acknowledgements of the many benefits, I have just never had a pleasant experience with traditional yoga that left me feeling better leaving the studio than when I entered.
I also want to be especially clear that I have been fortunate enough to take classes from wonderful teachers that I both adore and respect, so it’s nobody’s fault whatsoever - it has just never been my jam, that’s all :)
That being said, I took my own advice to #trysomething and step out of my comfort zone again - this time to try a class called Yoga Sculpt.
Before: perhaps just a little skeptical...
I’m not sure if this is a class particular to the studio (CorePower Yoga) I visited or if it’s a more widespread concept, but the best way I can describe this workout is that it utilizes a handful of yoga poses and some “flow” along with handheld weights and more traditional strength, core building, and cardio movements (plus a VERY hot room) to get your whole body working - and sweating PROFUSELY - over the course of an hour.
A handful of my friends, many of whom know of my feelings regarding more traditional yoga practice, had expressed that they thought I might like Yoga Sculpt, and I was admittedly pretty skeptical… But one of my favorite people, my friend Aaron, enjoys it so much and is a lot like me in terms of fitness preferences so I decided to finally accompany him to a class and I’m so glad I did!
I LOVED it.
After: sweaty (very sweaty) and SO happy!
It was so much fun, and super challenging! I don’t usually sweat a whole lot during regular workouts even if I’m hustling, but I was absolutely pouring sweat almost immediately - my clothes were completely soaked! I really appreciated how the yoga poses were used as static holds during which to accomplish weighted work, and that the teacher kept the class moving the entire time. My heart rate was through the roof - not something I expected from a class that had “yoga” in the name!
When I finished, I felt refreshed and energized - that sensation alone was pretty epic, because typically after a workout that is strenuous enough to burn 700 calories (wow, right?) I’m pretty fried!
I felt so good coming home to a healthy snack and tons of water, and I slept so soundly…
I can’t wait to do more of these classes - I think I’ll go again tonight! :)
Have you ever tried something like this, or any other kind of fusion workout? Do you care for yoga or is the gym more your scene? Or are you one of the lucky ones who loves both?
Please feel free to comment, upvote, or resteem if you’d like! :)