Training & Nutrition - yoga for cycling

Does anyone have a cycling specific yoga program that targets stretching the muscle groups we use when cycling?

There are a lot of good cycling-yoga related videos on youtube.com

You can also find some good routines at yogadownload.com. I really like the yoga for back pain routines there as they loosened up my QL, hamstrings and calves

Wife just gave me a small book called "Yoga for Cyclists". By Andria Baldovin, R.Y.T........Now all I need to do is read it...

No real program for yoga. Yoga is a great exercise for building flexibility, so if you are feeling tight, an overall yoga program would help. I think if you're someone who doesn't have a lot of flexibility, hatha yoga is the place to start. It's a gentler yoga. Or you can try kripalu yoga too- also a gentle yoga. Once you gain some flexibility, a vinyasa yoga is the place to go.

Now, if you want to work on improving flexibility AND core strength simultaneously, pilates is a good route. I prefer classical pilates mat over contemporary pilates (Stott, Winsdor). I also prefer pilates reformer (equipment) or even pilates with equipment, such as a power circle over mat. It is a fantastic way to increase core strength, which I think is essential to cyclists, especially for long distance cyclists, who need so much more core strength.

koffee

I do Bikram yoga 5-7 days a week. Its not cycling specific but is mainly focused on the back. Dont worry though, your legs get a lot out of it. Since it also has no music, no incense, no chanting, no spiritual aspect and is just a 90 min hard yoga workout, it gets a high percentage of males. Its also done in a 40C, 110F degree room.

Jarery

I do Bikram yoga 5-7 days a week. Its not cycling specific but is mainly focused on the back. Dont worry though, your legs get a lot out of it. Since it also has no music, no incense, no chanting, no spiritual aspect and is just a 90 min hard yoga workout, it gets a high percentage of males. Its also done in a 40C, 110F degree room.

Jarery

Ummmm. You just described the majority of yoga classes, just without so much heat.

Bikram is crap and gimmick. If you want gimmicky yoga, go for it! I guess that's why guys like it so much.

koffee

Ummmm. You just described the majority of yoga classes, just without so much heat.

Bikram is crap and gimmick. If you want gimmicky yoga, go for it! I guess that's why guys like it so much.

koffee

Wait... Yoga is full of dudes? Oh well!

Ummmm. You just described the majority of yoga classes, just without so much heat.

Bikram is crap and gimmick. If you want gimmicky yoga, go for it! I guess that's why guys like it so much.

koffee

Wow, its obvious your yoga is working well for your attitude.
Call it a gimmick all you want, it gets people out and doing it who wouldn't previously.
its also probably been responsible for getting more people into yoga in north america than any other yoga.
But keep on hating and insulting, and stay ignorant of it.

I also feel that Bikram is gimmicky. However, I'm careful not to knock it too much. I've practiced Ashtanga Vinyasa for about 10 years and was much opposed to the idea of copywriting yoga sequences the way that Bikram Choudry has done. The idea of heating the room is a marketing gimmick and is completely unnecessary. I oppose the use of a heated room for yoga because its just so wasteful of energy.

On the other hand, I have practiced heated yoga numerous times and it is a good introduction to yoga in that all the postures are fundamentally what a beginning yoga practitioner needs to learn. You can learn all these postures in any beginner class without the heat, and you'll still get the benefits. I believe Bikram is so popular with men because it gets you to sweat very fast. You won't necessarily get that from an unheated beginners class. But I assure you that practice Asthanga Yoga Primary Series and you will be sweating profusely by halfway through the series (which can take 1.5-2 hours to finish)!

Wow, its obvious your yoga is working well for your attitude.
Call it a gimmick all you want, it gets people out and doing it who wouldn't previously.
its also probably been responsible for getting more people into yoga in north america than any other yoga.
But keep on hating and insulting, and stay ignorant of it.

Dood, you're funny, though. I RUN a full program full of group exercise, including yoga. I've seen firsthand the harm bikram does, and to me, if a program is that unsafe, it's not worth it. But that's why my programming is successful, why people are constantly sending in their resumes, and why our studio is PACKED, even though bikram is being offered around the corner.

I feel sorry for those ignorant folks who really haven't experienced enough yoga and really feel that this gimmicky program is "it" in north america.

