Yoga for Athletes

If you think yoga isn't for you, look to basketball stars Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki.  They're just a couple of the big names that trained with yoga coach Kent Katich to improve their strength, balance, and flexibility, while reducing injuries.  And the same principles that help the world's top athletes gain an edge also will work for you, whether you aiming for a slimmer waist, faster 5k or more snap in your kicks.  

Here are a few benefits:

1. Improved Strength: Routine and consistent practice of the various yoga asanas (poses or postures) help build strength and improve lean muscle mass.  It enhances core body stability and significantly impeded overuse injury by strengthening the supportive muscles surrounding the more utilized muscles, creating a more balanced and optimally functional overall strength.

2. Balance: It improves coordination and balance enhancing control over how your body moves, which in turn leads to better technique and form.

3. Flexibility: Yoga invariably improves joint and muscular flexibility, which is crucial to the body’s overall structural soundness. Enhanced joint and muscle pliancy translates to greater range of motion, or an increase in the performance latitude for a particular movement or series of movements. 

4. Mental Control: The physical benefits of yoga for the athlete are huge. But they’re nothing in comparison to the more ephemeral benefits.  It can help you decrease anxiety, improve your emotional stability, increase creativity and happiness, develop intuition, help gain clarity, focus and peace of mind.

These eight basic poses can make a difference when it comes to how you look, feel and perform, says Katich, who just released two new Athletic Yoga workouts with Gaiam staring NFL great Eddie George and NBA star Kevin Love.  These moves are very efficient and target everyting in a short period of time," says Katich.  "There is no wasted time or energy."  He recommends spending 20 minutes a day, three time per week doing the following sequence.  Hold each pose for 30-45 seconds and repeat three times, eventually working your holds up to one minute each.  

DOWN DOG

Down dog is the most important, and its also the most difficult for  athletes, "says Katich.  "It strengthens shoulder, back, hips, hamstrings and calves."

Start with your palms down to the ceiling and form an upside-down "V," with back flat.  Press down through your palms and elongate from the hands to the hipbone.

HIGH LUNGE

The high lunge is also known as the runner's lunge, and it's critical for athletes because it alleviates the tight hip flexors and lower backs so many people have," says Katich.

For the high lunge, start on your hands and knees, lift your right foot and place it in between your hands and lift your left knee up off the floor to come into the lunge.  Alternate legs and bring your left foot in front of the right leg.  Targeting the hip flexors with this high lunge is a priority.  Make sure that your feet are not lined up - you want your front foot angled slightly out from your back leg. 

PLANK"

"The down dog gets you started, the high lunge warms up your hips, and the plank is going to get you going with ab strength," says Katich.  This move is total body and engages all of the muscles in your core.

To do a plank, hold the top of a pushup with your arms straight (shoulders over wrists), back flat, abs and glutes engaged.  After holding for 30 to 45 seconds, slowly inch your chest down to the floor keeping your elbows tight to your body.

SIDE PLANK

"From the plank, you want to go into a one-arm side plank.  This move builds stability in the core and is great for building natural strength.  One of the things I find with athletes is that the hands, wrist, and forearms lack a lot of strength," says Katich.  That creates a disconnect in the total strength of your arms.

Start in plank, the rotate your body to your right side, extending your right arm straight up, and stacking your feet (if this is too difficult, rest your top foot on the floor in front of your bottom foot).  Make sure you don't allow your hips to drop.  Repeat on the other side.

COBRA

"The stretches the lower back, bur it also strengthens the lower back more than you would think," says Katich.  Keeping the lower back stretched and strong is critical because it's the first thing that will go on an athlete.  Tight hips and hamstrings are injuries that play themselves out in the back, he adds.  "That's where they manifest.

For cobra, lie on your stomach with your legs extended and palms flat on the floor under your shoulders.  Press your thighs and pelvis into the floor. Push up through your palms to straighten your arms, lift your chest while keeping your hips on the floor.

WARRIOR

"The warrior is a hip opener and improves upper back strength when you use correct posture,"  says Katich.  It also strengthens the legs muscles from the hamstrings and quads to the ankles.

For warrior, lunge your left forward and about four inches to the left of your back right foot.  Turn the right foot slightly out.  Bend your front knee, and keep the back leg straight.  Alternate legs and repeat.

BRIDGE

"This is great for your hips and opening the pelvis.  That helps undo the damage done by sitting too much.  It also strengthens the gluteus muscles," says Katich.  

To get into bridge pose, start on your back with your knees bent and your heels about three inches from your butt.  Keep your feet on the floor, hip-width apart and parallel.  Inhale and lift your hips as high as you can toward the ceiling.  If your shoulders aren't too tight, interlace your fingers behind your back, or just hold the sides of your yoga mat.  

THREAD THE NEEDLE

"This pose can be held longer than the others.  Aim for one and a half or two minutes.  This pose is much more restorative and staying in it longer benefits you more during your cool down.  It helps release the gluteus, which can get extremely tight from running and jumping during workouts.  This is an incredibly effective pose.  In fact, it's the most effective pose I've seen with athletes," says Katich.

