6-Day Isometric Strength Program

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Challenge Outline

6 Days to complete

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Section 1
  • Wake up your upper body with this methodical class that's chock-full of isometric drills for your wrists, core, chest, and shoulders. You'll start with a seated upper-body warm-up before moving on to isometric exercises for your wrists, where you'll work with your wrists' active and passive ranges of motion. After that, you'll awaken your shoulders' external rotators (infraspinatus and teres minor) before moving on to progressive core work and a targeted practice for your chest muscles that uses blocks for increased engagement. In the latter part of class, you'll integrate everything you've done...
Section 2
  • Yoga practices are often push-dominant, meaning they don't load "pulling muscles" in the same way as "pushing muscles." In this practice, you'll do a series of isometric exercises designed to increase healthy tension in pulling muscles, which can lead to greater strength gains. You'll begin standing, with a "shoulder flossing" warm-up. After that, you'll explore two strap-supported "pull" drills: The first simulates pull-ups, and the second is designed to strengthen your arms' active range of motion, which can make poses like locust, bow, camel, and cobra more effective. Later in class come prone...
Section 3
  • In this isometric strength class, you'll do drills to awaken muscles that contribute to greater stability in standing poses. Class begins with quick hip-focused warm-ups, one of which you'll do in malasana (squat). After that, you'll grab a strap and begin a targeted (mostly standing) sequence that prioritizes hip abduction, and through that, gluteal activation. In the first half of the sequence, you'll use a strap for resistance in double-leg squats, single-leg squats, and side-lying leg lifts. After that, you'll integrate what you've done with standing squats, relying on imagined resistance rather...
Section 4
  • This series of isometric exercises is designed to strengthen the rotational and stabilizing muscles of your hips (which play a key role in yoga transitions). You'll do these block-supported exercises from seated, side-lying, and supine positions. Then, once you're done, you'll put everything together in a balance flow, traveling from tadasana (mountain pose) into a single-leg balance that opens into ardhachandrasana (half moon) and then closes in virabhadrasana III (warrior III).
Section 5
  • In this class, you'll explore isometric drills designed to strengthen your handstand skills. Class begins with warm-ups that focus on shoulder mobility and rotation and then moves into a standing side bend. After that, you'll grab a strap and a block for your first isometric drill: a standing practice that focuses on adduction and abduction of the arms and legs. You'll then integrate those actions in a couple of rounds of downward facing dog before progressing to an L handstand at the wall. In the final drill, you'll "light up" (i.e., awaken and engage) the front and back sides of the body from...
Section 6
  • This isometric strength drill class focuses on whole-body strength and places special emphasis on leg work as you move in the direction of backbends. You'll begin with an isometric drill that's designed to wake up your scapular (shoulder) stabilizers. After that, you'll grab a strap and blocks and begin a sequence that takes you through bridge pose (for outer-hip and back-body strength), a controlled lift into reverse tabletop (that focuses on bicep strength), and side plank variations (for side-body strength). After the side plank variations, you'll come onto your back for targeted hamstring,...
Section 7
  • In this short yet potent drill session, you'll do isometric strength exercises to awaken your core muscles. Class includes controlled transitions through navasana (boat pose), where you'll use props for increased engagement, a cross-body drill that tones your core from opposite shoulder to opposite hip, and a wall-supported side plank variation for your obliques. Props: 2 blocks, a blanket
  • Release upper-body tension with these myofascial release techniques. You can do them as a stand-alone practice, as a post-practice recovery, or before a complete yoga sequence. The props featured in this video are from the Rad All-In Kit®. But you can also use any therapy ball or a tennis ball for this practice.
  • Find deep release with these lower-body-focused myofascial release techniques. This is a great sequence to do before a strength-building practice, or any time you need a little recovery time to unwind residual tension. The props featured in this video are from the Rad All-In Kit®. But you can also use any therapy ball or a tennis ball for this practice.

Challenge Overview

Create a more adaptable practice with this six-class program that's chock-full of isometric strength drills accessible for a variety of practice experiences.

You'll get one 20-minute class a day, delivered directly to your inbox. These classes are low impact, and each focuses on different parts of the body and different practice-related goals (related to balance transitions, handstands, backbends, standing poses, and components of the vinyasa). These drills are great for anyone who wants to increase strength but may lack mobility or endurance. They're also good for yogis who want to break habitual modes of strengthening and work their muscles in new ways.

And if you sign up today, you'll get three bonus classes that perfectly complement the program: two myofascial-release classes (one for upper-body release, the other for lower-body release) and a core-focused class.

Ready to start increasing strength gains in your practice?

Meet Your Teacher

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Rocky Heron
Rocky Heron is an internationally acclaimed yoga educator and musician. Known for his uncanny wisdom... Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely, you can include this challenge in your Yoga Alliance training hours, with each hour equivalent to one continuing education credit.
This challenge is entirely self- paced, allowing you to learn at your convenience.There are no imposed deadlines or time constraints for Challenge completion.
No prerequisites are required; this challenge is open to anyone interested in deepening their knowledge and practice.
No, the challenge is accessible to all individuals interested in enriching their understanding and practice of yoga.Yoga teaching certification is not a prerequisite.