Yoga Strong Strength Training Program: Week 1

As promised and as mentioned many times over the past couple of months, today marks the beginning of what Starr Struck's Coach-in-Residence, Bobby Scott, and I are coining his "Yoga Strong" strength training program for yogis.

Don't know what I'm talking about? Here's the deal, in case you missed it:

I've been wanting to get back into strength training for a while now (I miss it from my CrossFit days!). A few months ago, Bobby of Bobby Scott Performance and I discussed this desire and came up with the idea for this program. 

Who is it for? Well, he's customizing it for me (he tested me on a lot of different movements back in November in order to come up with this program), but it's based on addressing the strength needs and imbalances of females who do a lot of yoga. Meaning, there's a big focus on upper body pushing and pulling, which we don't do a ton of in yoga. You can hear all about it on podcast Episode #33: Combining Yoga + Strength Training.  

Can I follow along? Absolutely! We'd love for you to join! In order to do this on your own, you'll need access to a gym or workout space that is equipped with at least a bar/squat rack/weights, kettlebells or dumbbells, a bench, a rower, and a place to run. We don't recommend this program for anyone who is BRAND NEW to strength training, but if you've done it in the past and want to get back into it, you can definitely follow along. We'll include links to short videos that demo the movements whenever possible so that it's easier to figure out what you should be doing. 

How long will it last? 6 weeks. Every Monday for the next 6 weeks, I'll be posting the workouts for the week. There will be 3 workouts per week with the understanding that you're also doing 2-3 yoga classes per week. 

And with that, here's the first week's worth of workouts! I started last week--so I did all of these workouts last week--and let me tell you, I felt it. It's great to be back at it, even if it is *very* cold in our garage gym ;) 

Day 1: Strength + Aerobic Testing

• Warmup: 5 min easy aerobic row, jog or aerodyne (specific type of bike) + dynamic stretches - hip openers, inch worms, etc. Then, do a set of 10 single leg hip bridges with a 2 second glute squeeze at top of each rep to activate glutes for squatting.
• A) Back Squat {Demo video here}: find a 1 rep max. Build from just the bar and add weights slowly until you feel you've reached a max or close to it. Rest as needed between sets. Rest 2-3 min before B.
• B) Strict Press {Demo video here}: find 1 rep max; add weights slowly. Rest as need between w sets. Rest 2-3 min before C.
• C) 5 min AMRAP (as many reps as possible): 5 inverted rows (set up the bar at an incline that is challenging but do-able for 5 reps), 5 pushups--hand release at bottom. Record rounds and rep totals. Rest as needed before D.
• D) 30/30 x 3 on Rower for Max Meters: set rower for 30 sec intervals counting down. Row hard for 30 sec then rest 30 sec and repeat for a total of 3 times. Record results of each row in meters scored 
• Cooldown: 10 minute walk

Day 2: Strength + Aerobic Testing

• Warmup: 5 minute row
• A) Sumo Deadlift {Demo video here}: find 1 rep max. Wide stance, toes out and hands placed just inside shoulder width. Rest 2-3 min.
• B) Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat {Demo video here}: find 8 rep max each side. Start with left side, find 8 RM, then move to right side and find 8 RM. You can hold a KB in front or bar in the front rack position. Rest 5-10 min before C.
• C) Row 2,000 meters for Time: set rower at 2,000 meters counting down and give your best effort. *Be sure to pace this if you haven't rowed a 2k before... it's going to last anywhere between 8-12 min.
• Cooldown: 5-10 minute walk

Day 3: Aerobic Testing

• Warmup: Walk/Run 10 min - EASY, rest as needed - let heart rate come down before A. 
• A) Run 5k for time.
• Cooldown: 10 min walk around the block.

So there you go! I know it looks like a lot of different movements, but once you break each workout down and tackle them in order, you'll find that they're all pretty straightforward and very effective. And if you have questions about the exercises, post them to the comments and either Bobby or I will respond with an answer. 

Note: you should start a little log or notebook where you keep track of your results for each of these workouts, as we'll be testing them again at the end of the 6 weeks to track change and improvement!

Want to learn more about Bobby Scott Performance and/or book a remote training session with him so that you can get your own customized workout or training program? Learn more + reach out to him on his website. 

​Have fun!