It's very laughable that you can say that it's gotten more people in north america than any other yoga. Do you not know yoga? It's been around for THOUSANDS of years, and long after bikram gimmick yoga is gone, the practice of yoga will still be there- pure and stronger than ever.

koffee

I also feel that Bikram is gimmicky. However, I'm careful not to knock it too much. I've practiced Ashtanga Vinyasa for about 10 years and was much opposed to the idea of copywriting yoga sequences the way that Bikram Choudry has done. The idea of heating the room is a marketing gimmick and is completely unnecessary. I oppose the use of a heated room for yoga because its just so wasteful of energy.

On the other hand, I have practiced heated yoga numerous times and it is a good introduction to yoga in that all the postures are fundamentally what a beginning yoga practitioner needs to learn. You can learn all these postures in any beginner class without the heat, and you'll still get the benefits. I believe Bikram is so popular with men because it gets you to sweat very fast. You won't necessarily get that from an unheated beginners class. But I assure you that practice Asthanga Yoga Primary Series and you will be sweating profusely by halfway through the series (which can take 1.5-2 hours to finish)!

Very true- men really want to feel like they're "getting a workout", or (many times) they'll not bother to come into a class.

Our classes are heated, but certainly not to the unsafe levels of bikram. We don't heat past 74 degrees, and we count on the teacher to provide solid, safe, and effective warm ups, gradually building heat in the body- those sun salutations and moon salutations are a perfect means of getting people warmed up once they get through their opening sequence.

I started with Astanga myself- was sweating by the time we hit halfway through the salutations. I don't need some gimmick to warm up my muscles, thanks. I can count on an experienced teacher instructing a thorough and intense yoga class, coupled with one-on-one interaction and correction from the instructor or the assistant. I've gotten so much from that.

koffee

Bicycling.com sent me an email last week with a yoga for cyclist link.
http://www.bicycling.com/yoga/?cm_mmc=Bicycling%20NL-_-2010_03_11-_-slideshow-_-yoga

Our yoga instructor incorporates poses/exercises for the two athletes in our class (me-cyclist, another person-golfer) into the routine. No one seems to mind. :)

I never knew what Bikram was until a google search later.

I know from experience, the warmer my muscles get, the more I can facilitate a deeper stretch & my muscles feel a lot more longated. Wouldn't the idea of heating the room just accelerate the stretching process?. I would actually feel safer knowing my muscles have reached the highest temp possible to safeguard injury. Keeping the muscles warm enables you to stretch more deeply without injury, surely that is a given?.

I really wish I could get my body into some of them yoga poses. Just looking at the pictures now & my muscles are getting tighter looking at the pictures.

I know from experience, the warmer my muscles get, the more I can facilitate a deeper stretch & my muscles feel a lot more longated. Wouldn't the idea of heating the room just accelerate the stretching process?. I would actually feel safer knowing my muscles have reached the highest temp possible to safeguard injury. Keeping the muscles warm enables you to stretch more deeply without injury, surely that is a given?.



Surely your premise is not flawed. However, by which process are you willing to heat your muscles? Externally or Internally? Many yoga practitioners feel that heat can and should be generated internally - which is the reason you should start your practice with sun salutations. Once your body is warmed up, it stays warm, so why the need to keep the heater on? You only need to breath deeply and with concentration, and that alone will build enough heat to warm you up. If you haven't experienced this yet, you haven't gone to the right teacher or the right class.

Additionally, using external heat, its easy to feel like your muscles are ready to stretch farther than they really are. Yoga is all about cultivating awareness of your body and mind. The external heat is a distraction and inhibits cultivating awareness. How can you determine where your "real" limitation lies when the heated room is sending your false indications about your true flexibility? This goes straight to the heart of your safety concerns.
If you practice in a heated room, you may stretch further than you really should and end up injuring yourself.

Once your body is warmed up, it stays warm, so why the need to keep the heater on?

Because the heater is warming my body & my muscles to a much higher temperature than building it up via body heat alone, thus having the capability to perform deeper stretches. From experience I know this to be the case after exercising.


If you practice in a heated room, you may stretch further than you really should and end up injuring yourself.

I would have thought your just as likely to injure yourself with over stretching colder muscles i.e in a yoga session that doesn't involve a heated room.


How can you determine where your "real" limitation lies when the heated room is sending your false indications about your true flexibility?

