Iron Yoga

Can combining yoga with strength training give your body a total workout? Read this excerpt from Iron Yoga, a method that combines yoga poses with light dumbbells, and find out if it's the right workout for you.

The Iron Yoga Warm-Up Sequence is designed to awaken your muscles and prepare your body for the invigorating workout that follows. Most important, this sequence will help you connect with all the muscle groups of your body. Developing a steady breathing rhythm and synchronizing the movement with the breath are the essence of Iron Yoga.

The foundation pose for this warm-up is one of the most basic yoga poses ‑- Mountain Pose. Mountain Pose improves your posture and focus.

Chair pose, which you'll also be doing in this sequence, generates heat and warmth in your body. After eight breaths in this pose, your legs will be screaming!

The biceps are one of the easiest muscle groups to feel and connect with, and that's why I've included the High-Arm Hammer Curl in this warm-up. This exercise will be your first opportunity to perform a static contraction. Learn, understand and feel what it's like to engage the muscle and create a peak contraction for the muscle with your breath and powerful mind-muscle connection. You'll be returning to Mountain Pose many times throughout the Iron Yoga practice. This strong standing pose will allow you to refocus and reconnect with the breath, especially after an intense pose or sequence of poses. If you get tired or need a break during the practice, you can simply return to Mountain Pose.

1. Mountain/Dumbbells at Sides

Stand at the front center of your yoga mat, holding one dumbbell in each hand, with your arms comfortably at your sides. Place your heels slightly apart and your big toes together. Spread wide the rest of your toes. Feel the four corners of your feet firmly press into the mat. Lift your kneecaps to activate your quads, hamstrings and glutes. Draw your navel up and in toward your spine to engage your core. Release your shoulders down and back away from your ears. Keep your torso tall, your chest out and your head neutral. Soften your face, and gaze at a point directly level with your eyes. Hold for 2 to 4 breaths.

2. Mountain/Dumbbells over Heart

Lift the dumbbells to your chest. Rotate your palms to face your body and gently press together both dumbbell heads over your heart. Softly close your eyes and begin to connect with your breath. Create a meditative state of mind and body. Use your breath to ease your mind and relax your body. Focus on the yogic style of ujjayi breathing. Remember to keep your mouth closed and breathe only through your nose. Initiate the breath from the abdominal region, feeling your belly, rib cage, and chest expand on your inhale and contract on your exhale. Establish an equal timing and rhythm of your inhalations and exhalations. Feel and hear your breath. On each exhale, press together more strongly both dumbbell heads. Pressing together the dumbbells creates continuous tension and activates the muscles in your upper body. Begin to develop a mind-muscle connection for your upper body ‑- shoulders, arms, chest and back. Breathe in positive energy and exhale out all negative energy. Hold for 4 breaths. Softly open your eyes.

3. Start Position

Rotate your palms downward so just the top dumbbell heads are pressing together. The goal for each movement is to flow with your breath and maintain continuous tension through the full range of motion. Prepare to make a mind-muscle connection with every muscle group in your upper body. Remember to keep your legs active and your core engaged while performing all the upper-body weight-training exercises.

4. Chest Press

Engage your pecs, inhale, and press the dumbbells straight forward, keeping your arms at shoulder height while pressing together the top dumbbell heads.

5. Lat Pullback

Engage your lats, exhale, and pull back the dumbbells to your chest, keeping your elbows up and out to the sides while pressing together the top dumbbell heads.

6. Triceps Kickside

Engage your triceps, inhale, and straighten your elbows, extending the dumbbells out to the sides. Keep your elbows at shoulder height.

7. Biceps Curl

Engage your biceps, exhale, and bend your elbows, curling the dumbbells to your chest and pressing together the top dumbbell heads.

8. Shoulder Overhead Press

Engage your front and middle delts, inhale, and press the dumbbells straight overhead while pressing together the top dumbbell heads. Feel your biceps close to your ears at full extension.

