Yoga is more than just stretching; it can provide strengthening benefits, too, especially when you add a pair of weights to your routine.
Yoga instructor Bridgette Hall created a power yoga workout just for DailyOM readers, and walks us through a series of yoga poses that specifically target your legs and butt muscles while also strengthening your shoulders and back. By the end of this 30-minute workout, you’ll work up a full-body sweat.
Equipment
- Light set of weights
- Heavy set of weights
- Yoga mat
The Workout
Child’s Pose
Get on all fours on the yoga mat and bring your knees wide while your big toes touch. Sit your hips back into your heels. Reach your fingertips forward and allow your forehead to touch the floor. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
Cat-Cow
Next, shift into a tabletop position by stacking your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees. On an inhale, drop your belly down and look up to the ceiling for Cow pose, then exhale, arching your back and tucking your chin to your chest for Cat pose. Continue to alternate between Cow pose and Cat pose one breath at a time. Go at your own pace.
Bird Dog Crunch
From Cat-Cow pose, get into a neutral tabletop position and extend your right arm in front of you and your left leg behind you. Reach your right hand forward and your left leg behind you with your foot flexed. Take an inhale, and on an exhale, do a crunch by bringing your right elbow to touch your left knee at the center. Keep your neck and spine neutral. After a few reps, switch sides and extend your left arm and right leg.
Downward-Facing Dog
From the tabletop position in the Bird Dog crunch, tuck your toes, extend your legs, send your hips up to get into Downward-Facing Dog. Peddle out your feet, kick up your leg, and open up a hip if that feels good to you. Make sure your hands are shoulder-width apart and your legs are about hip-distance apart. Press your heels onto the mat and feel the stretch in your hamstrings, then come up to your toes and lower your heels back down.
Forward Fold
From Downward-Facing Dog, walk your feet toward your wrists and slightly bend your knees as you cross your arms in front of you (bringing your hands to opposite elbows) and allow your head to hang. Shake your head yes and no and rock side to side. Bring your hands to the mat and bring your heels together, and then stand up one vertebrae and a time.
Mountain Pose
Now that you’re standing tall with your arms by your sides, lift them up overhead with your biceps by your ears. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed and are away from your ears. Turn your pinky fingers in to engage your biceps and lift up through your core and arms to get taller. Then forward fold with your hands by your heart center. Come up halfway from the forward fold position with your hands by your shins and a flat back. Pull your shoulder blades away from your ears.
High Plank
On an exhale, bring your hands to the mat and stack your shoulders directly over them. Extend your legs behind you, tuck your pelvis in, and squeeze your glutes and quads. From the high plank position, lower your body to the ground about two inches and then transition to Upward-Facing Dog. Lift your knees a few inches and keep them off the mat, pressing the top of your feet into the mat. Draw your shoulder blades back and press your hands into the mat, opening up your chest. Inhale, and as you exhale, transition back to Downward-Facing Dog. Repeat this flow from the forward fold position for two more rounds.
Chair Pose
After the second Chaturanga flow, transition from the forward fold to a Chair pose. Squeeze your legs together and hinge your butt back and down to squat, lifting your arms overhead and placing your biceps by your ears. Make sure to keep your weight in your heels; you should be able to lift your toes. Sink your butt a little lower, then bring your arms to the sides of your hips with your palms facing forward for Airplane arms. Next, bring your arms back to Chair pose and then forward fold.
Crescent Lunge
Halfway lift from forward fold and then step your feet back to bring yourself into a high plank. From here, lower your body toward the floor about two inches to transition to Upward-Facing Dog. Flow into Downward-Facing Dog and lift your right leg high. As you exhale, flex your right toes and drop your right hip so it’s in line with your left hip. Kick your heel higher and then bring your right knee to your right elbow to touch. Shift your shoulders over your wrists, then lift your right heel back up.
Step your right foot forward on the ground between your hands and come up to a Crescent lunge. Your front leg should bend to 90 degrees and your back leg should be extended straight behind you with your heel off the ground. Bring your arms overhead with your biceps by your ears. Sink your hips lower into a lunge.
