As a certified personal trainer and yoga teacher, I work with a lot of athletes who are reticent to try yoga. This happens for several reasons, among them the fact that learning the poses can be a lot harder than you’d think. There are literally hundreds of poses, each demanding strength and coordination. It’s essentially like learning an entirely different language. But if you already strength train at the gym, there are yoga poses that will feel very familiar to bodyweight exercises.
In fact, some of the best yoga poses for building strength are those that have a bodyweight exercise equivalent, which are exercises in which you build muscle by supporting the weight of your body. Below are some of the best bodyweight exercises for strength that just happen to be yoga.
12 Yoga Poses That Are Essentially Bodyweight Strength Exercises
These strength-building yoga poses have a surprisingly strong resemblance to bodyweight exercises. Keep in mind, what makes something yoga isn’t the shape but how you hold yourself in the shape. Slow your breath. Notice where you’re holding unnecessary tension. And…