9. Straight-Arm Pulldown

Engage your lats and pecs, exhale, and pull down the dumbbells over the front of your head (think pulling over a barrel) and down to your thighs. Keep your arms straight through the full range of motion while pressing together the top dumbbell heads.

10. Shoulder Shrug

Engage your upper traps, inhale, and shrug your shoulders straight toward your ears and round them back. Exhale, round your shoulders forward, and lower them straight down. Keep your arms straight while pressing together the top dumbbell heads and don't bend your elbows when you shrug your shoulders. Rotating and rounding the shoulders at the top of the movement helps to release any tightness and tension from the neck, shoulders and upper back.

11. Full Overhead Lateral Raise

Engage your middle delts, inhale, and raise the dumbbells straight out to your sides, with your palms facing upward. Press together both dumbbell heads overhead, with your palms facing each other. Exhale and press the dumbbells down to your sides, with your palms facing downward, and press together the top dumbbell heads in front of your thighs. The downward movement should feel like you're pressing down water.

12. Upright Row

Engage your traps, inhale, and pull the dumbbells up the front centerline of your body to your chin while pressing together the top dumbbell heads. Spread your elbows wide, slightly higher than shoulder height. Try to lead the movement with your elbows and not pull with your hands.

13. Triceps Pressdown

Engage your triceps, exhale, and press the dumbbells down the front centerline of your body to the fronts of your thighs while pressing together the top dumbbell heads.

14. Start Position

Inhale and raise the dumbbells straight out to your sides at shoulder height, with palms facing backward. Exhale and rotate your palms facing forward.

15. High-Arm Hammer Curl

Engage your right biceps, inhale, and curl the top right dumbbell head to your right shoulder. Exhale and press the dumbbell back to the start position. Make sure to isolate the biceps rather than using the wrist and forearm when curling.

16. Repeat #15 with the left dumbbell.

17. Static Contraction

Inhale and repeat with both dumbbells. Hold the movement at peak contraction. Exhale and then inhale to enhance the peak contraction. Exhale and press both dumbbells to the start position.

18. Transition

Stand in Mountain pose, pressing together the top dumbbell heads in front of your thighs.

19. Chair/Start Position

Inhale to prepare, exhale, and softly bend your knees. Lower the dumbbells in front of your shins while pressing together the top dumbbell heads. Shift your weight back by pressing firmly into your heels. Sit back into your buttocks and activate your glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves. Your thighs should be almost parallel to the floor, and you should feel like you're sitting in a chair. Keep your torso at a 45? angle to the mat with your back flat. Release your shoulders down and back, away from your ears, lift your chest, and keep your head neutral. You should not feel any strain in your neck. Maintain a straight line from your tailbone to the crown of your head. Gaze at a point on the floor about 2 feet in front of you.

20. Rear Lateral Raise

Engage your right rear delt, inhale, and raise the right dumbbell out to the side to shoulder height. Exhale and press the right dumbbell down to the start position. Make sure to keep your elbow soft and slightly bent through the movement.

21. Repeat with the left dumbbell.

22. Static Contraction

Inhale and repeat with both dumbbells. Hold the movement at peak contraction. Exhale and then inhale to enhance the peak contraction. Exhale, press both dumbbells down to the start position, and press together the top dumbbell heads.

23. Start Position

Rotate your palms to face forward while keeping your elbows slightly bent. Press together the bottom dumbbell heads.

24. Row

Engage your right lat, inhale, and pull the right dumbbell up to your armpit, raising your elbow high above the level of your back. Exhale and press the right dumbbell down to the start position. Think of your hand as a hook, and make sure not to let your right biceps initiate the movement.

25. Repeat with the left dumbbell.

26. Static Contraction

27. Transition

Press firmly into your heels and slowly straighten your legs. Gently lift your torso up one vertebra at a time. Round your shoulders up and back, and release down as you return to Mountain Pose with dumbbells at your sides.

28. Stand in Mountain Pose pressing together both dumbbell heads over your heart. Hold for 4 breaths.

To purchase Iron Yoga by Anthony Carillo, visit the publisher at RodaleStore.com or call 800-848-4735.