Warrior II
From the Crescent lunge, spin your back foot back so the heel is on the floor and bring your arms to shoulder height to form a “T.” Think about bending your right thigh toward your pinky toe. Inhale, reverse your front arm, high-fiving the back of the room. You should feel a stretch on the right side of your torso. On an exhale, come down to the mat for a high plank and lower your body two inches toward the ground for Chaturanga.
From Downward-Facing Dog, lift your left leg high this time, flexing your foot. Then bring your left knee to touch your left elbow. Lift your left leg high again and then step your left foot between your hands to get into a Crescent lunge. After sinking your hips lower into a lunge, transition back into a Warrior II pose. Reverse your front arm, high-fiving the back of the room, and feel a stretch on the left side of your torso. On an exhale, come down to the mat for a high plank into Chaturanga.
From Downward-Facing Dog, step or jump forward to the front of your mat to get into a half forward fold. Exhale, forward fold, and then transition back to Chair pose and Airplane arms. Next, get back into Chair pose, then forward fold. Halfway lift, then step back into high plank and repeat to low plank and Chaturanga.
Grab a Pair of Light Weights
After Chaturanga, you’re going to repeat the same flow, but now with a pair of light weights if you feel comfortable leveling up the workout.
Hold a light dumbbell in each hand from the forward-fold position. Halfway lift, then forward fold again. Inhale, then get into Chair pose, lifting your weights overhead with your biceps by your ears. Airplane your arms, then bring them back overhead in Chair pose. Forward fold. Step into a high plank and repeat the Chaturanga flow with or without your weights. If you have your weights, keep your knuckles flush to avoid hurting your wrists.
Weighted Crescent Lunge and Warrior II
From Downward-Facing Dog, lift your right leg high, flexing your foot. Bring your right knee to touch your right elbow. Lift your right leg high again, then step your right foot forward into a Crescent lunge with your arms overhead. Bring the weights down to your chest before you transition into a Warrior II pose. Instead of straightening your arms to form a “T,” microbend your arms to help protect your shoulders. Bring the left weight down by your hip as you punch your right arm overhead. On an exhale, lower your right arm back down and then pivot your feet to come to a high plank with the weights in your hands. Repeat Chaturanga.
This time, you want to lift your left leg high from Downward-Facing Dog to repeat the same flow.
Interested in learning more? Check out Yoga Stretches for Beginners.
Squat Series
Weighted Squat
Stand with your feet a little wider than hip-width apart; they should be parallel to each other with your toes facing the front. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand and hold them by your heart’s center to engage your arms. Drop your hips toward your heels into a squat, then press your feet into the ground to stand back up. Continue for a few reps. If you feel comfortable, add a biceps curl to your squat, bringing the weight toward your shoulder as you stand up. Press your hips forward and squeeze your glutes when you stand back up. After a couple of full reps, pulse some squats for 8 counts.
Curtsy Squat
Place your right foot behind your body on a diagonal and your left foot in front to the side. Perform a biceps curl as you lower your butt back and down. Stand back up and repeat for a few reps. Make sure your shoulders are over your hips. Pulse your hips up and down for 8 counts. Repeat on the other side and step your left foot behind you at a diagonal this time. Pulse your hips up and down for 8 counts.
Calf Raise
Stand with your feet a little wider than hip-width apart and hold a heavier dumbbell in each hand by your shoulders. Lift your heels off the ground as you press the weights overhead with your biceps by your ears. Plant your heels back down to the ground. You can alternate pressing the weights overhead or hold them by your heart center if that feels more comfortable for you. You can also place the weights on your shoulders.
Chair Pose
Reach your arms high and bring your legs together as you lower your butt back and down. Forward fold, then halfway lift. Step into a high plank and then go into Chaturanga. From Downward-Facing Dog, lift your right leg high, flexing your foot. Then, bring your right knee to touch your right elbow. Lift your right leg high again before you step your right foot forward between your hands. From here, you want to stand your dumbbells up tall like columns. They should be parallel to each other.
Skater
Keeping your hands pressed to the weights on the ground, extend your left foot back behind you and then bend the knee forward. Keep your right knee bent and your leg low to the ground. If you see white knuckles, that means you’re putting too much weight in your hands; back off and bring your hands to your heart center. Repeat for a couple of reps, then transition to a standing split by lifting your left leg high and placing your hands on the weights on the ground.
