Should Yogis Be Lifting Weights? 2 Instructors Weigh In

Most of us find one form of exercise we love and stick to it. For me, that's yoga.

But lately, trainers and yogis alike have been telling me that weight training is crucial to overall health and fitness. As someone who had poor posture and a propensity for running injuries before finding yoga, this advice seemed counterintuitive to me. Wouldn't my open shoulders and loose hips tighten right back up, undoing all those delicious pigeon poses and backbends?

To get to the bottom of this, I consulted two very different yogis: Sara Quiriconi, a crazy flexible Miami-based yoga teacher, and Adam Rosante, a yogi better known for his impressive muscles.

If you're a yogi who's new to the weight room, start slow. You may have heard that big weights lead to big results, but Sara suggest yogis keep it light—especially in the beginning. "Start out light, then work up to heavy," she warns. "Research says that the benefit of lifting isn't about the actual weight of the muscle, it's about the fatigue you place on the muscle. So even if you're using lighter weights, you may increase the number or reps you're doing and it's equally effective."

That being said, Adam thinks yogis who are new to the weightlifting game will be just fine. "People with a dedicated yoga practice tend to possess a great deal of self-awareness in terms of body alignment, which is great to go into if you're just getting started weight training."

According to Adam, weightlifting isn't just a nice supplement to yoga—it's actually key in preventing injuries. "Any yogi who's experienced a shoulder injury will likely agree that mobility without balanced strength can be dangerous," says Adam. "Most asanas favor your front side but do little for your back—so you're walking around with strong pecs but a weak upper back. Hello, shoulder injury."

Sara has been a yogi nearly her entire life, and when she found weight training she realized it was exactly what her limber body needed. "Weight lifting and HIIT interval training has really helped my practice," says Sara. "It helps me strengthen areas where I'm weakest. I'm so the opposite of most people in the gym. Strength and flexibility? I've got that down! But one can be 'too' flexible and lack the support and strength to maintain healthy ligaments and muscle structure."