["Hey, if I miss a workout for something little like mountain climbing in -30F weather, then I'll never workout..."]
The idea of combining strength with flexibility to create an incredibly functional and strong level of fitness has been around for a very long time. Gymnastics is probably the best “pure” example of this – where the gymnast needs to be both flexible and strong to be successful. But there are plenty of examples of martial artists who were flexible and fit who started incorporating weight training to increase their strength. Bruce Lee is probably the most known example of this.
But despite it being well known that there are huge benefits to combining strength and flexibility, the idea of doing so is taboo to many men and women. Many men would not be caught in a yoga class for fear of seeming feminine and many women will not touch a weight over 8 pounds because they think that doing so will make them look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Why Men Should Add Flexibility Training and Women Should Add Strength Training
There are a lot of guys who spend so much time in the weight room, and never stretch because frankly – stretching is boring. The problem is that over time, you have these guys who can lift 300 pounds in the weight room but can barely move their legs without their calves screaming in pain. Not only is it annoying, but it really detracts from a lot of of the functional strength benefits you get from strength training – when you can’t move around freely.
Then on the opposite end of the coin, you have women who spend all their time on flexibility training and never work on strength training. The problem? They miss out on the functional benefits of increased strength (like helping to prevent back pain later on), and also miss out on many aesthetic benefits that proper weight lifting can have on a physique.
The truth is that 95% of women don’t EVER have to worry about getting bulky, because they just don’t have the genetics for it. Remember – even guys with good muscle building genetics need to work their butts off to get really bulky, so it’s something most women don’t need to worry about. In fact, for most women weight lifting will actually help them look more feminine. It really comes down to genetics and hormones.
“Yin and Yang”, Strength Combined With Flexibility Can Also Help Prevent Injuries and Decrease Recovery Time
Flexibility training like what is done in Yoga can help improve the blood circulation to your muscles and decrease recovery time. Strength training can help strengthen the muscles which helps take stress off your joint. Put together, they create a yin and yang, or the ultimate combination of both strength and flexibility.
The Ultimate in Functional Fitness
Aside from all the other advantages of combining strength with flexibility training – it also leads to the ultimate in functional training. Not only will you be strong, but you will be limber, and light on your feet. Not only that – but many of the exercises specifically target the core and stretch out tendons and ligaments, which can help you increase your athleticism and give you that extra “edge” in sport and other activities.
What Do You Think?
Do you agree that yoga or something similar combined with strength training are the ying and yang of functional fitness? Or do you think people just stick to just one and that doing both together isn’t necessary. Share your thoughts!