To do thread the needle, lie on your back with your feet on the floor and knees bent.  Cross your right leg to place your right ankle just above the left knee or on your thigh.  Reach your hands under you left thigh - or reach both hands to your left shin - and pull your left knee toward your chest.  Keep your back flat on the floor.  Repeat on the other side.

Read more: www.mensjournal.com

The Spartacus Workout

THE WORKOUT PLAN:

Sculpt a lean body and get in the best shape of your life

To create the Spartacus Workout, 10 exercises were chosen that collectively work every part of your body. Each exercise is a 60-second station that challenges your heart and lungs as well as your muscles.  The final product is a high-intensity circuit designed to torch fat, define your chest, abs, and arms, and send your fitness level soaring.  You'll sculpt a lean, athletic-looking body-and be in the best shape of your life.

Directions:

Do this circuit 3 days a week. Perform 1 set of each exercise (or "station") in succession. Each station lasts 60 seconds. Do as many reps as you can (with perfect form) in that time, and then move on to the next station. Give yourself 15 seconds to move between stations, and rest for 2 minutes after you've completed 1 circuit of all 10 exercises. Then repeat twice. If you can't go the entire minute, rest a few seconds and then resume until your time at that station is up. Use a weight that's challenging for 15 to 20 reps.

STATION 1
Goblet squat

With both hands, grab one end of a dumbbell to hold it vertically in front of your chest, and stand with your feet slightly beyond shoulder width [A]. Keeping your back naturally arched, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until the tops of your thighs are at least parallel to the floor [B]. Pause, and push yourself up to the starting position. If that's too hard, do a body-weight squat instead.

STATION 2

Mountain climber

Assume a pushup position with your arms completely straight. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles [A]. Without allowing your lower-back posture to change, lift your right foot off the floor and slowly move your right knee toward your chest [B]. Return to the starting position, and repeat with your left leg. Alternate back and forth for the duration of the set.

STATION 3

Single-arm dumbbell swing

Hold a dumbbell (or a kettlebell) at arm's length in front of your waist. Without rounding your lower back, bend at your hips and knees and swing the dumbbell between your legs [A]. Keeping your arm straight, thrust your hips forward and swing the dumbbell to shoulder level as you rise to a standing position [B]. Swing the weight back and forth. At the 30-second mark, switch arms.

STATION 4

T-pushup

Grab a pair of hex dumbbells and assume a pushup position, your arms straight [A]. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor [B]. As you push yourself back up, lift your right hand and rotate the right side of your body as you raise the dumbbell straight up over your shoulder until your body forms a T [C]. Reverse the move and repeat, this time rotating your left side.

STATION 5

Split jump

Stand in a staggered stance with your feet 2 to 3 feet apart, your right foot in front of your left. Keeping your torso upright, bend your legs and lower your body into a lunge [A]. Now jump with enough force to propel both feet off the floor [B]. While you're in the air, scissor-kick your legs so you land with your left leg forward. Repeat, alternating your forward leg for the duration of the set.

STATION 6

Dumbbell row

Grab a pair of dumbbells, bend at your hips (don't round your lower back), and lower your torso until it's nearly parallel to the floor. Let the dumbbells hang at arm's length [A]. Without moving your torso, row the weights upward by raising your upper arms, bending your elbows, and squeezing your shoulder blades together [B]. Pause, lower the dumbbells, and repeat.

STATION 7

Dumbbell side lunge and touch

Hold a pair of dumbbells at arm's length at your sides [A]. Take a big step to your left and lower your body by pushing your hips backward and bending your left knee. As you lower your body, bend forward at your hips and touch the dumbbells to the floor [B]. Repeat for 30 seconds, and then switch to your right leg. If the exercise is too hard, do the move without the dumbbells; just reach for the floor with your hands.

STATION 8

Pushup-position row

Grab a pair of hex dumbbells and assume a pushup position, your arms straight [A]. Keeping your core stiff, row the dumbbell in your right hand to the side of your chest, bending your arm as you pull it upward [B]. Pause, and then quickly lower the dumbbell. Repeat with your left arm.

STATION 9

Dumbbell lunge and rotation

Grab a dumbbell and hold it horizontally by its ends, just under your chin [A]. Step forward with your right foot and lower your body into a lunge. As you lunge, rotate your upper body to the right [B]. Return to the starting position, and repeat with your left leg. Alternate left and right until your 60 seconds are up. If the exercise is too hard, perform the movement without the dumbbell.

STATION 10

Dumbbell push press

Stand holding a pair of dumbbells just outside your shoulders, with your arms bent and palms facing each other. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent [A]. Dip your knees [B], and then explosively push up with your legs as you press the weights straight over your shoulders [C]. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position and repeat.

This is my favorite workout.  I recommend it to any who is trying to burn fat and build muscle fast.  It's not an easy one so be ready to sweat and hurt but if you follow the directions you will thank me later.

Source: www.menshealth.com/fitness