Other/Mixed Dr. Stuart McGill answers if its possible to be both a Yogi and a Powerlifter

[Anna C]

In my quite-less-educated-than-Stu-McGill opinion, I don't think it's doing yoga, or the quality of being mobile, or developing flexibility that is the antithesis of being and elastic athlete or powerlifter. I think it's that someone who primarily does yoga, acrobatics, dancing, and such is not someone who typically develops stiffness, because they don't train that way. Likewise for strength athletes - primarily, they are training tension, stiffness, muscle mass. But I've not seen proof that developing the opposite quality within the context of what one "is" would ruin one's strengths. If a flexible athlete trained to be able to have stiffness, I doubt there would be any harm to their primary abilities. Similarly, if a stiff athlete develops flexibility, I tend to doubt there's harm there either. But if either one switches their TRAINING to be PRIMARILY the opposite type of training, then they start to turn into something that is in between, and eventually (over years, or decades, in extreme cases) go towards the other side, and "lose" what they once had, while gaining the opposite. Whether or not that's desirable is a matter of choice.

I've never found a disadvantage to developing or maintaining flexibility. Exploring and practicing movement keeps us young. That said, I don't feel like I have to have it, either. Doing the type of training I want to do (currently Olympic Lifting) maintains the mobility for that type of training, though I do put in some extra work from time to time on shoulders, hips, ankles, t-spine. I can't do yoga as well as I could 10 years ago before I started strength training. (Well, technically, I can "do" yoga just as well... because it's more about breathing, the mind-body connection, focus, etc.. And that can be done no matter how well you can do the poses.) But I can't get into the poses as well. Also, I am 10 years older. So I think it's all 3 things -- 1) not practicing yoga as I used to, 2) being older, 3) developing more stiffness and muscle mass for strength and power, since that is how I primarily train these days.

On a final note, stretching is a wonderfully relaxing tool to have. It's available to anyone. I wouldn't want anyone to be afraid to stretch any more than I'd want someone to be afraid to do resistance training. Topics like this which may have lessons for elite athletes can sometimes put up unnecessary barriers for us mere mortals.

 

[Boris Bachmann]

There's certainly a yin and yang thing going on here with the (overexaggerated, at least in this thread) dichotomy of mobility/flexibility and strength. We all understand that specificity is, you know, specificity in one SPECIFIC THING, and the further you go, that's going to take away from specificity in others - it just is. Doesn't mean you can't do both, and some specimens can do more than one well, it's just that much harder.

 

[mikko]

There are vast differences in intent between modern yoga styles.

Classical yoga styles certainly focused on spiritual goals and the poses as a means to that end.

But there are a lot of modern yoga styles that are much more focused on body results for their own sake.

You are right and I have old fashioned view about yoga. I didn't know that there are modern styles that state that the aim of yoga is something physical. I'm not saying that physical health and wellbeing aren't important, but I feel they left out the most important part yoga practice has to offer.

 

[Simon L]

with regards to static stretching I think we have to mention hyper mobility. This is something my wife has and it has caused her all kind of pains and problems. This was caused, or at least worsened, by lots of static stretching as a child. Static stretching done wrong can end up stretching ligaments which can produce joint instability and hyper mobility which isn’t desirable for most of us.

This is why I’m always keen to distinguish mobility from flexibility. There is a big difference between strengthening your hip flexors at both end range so as to increase range of control and spending several minutes hanging out on your ligaments To force extended range. Building that strength is also what helps us keep that extended range. Gains made in static stretching are often temporary without that. Not to dismiss static stretching completely but there are better options IMO.

Finally learning about fascia and specifically understanding fascial lines has changed how I think about stretching in a really helpful way. I use yoga poses that help stretch out those lines. E.g. bank bend for front lines, forward fold back lines. It’s a more whole body approach than just stretching specific muscles which I have found helpful.

 

[Don Fairbanks]

Impressive for his level of jackedness. Post training stretch.