Shiva Squat
From the standing split, squat down and bring your left knee behind your right knee, then kick it out behind you. Repeat for a couple of reps. Remain light on your hands and keep your weight on your right leg.
Crescent Lunge
After the last Shiva squat, step your left leg behind you, grab your weights, and lower into a Crescent lunge. Bring your arms overhead with your biceps by your ears.
Deadlift to Shoulder Press
From the Crescent lunge, stand up and lift your left leg in front of you, bending the knee. Perform a deadlift by lowering the weights in front of you with a flat back as you extend your left leg behind you. You should feel this in your right glute. As you come up to stand, bring the weights by your shoulders and press them overhead. Repeat for a couple of reps, then lower into a lunge with your right leg forward.
Upright Row
With your legs in a lunge position, hold the dumbbells in front of your body with your palms facing the back of the room. Row the dumbbells up to your shoulders, then lower them back down. Repeat for a couple of reps. At the last rep, lift your arms overhead in a crescent lunge before transitioning into a Warrior II pose, then Reverse Warrior pose.
Frog Squat
Lower your weights to the ground to the side. Get into a deep squat and lower your butt back and down. Press your arms to the sides of your knees. Lift your butt to shoulder height, then lower it back down. Repeat for a couple of reps.
After your last Frog squat rep, grab your weights and press them overhead as you stand up to a Star pose. On an exhale, transition into a Warrior II pose, then Reverse Warrior. Next, pivot your feet and lower your weights to the ground to get into a high plank. Perform a Chaturanga.
Repeat the entire flow from the Skaters to the Frog squats with your left foot on the ground this time. After the deadlifts to shoulder press, repeat the upright rows with your palms facing each other. As you row the dumbbells up to your shoulders, rotate your palms so they face the back of the room. Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top, then lower them back to the starting position. Repeat for a couple of reps.
After the last upright row, pivot your feet to the front of the room and do a Crescent lunge to Warrior II to Reverse Warrior to Star pose. Drop your weights to the ground.
Sumo Squat
Widen your stance and turn your toes out to face the corners of your mat. Bring your hands to your heart center, then lower your butt back and down to perform squats. Stand back up and squeeze your glutes at the top. If you want an extra challenge, grab your heavy set of weights and perform some shoulder presses as you stand back up from a Sumo squat. You can alternate shoulder presses or do a double press. Drop your weights and then pulse your hips up and down.
Prisoner Squat
With your legs wide, lower down into a squat with your hands behind your head. As you come up to stand, twist your torso to the left to bring your right elbow to touch your left knee. Lower back down to a squat. This time, twist your torso to the right to bring your left elbow to touch your right knee. Continue to alternate for a couple of reps. After your last rep, grab your weights to do a Star pose to Warrior II. Inhale and go into Reverse Warrior. Pivot your feet forward to bring the weights back down to the ground and get into a high plank. Perform Chaturanga. Come down to your knees after Downward-Facing Dog. Grab a few sips of water.
Cooldown Stretches
Left Hip Flexor Stretch
Once you’ve caught your breath, get into Downward-Facing Dog and lift your right leg high, flexing your right foot. Step your right foot forward into a low lunge and lower your left leg to the ground, extending it behind you. Press your body weight forward and feel a stretch in your hip flexors. To get a quad stretch, bring your left heel to your left glute and hold onto your left ankle. Hold here for a few breaths, then release your foot.
Half Split Stretch
Straighten your right leg in front of you and bend your left knee on the ground. Fold your torso forward over your right leg, drawing your chest to your right thigh. After a few breaths, lift your right leg high behind you and open up your hip. Draw little circles on the ceiling with your right knee. Then bring your right foot down to the ground and lift your left leg up.
Right Hip Flexor Stretch
On an exhale, bring your left foot down to the mat for a low lunge. Lower your right knee down to the mat and press your hips forward. This time, you should feel a stretch in your right hip flexors. Then bring your right heel to your right glute for a quad stretch.
Half Split Stretch
Release your right foot, then get into a half split. Straighten your left leg in front of you and fold your torso over your leg. Draw your chest to your left knee. After a few breaths, lift your left leg high behind you and open up your hip. Draw little circles on the ceiling with your left knee.
Step your left foot forward and sit down on the mat with your legs crossed. Bring your hands to heart center and take a few deep breaths.
