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Yoga with BodyBuilding: The Perfect fitness formula

Bodybuilding and Yoga both are seen as a fitness regime. One symbolizes physical strength while other mental strength.

Every individual is built differently, and their preferences for exercises are also different. Choosing between Yoga and bodybuilding exercises is often a confusion. Both these workouts are capable of giving great health benefits. Let’s see how we can synchronize both to achieve maximum health and wellness.

Here we compared Yoga and Body-building, to understand their role in fitness and wellbeing.

Yoga Vs Body-building

Every individual is built differently, which is why their preferences for exercises are also different. Here we compared the most popular Yoga fitness regime against Body-building to make clear which is best for your fitness.

Yoga	Body-building
Yoga is a holistic approach, and it does not target any particular muscle or part. It targets the whole body.	Bodybuilding can be done targeting one particular muscle or part.
Yoga teaches you how to balance the body and mind through “Asanas”. Which means “good posture” in the Sanskrit language.	While bodybuilding is about building stamina and endurance through various resistance training.
Yoga include, Stretching Exercise Handgrip Exercise Body weight lifting	Bodybuilding include, Weightlifting Exercise Handgrip Exercise Muscle toning Exercise
Yoga helps to stretch your muscles and guarantees flexibility	Bodybuilding makes you feel energetic but cannot guarantee flexibility
Fat Loss with Yoga is a very slow process	Fat Loss in Body Building is very fast process
Yoga improves concentration and mental strength	Bodybuilding helps improve muscle strength.
Body, soul, and mind are involved with Yoga	Only your body is actively engaged.
Yoga has no bar for age or groups	Bodybuilding is not recommended for Elderly or very young people.
Yoga keeps you calm and relaxed during entire exercise	Bodybuilding gives you self-confidence and good personality
Yoga can be used to heal various joint pain and muscle aches	Body building can transform your muscles into powerhouse
Yoga helps to enhance blood circulation and carries optimum oxygen to the blood	Bodybuilding can also stimulate blood circulation and oxygen to the body

Combination of Yoga with Body-building

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• Agility and flexibility
  Yoga gives agility and flexibility to the body. The combination of yoga with body building helps to uplift your mental and physical strength. With stretching exercises, yoga postures can help to correct problems pertaining to joints or muscles. Some studies says that yoga is equal to or superior to other exercises in their outcomes.

• Calories Burn
  You can burn calories through bodybuilding exercises as well as Yoga. By increasing or decreasing the effort level, the rate of the calorie burn can be controlled. However, experiment shows, that the calorie burn after 30 min of yoga by a healthy adult was 149 k/cal. While the same person with 30 min of vigorous weight lifting exercise has burn 223k/cal. So the combination of Yoga with weight lifting exercise can be effective for weight loss.

• Bone Mass
  Bodybuilding exercises or strength training can reduce bone loss. Studies have postulated that high-intensity strength training exercises are an effective way to preserve bone density. However, yoga-like Hatha Yoga can be equally effective in reducing bone loss.

• Oxidative Stress
  While exhaustive exercise can alleviate oxidative stress level, Yoga can help in reducing it. To relieve stress and revamp your energy levels, you need Yoga. Yoga increases the level of the feel-good hormone GABA, it is responsible for reducing anxiety and stress level. Yoga can also neutralize the toxic effect caused by the supplements and steroids often taken by bodybuilder.

Benefits of Yoga With Bodybuilding

Let see some benefits of Yoga and why it is preferred together with Bodybuilding

• Yoga may aid in a smoother flow of oxygen to every part of the body
• With different Yoga postures, blood circulation will become even throughout the body.
• It helps to keep internal organs in alignment and to their optimum performance
• Yoga can increase the lubrication of joints and tendons
• With the help of Yoga, full range motion of arms and joints can be achieved
• With Yoga, you can improve the metabolism of the body to retain and assimilate essential nutrients. This helps to elevate your energy level.
• Yoga, when done consistently, can enhance your muscle strength
• Yoga can be done by any age group
• To regain the lost flexibility body-builders

Some clinical research claims that in 9 out of 10 trials, Yoga is beneficial in relieving pain. While some studies suggest that Yoga is also effective in curing low back problems, pregnancy symptoms, arthritis, migraines, etc.

Top 7 Yoga asanas with bodybuilding exercises

• Bikram Yoga
• Kapotasana
• Ardha Chandrasana
• Supta Matsyendrasana
• Chaturanga Dandasana
• Astavakrasana
• Virabhadrasana

Cautions:

• Most common injuries to asanas are a muscular sprain. Asanas should be done under supervision
• Overstretching may lead to serious ligament injuries. Especially in the shoulders, knees, and ankles.

Practicing yoga with bodybuilding exercise can help cultivating endurance and muscle strength. It also improves concentration and body balance, which often lacks during bodybuilding.