Weight Loss Yoga
I did Yoga Level 1 back in June of 2014. It was my first experience with a Yoga DVD. I wasn't in love, but it didn't turn me off yoga. It was challenging back then. I didn't redo that segment this time due to time. I kind of wish I had though just to see if it was challenging for me this time. I did Yoga Level 1 and Yoga Level 2 this time. I also did the warm up and the cool down. Bob led the whole thing and former contestants were in the group. You can pick any or all of the 5 segments. You can play it with just the music or with the instructors talking.
Warm Up (5 minutes)
We started with some deep breathing while stretching our arms up. Then we did a side bend to each side. Then we did a runner's stretching and moved our arms around. Then we leaned back to stretch the hamstrings. We did that on both sides. Then we did some forward folding. More deep breathing.
Yoga Level 2 (15 minutes)
This was Yoga Pilates Abs. I didn't realize that before I picked it. My abs were still killing me from 10 Minute Fix for Abs from 21 Day Fix. We started off with some Cat / Cows. Then we lifted one leg straight out behind us. Then the opposite hand went straight out and we did some Bird Dog. We held each side for about 30 seconds. Then we started the move again but changed it to Awkward Airplane. The arm and the the leg went out to the sides. This was pretty challenging for my balance. I was able to hold it, but it was hard! He had a couple modifier people who only moved their arm to the side and the leg stayed back. Then we did both sides again. Moving into Elbow Plank. My favorite! We did some Mountain Climbers, but the knees went towards the opposite elbow. We held plank again. So much planking in this.
Some of the contestants had water balls. I used my 8 pound medicine ball because I didn't have a water ball. They went into Camel, but it was a modified camel. They didn't reach back to their feet. They held the ball out in front and then leaned back. The modifier didn't have the ball and she put her hands on her hips. The others raised the ball up over their head as they came forward and then lowered it in front as they leaned back. Then they held the ball up over their head for a few seconds at the end.
Then we went into a side plank. He started out with doing it on the knee, but then quickly went to the full version. He had us rotate and reach the raised hand underneath our armpit. I never liked these in PiYo and I wasn't any better at them here. I started out doing the full version, but side plank is just too dang hard to hold so I dropped to my knee. Bob talked a lot during this little one. We sat up to relax our wrists and then we did the same thing on the other side.
Then we sat on our butts with our feet on the floor and our needs in about a 45 degree angle. We basically did sit ups for a little bit. Then he grabbed the ball and we moved our arms up over our heads with the ball and pulled it to our knees as we sat up. I used my 8 pound medicine ball. I was able to actually do the sit ups. I was impressed with that! Then we were on our backs with our knees bent and the ball between them. We lifted our hips into Bridge and then lowered. We did that for a bit After a bit, he had us move our arms as we did Bridge. That was a bit weird since I'm not used to moving my arms during that. Then we held Bridge for a few seconds.
Then we held the ball in front of us as we did boat. It started out modified, but then he moved to the full version with both legs straight. My abs were killing me by now! I was so happy to roll over and get on my belly. We did a swimming move. One leg went up while the opposite arm went up. We then switched them slowly. We then went faster with it so it was more of a flutter. Then we held a full Superman with arms and feet up. He has us stretch our arms out to the side and hold it. That one seemed to last forever! Then we were done with this segment.
Yoga Level 3 (10 Minutes)
This was called Yoga Strength. He used weights! Two of the contestants used weights and two did. We started out with some deep breathing and stretching our arms up over our head while holding weights. I used my five pound dumbbells. Then we did some forward stretching that was pretty much a deadlift. For a couple of them he did them with one leg going back as we bent forward and lowered the weights. I'm still not good at those.
Then we went to Crescent Pose. We moved up and down with this as we did shoulder presses. Then we held it up for a moment and then went back down and into Warrior 2. We held our legs still, but did Muscle Man Bicep Curls. My arms were not really in the mood for weights with yoga. I had to take breaks fairly often with the arms. Then we did a Right Angle with an elbow on our knee. Then we lowered the weight down towards the floor and then did a row and then pressed it back up to the sky. It's kind of hard to explain. Then we switched sides, but did lateral raises with our arms as we held Crescent instead of moving up and down and doing shoulder presses. It was weird to not do the same thing on each side. When we switched to Warrior 2, we did a chest fly. We did do the same arm movement with Right Angle.
Then we held Chair and did Tricep Kickbacks. I'm not a huge fan of chair and I really hate tricep kickbacks so I wasn't thrilled with this little section, but I got through it. I did have to stand up a time or two though. Even with my five pound dumbbells, this was hard! We held it back and did little pulses. It was really hard! Then we just held it back. OMG! Then we put the arms down straight and sunk deeper into Chair. We only held that for a few seconds, but it was torture, but then the weights went down! YAY!
We stood at the back of the mat. We bent forward and put our hands on the mat in front of us. We walked our hands out to Plank position and then did three push ups. My Push Ups were on my knees! Then we walked our hands back to our feet. We did that a few times. The last time we did it, we just held Plank. We held that for a little bit and then lifted a leg up and held it. Then we pulled a knee to our chests and held it. Then we put it back. We did each side a few times. This move is really hard for e! It looked like it was hard for the male contestant too! Ali was a super star with it. She was even able to touch her knee to her forward, but she did it with a really arched back and I didn't think we were supposed to do that so I didn't. I'm going to try it! That was the last moved. We did a little deep breathing to close it out.
Cool Down
We started off with a straddle stretch and we went as far forward as we could. Then we leaned to the side and then back to the center before going to the other side. Then we put the feet together and did some forward folds. Then we did my favorite! We were on our backs and pulled one knee to the chest. Then we pulled that knee towards the floor on the opposite side. My back usually cracks when I do this one. I love it! We did each side and then moved into Corpse pose. After that we sat up and did a cross legged pose while he talked a little bit. It was weird to end a yoga workout without saying Namaste, but we didn't do it.
Overall, I liked this workout, but the weights made it much more challenging. Weights are weights and yoga is yoga. Yoga has enough strengthening aspects that I don't think the weights were really necessary. It gave it a different feel and it wasn't very relaxing. If I did this again, I might skip the weights, but then I would feel like I'm not giving it my all so I'm not really sure. Maybe, I just won'd do this one again so I won't have to decide. It really was a good workout though.
BodyMedia Screen Shot
Yoga screen shots are never impressive and this one isn't any different.
No comments:
Post a Comment