Are they false indications though?. Or is the fact of the matter the muscles are just at a much higher temperature at which deeper stretches, higher limitations can be performed.

A fast cycling buddy of mine, even older than I am, tried Bikram with his wife for a while. Twice a week. Except that the more yoga he did, the quicker he got dropped by the fast boys because he wasn't riding while he was yoga-ing. So he quit it and began to return to his former fitness in a few weeks. He liked it, though. But he hated getting dropped more than he liked the yoga. Last fall, he took 45 minutes off the record for his age group in a hill climb time trial. Guess he got it all back.

*****3nin.vend3t, I appreciate your comments, but I don't intend to get into a debate about this. The bottom line is you should practice what feels right for your body. True, you can injure yourself by stretching cold muscles. With Ashtanga yoga, the practice is traditionally performed in the early morning. The sun salutations (up to 20 repetitions) ARE the warm up. I can tell you that the first few repetitions are done with cold muscles, so you do need to take it slow.
But again, the point with all yoga is to awaken your awareness, not to become Gumby. If you approach it with the goal of becoming flexible above all other facets of yoga, you will likely injure yourself regardless of heat/no-heat. It is your responsibility to use your awareness to know where your limitations are. I suppose if you are in tune with this, then it doesn't matter whether the room is hot or cold. But tell me, do most beginners have a refined sense of awareness?

If you approach it with the goal of becoming flexible above all other facets of yoga, you will likely injure yourself regardless of heat/no-heat. But tell me, do most beginners have a refined sense of awareness?

It seems to me that different types of yoga produce different benefits & its just ones "opinion" not gimmicks how one should go about achieving it. One persons goal (increased self awareness) isn't necessarily the next persons (flexibility). Different types of yoga aiming to provide differing goals (towards the extreme realms of doing things).

My main goal would be increased flexibility, I know of the great benefits it has on health, obviously you do too, but I'm not a practitioner (not yet). Is self-awareness in yoga regarded as being a better quality than flexibility to develop?. Its just that my main aim would be too increase the flexibility (single minded).

Isn't sense of awareness determined in our genetics at birth? Although I'm guessing yoga precises it to a much finer degree?. I would always be constantly aware of my limitations when stretching, not too overstretch.

*****3nin.vend3t, The Yoga Sutras by Patanjali say nothing about flexibility. There is very little mention of postures, and no descriptions of any stretches. The only thing mentioned of postures is:

YS II:46 STHIRA-SUKHAM ASANAM
Sthira: stead, stable
Sukham: easy, firm, and pleasant
Asanam: posture

On the other hand, The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is all about describing different yoga postures.

At it's core, it's about meditation. But as you know, there's this "physical" form of yoga which most of us practice. But its believed that practicing the physical form of yoga leads one towards the more subtle practices of yoga. When I started, my goal was also to become more flexible. I'm quite flexible, but after 10 years, I still cannot get my foot behind my head (maybe another 10 years?). Anyway, you are right that different types of yoga have different paths of focus. For instance there's the yoga of devotion, yoga of service, and yoga of wisdom.

The physical form most of us practice is regarded as part of Hatha or Raja Yoga. This "Raja" yoga has taken on many different forms depending on the lineage of gurus. Ashtanga and Iyengar follow from the Krishnamacharya lineage, while Bikram yoga with the heated room was invented in America. Bikram (the teacher) comes from a different lineage than Krishnamachary. Ok enough of the history lesson.

In the end, the common thread linking all these forms of yoga is the path to Samadhi or Enlightenment. Nowadays, the path starts with Asana (or postures). Actually, it starts with Yama and Niyama (you can research it yourself). So, to answer your question: "Is self-awareness in yoga regarded as being a better quality than flexibility to develop?". The answer is basically yes. Although, I wouldn't use the word "better". Flexibility is just a positive side benefit from practicing asana. The real "prize" is awareness, concentration, and meditation that you eventually develop.

Sorry for the long post, but this is a very interesting topic for me.

I RUN a full program full of group exercise, including yoga...................
It's very laughable that you can say that it's gotten more people in north america than any other yoga. Do you not know yoga? It's been around for THOUSANDS of years

koffee


Maybe if you stopped insulting long enough to actually comprehend what i wrote you'd understand. I can see why you failed as a moderator. Yes yoga's been around thousands of years, but not in America. Of course that appears beyond your comprehension.

