Yoga Strong Strength Training Program: Week 4

Welcome to February and the fourth week of the Yoga Strong program! I hope those of you out there who are following along are enjoying it (or at least feeling stronger--I know I am!). Just two more weeks to go and then you can decide how to move forward with your strength training on your own...

{Haven't started the program yet? That's okay! You can start with Week 1 at any point and work your way through this program at your own pace at any time of the year/whenever you're ready.}

So, here are this week's workouts. The good news? You've done a lot of these movements and exercises before. The bad news? If you haven't done so already, you should probably start adding weight to the weight-optional movements, which always makes it much harder. 

FYI, for those who are new to this program, I've included the FAQs below the workouts (just scroll down). 

Day 10: Strength 

• Warmup: 5 minute easy aerobic row, jog or Airdyne bike.
• A1) Eccentric Single Leg Squat {Demo video here}: 5/side x 3 with a 3-second eccentric count. Rest 30 seconds (Always start on your non-dominant or weaker side). 
• A2) Inverted Row {Demo video here}: 5 x 3 with a 2-second pause hold at the top. Rest 1 min before going back to A1.
• B1) Barbell Single Leg Romanian Deadlift {Demo video here}: 5/side x 3, rest 30 seconds. Start with a moderate weight and add as you can. You can use a KettleBell in opposite hand of grounded leg if you'd prefer!
• B2) Dumbbell Row {Demo video here}: 8/side x 3, rest 1 minute. 
• C1) Box Step Up {Demo video here}: 8 x 3 with a 3-second eccentric (eccentric=step down or when lowering), rest 30 seconds.  Add weight (KettleBell) as you feel
• C2) [OPTIONAL-If you can do it! If not, skip] Pronated Pull-up {Demo video here}: 5 x 3 eccentric only (unless you can do a pull-up, in which case, do that instead!). Start with chin over bar and lower as slow as possible, rest 1 minute.
• D) 15 min Airdyne {If you don't have access to an Airdyne bike, you can do a 15-minute jog or row instead}: moderate pace. Get off every 3 minutes and do a 45 sec FLR on rings (Plank with hands on rings; demo video here). If you don't have access to rings, you can just do plank.
• Cooldown: 5-10 minute walk

Day 11: Strength

• Warmup: 5 minute easy aerobic row, jog or Airdyne bike.
• A1) Sumo Kettlebell Deadlift {Demo video here}: 8 x 3, rest 30 seconds.
• A2) Close-Grip Bench Press {Demo video here}: 5-6 x 3, rest 1 minute.
• B1) Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat {Demo video here}: 8/side x 3, rest 30 seconds. Add a KettleBell if you want a bit more challenge.
• B2) Inverted Row {Demo video here}: 6-8 x 3 with a 3-second eccentric (lower for 3 seconds), rest 1 minute.
• C1) Reverse Lunges {Demo video here}: 16 steps (alternating) x 3, rest 30 seconds. 
• C2) Shoulder External Rotation {Demo video here}: 15/side x 3, rest 1 minute. Use 5lb plate or dumbell.
• D) 3 rounds of: 5 Hand Release Push-Ups, 10 Kettle Bell Swings {Demo video here}, 15 Calorie Row (set rower to count calories instead of distance). Rest 2:30 between rounds.  
• Cooldown: Walk 5-10 minutes

Day 12: Strength + Aerobic

• Warmup: 5 min easy aerobic row, jog or Airdyne bike.
• A) Barbell Thruster {Demo video here}: Set timer for 6 minutes. Do 3 reps every minute on the minute.  
• B1) Dumbbell Row {Demo video here}: 6-8/side x 3, rest 30 seconds. 
• B2) Seated DB Shoulder Press on Ground {Demo video here}: Single arm, 8/side x 3, rest 1 minute.
• C1) Barbell Single Leg Romanian Deadlift {Demo video here}: Use the barbell just like in the video. 6/side x 3, rest 30 seconds. If you don't have any weight on the bar, don't touch it all the way to the ground. Stop about 6-7 inches from ground and come back up. 
• C2) Bench Barbell Glute Bridge {Demo video here}: 12 x 3 with a 2 second pause at the top of each rep, squeeze glutes HARD! Rest 1 minute. 
• D)  Do the following at a moderate/easy pace: 5 minute jog, 60 second FLR (plank) on rings*,  5 minute row, 60 second FLR on rings, 5 minute Airdyne (bike), 60 second FLR on rings. *If you don't have access to rings, just substitute plank. If you don't have access to an Airdyne bike, substitute another aerobic exercise for 5 minutes. 
• Cooldown: 5-10 minute walk

Yoga Strong FAQs:

Who is designing this programming? Bobby Scott of Bobby Scott Performance. You can learn more about him here. 

Who is this 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.  

Is this training in-person or do we do it on our own? What do we need in order to complete it? You do this program on your own and we'd love for you to follow along. In order to complete each week's workouts, 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. I post the workouts for the week on Mondays. There are 3 workouts per week with the understanding that you're also doing 2-3 yoga classes per week. You can view ALL 6 weeks of programming here. 

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. 

Enjoy!