Oh and i'm so impressed you run a full exercise program including yoga...So does the local Y and other gyms in the area. I dont consider them authorities on yoga either, nor do i consider you one.

I never claimed it was better than other yoga, just that it was one type of yoga the original poster may be interested in. Instead of accepting it as a way to get more people into it who then may move on as they gain knowledge, you froth at the mouth and spout insults about it, and myself for mentioning it.

Dood, you're funny, though. I RUN a full program full of group exercise, including yoga. I've seen firsthand the harm bikram does, and to me, if a program is that unsafe, it's not worth it. But that's why my programming is successful, why people are constantly sending in their resumes, and why our studio is PACKED, even though bikram is being offered around the corner.

I feel sorry for those ignorant folks who really haven't experienced enough yoga and really feel that this gimmicky program is "it" in north america.

It's very laughable that you can say that it's gotten more people in north america than any other yoga. Do you not know yoga? It's been around for THOUSANDS of years, and long after bikram gimmick yoga is gone, the practice of yoga will still be there- pure and stronger than ever.

koffee

Koffee, what is the point of the high temperature in Bikram, and what sort of harm have you seen it to cause? I'm a yoga newbie, and here we have all kinds.

what is the point of the high temperature in Bikram ...
Proponents say the muscles respond better in a warm environment, and that it helps to detoxify.
Risks include overexertion, strains, and dehydration. Some say that people use the room heat as an excuse to not properly warm up muscles.

The detox thing always makes me laugh. Nobody ever talks about specific chemicals, just a build up of toxins, which can presumably be sweated/pissed out.
I've done yoga for 5 or so years. Some instructors are always saying of different poses, "this one helps your digestion" or, "this stretch will make you sleep better" or, "this inversion will make you better at math."

I'm in it for the shoulder and core strength, and the lower body flexibility.
I doubt I'll ever take a Bikram class as I don't know which would kill me first; the suffocating heat, or the boredom of doing the same 26 poses in the same order every time.

Proponents say the muscles respond better in a warm environment, and that it helps to detoxify.
Risks include overexertion, strains, and dehydration. Some say that people use the room heat as an excuse to not properly warm up muscles.

The detox thing always makes me laugh. Nobody ever talks about specific chemicals, just a build up of toxins, which can presumably be sweated/pissed out.
I've done yoga for 5 or so years. Some instructors are always saying of different poses, "this one helps your digestion" or, "this stretch will make you sleep better" or, "this inversion will make you better at math."

I'm in it for the shoulder and core strength, and the lower body flexibility.
I doubt I'll ever take a Bikram class as I don't know which would kill me first; the suffocating heat, or the boredom of doing the same 26 poses in the same order every time.

Detoxify! Release! Ahhh!

or was that Baaaahh!

I'm quite sure Yoga is good for your body and flexibility, but i'd treat all claims about hot rooms, lotions, incense and oils with a lot of skepticism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngtuYqpMf2U&feature=channel

anyone doing Zumba?

Detoxify! Release! Ahhh!

or was that Baaaahh!

I'm quite sure Yoga is good for your body and flexibility, but i'd treat all claims about hot rooms, lotions, incense and oils with a lot of skepticism.

Thanks, gents!

Koffee, what is the point of the high temperature in Bikram, and what sort of harm have you seen it to cause? I'm a yoga newbie, and here we have all kinds.

Ditto to what Metzinger said about the heat for the muscles. Think of muscles as like taffy. When taffy is cold, it's stiff and doesn't bend very well- but if you heat up that taffy, it's stretchy and pliable. The idea of bikram is to heat up the muscles to the point where you can stretch a whole of a heck more.

I've seen many people leave bikram yoga throwing up, sick, dizzy, fainting, pulled muscles, etc. That was enough to ban bikram at our gym, or any type of hot yoga. 74 degrees is as high as it goes. If people want to be hot, I expect the instructor to give a thorough warm up and then take the class through an intense yoga session. Oh, that room gets pretty hot all on its own. We don't need a gimmick to achieve the goal.

koffee

The heat is to make it so you dont pull muscles. Its also to make one sweat, and it adds a mental hurdle to overcome. Theres lots of written reasons, try googling it. I just know it works for me. Im much more comfortable on my bike as a result, and my fitness and strength have increased.

Ive never seen anyone feint, throw up, or other such. Ive seen people sit down, and ive seen people say they got dizzy. Ive seen people dizzy at the top of a hill climb cycling. Every Bikram studio ive looked at also recommends not eating 3 hours prior and fully hydrating throughout the day prior. I'd suggest anyone throwing up or feinting most likely didnt heed the advice.

Enough people doing anything will have people getting injured. Just look at the number of people getting injured in a shower or sitting on a toilet. With the amount doing Bikram, it doesnt surprise me some injure themselves. Many just fail to listen. Some may of been from a poor instructor, as im sure there are some. Heck, some people hurt themselves cycling, go figure. I bet you couldnt get 100,00 people to stand still in a field without paramedics being called.

Heres a guy it works for
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/players/08/07/core0814/index.html

Heres a guy whos health it helps
http://bikram101.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-74-my-story.html

There are many stories out there. Most good, some bad. Dont let one persons misinformed opinion on here steer you either direction. Educate yourself on it and make your own decision. Better yet, try it yourself once and make an informed opinion on your own :)

There are many stories out there. Most good, some bad. Dont let one persons misinformed opinion on here steer you either direction. Educate yourself on it and make your own decision. Better yet, try it yourself once and make an informed opinion on your own :)

+1 - I like your cycling analogies.

Furthermore, I would suggest trying a variety of styles of yoga and different teachers. So often, one gets hooked on the first yoga they try and never ending up trying other styles and teachers. Even within Bikram, you will see teachers who teach the Bikram script verbatim, while the next teach may truly speak from their own experience. And many new students get "trapped" within the Bikram system and never even know there are other forms of yoga out there, simply because (in my experience) Bikram teachers don't talk about other forms of yoga (heck, I had one Bikram teacher who didn't even know what Ashtanga was). I told him I'd been practicing Ashtanga for 10 years and he gave me a blank look.

In my prior post, I mentioned the Bikram script and how many teachers use it in each and every class (ie, absolutely no variation to take into account people's unique bodies and capabilities). Here's a humorous video illustrating the "lock your knee" instruction:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBiA9sg8JWY


BTW, here's a clip from a part of my yoga practice - this is part of the seat sequence of the Ashtanga Yoga Primary series:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJRB5zEsRf0

Ditto to what Metzinger said about the heat for the muscles. Think of muscles as like taffy. When taffy is cold, it's stiff and doesn't bend very well- but if you heat up that taffy, it's stretchy and pliable. The idea of bikram is to heat up the muscles to the point where you can stretch a whole of a heck more.

I've seen many people leave bikram yoga throwing up, sick, dizzy, fainting, pulled muscles, etc. That was enough to ban bikram at our gym, or any type of hot yoga. 74 degrees is as high as it goes. If people want to be hot, I expect the instructor to give a thorough warm up and then take the class through an intense yoga session. Oh, that room gets pretty hot all on its own. We don't need a gimmick to achieve the goal.

koffee

Thanks, Koffee!

I like to learn things that are transportable, that I can do wherever or whenever I want, not just when I have access to a studio or a hot room. I think it would be better for me to start with hatha. We also have a lot of Iyengar teachers here, too.

Thanks, Koffee!

I like to learn things that are transportable, that I can do wherever or whenever I want, not just when I have access to a studio or a hot room. I think it would be better for me to start with hatha. We also have a lot of Iyengar teachers here, too.


I'd say just start where you're comfortable. Our yoga classes are for all levels, but I'd recommend a hatha over a vinyasa, and kripalu over a power, etc for someone newer to yoga. But really, I would hope that if there is a studio out there where you they don't distinguish between levels, then you should be able to jump in as a new person. Just make sure you talk to the yoga instructor and let them know you're new to the class.

koffee

This is kinda what I've been thinking - get in a class where the instructor has multi-level participants. That way I can learn at my own pace (one can't learn faster than one can) and see a lot of good and perhaps not so good examples. We have a lot of yoga here, I'll have to look around a bit. Sounds like speaking to the instructors will be more important than looking for the word "hatha" in the school brochures.

There is a cycling specific yoga routine in "Bike for Life" that was designed by Steve Ilg. I'm just starting to do yoga as an adjunct to cycling, and it seems like a great idea. Cycling is not full range of motion, you're locked in one position and you repeat the same movements thousands of times. Yoga (and pilates) seem good complements to the activity; wish I had started sooner.