IGX

Just finished this.

The author starts out injured and out of shape, gets into Bikram yoga and ends up competing in the national championships.

Along the way he undergoes teacher training, advanced training for competitors and interviews numerous Bikram instructors and scientists.

The book coves science, history and the many failings of Bikram himself as a person -- it's absurd how awful the man seems to be. In fact at one point, the author looks at the psychological profile of narcissism and Bikram hits all 9 points solidly.

Good read, and while I've never taken a Bikram class, I am not encouraged in any way to start. I've mentioned the book as I've been reading it to yoga students and all of them were dismissive because it's about Bikram. I don't think this detracts from it, but in sections I got a little fatigued because of my lack of interest in the style.

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As an interesting aside, the author mentions that the Bikram sequence without heat keeps his heart rate between 45-50% of max with spikes of 60-70%. In the heat it's between 60-70% and spikes of 90-95%. Like doing a run with sprints versus a jog with occasional running. Makes me wonder about training in the heat for things like BJJ.

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Lastly, I'd feel bad to omit the numerous individuals who recovered from hideous injuries via training in Bikram yoga -- heat, placebo, strengthening weak muscles, whatever it is. That said there's at least one injury in the book suffered in training for competitive yoga.

Re: the heat, I think it's like anything, it makes a big difference at first but then you adapt. I train BJJ, almost entirely in the gi, in the tropics, at sea level, and it's like nothing. Often I am not even breathing hard, my heart definitely isn't pounding, but when mainland visitors drop in they always comment on how it exhausts them.

At the same time, when I have trained in E. Europe, I found it almost intolerably cold--my body didn't want to move--and the altitude fucked with me. I assume it's the same reason in reverse; I am not adapted.

Bikram's ok. It's a solid, straightforward yoga program and good for beginners. A lot of bikram studios have pretty good intro packages. The downsides to me were that the time frame (90 minutes) can get too long if you have a busy schedule, and there wasn't really any variety (this is good for beginners though). For beginners the lack of variety is a plus. The heat is nice, if you've tweaked something it seems to help. Personally I've done enough yoga that I prefer non-bikram hot yoga-- more variety and focus on particular areas. I don't like any yoga enough to spring for a long term package. YRG and the Swenson Short Forms DVDs do me just fine.

Swenson short forms is the best yoga product I have ever seen.

Fat Cat wrote:Swenson short forms is the best yoga product I have ever seen.

I got my wife Kate Potter's DVD series and she has faithfully followed it for about two years now....very high quality.


http://www.katepotteryoga.ca/

Fat Cat,

In the book, the scientist they talked to about heat adaptation said that it lasts when the person is moved to a standard climate for I believe 2 weeks or so -- the blood becomes more efficient, heart pumps stronger -- actual physiological changes, not just heat tolerance.

For the majority of people this is irrelevant, but if you close the doors say, during competition training, you can create a greater training effect than if you left them open. That is balanced by the added stress you're putting on them, but done smart, it's a way to increase endurance.

Again, for the majority of people it doesn't matter -- they're going to be like you, go to a cold climate and suffer.

I've heard Swenson mentioned here, never heard of Kate Potter.

There's free yoga at my gym, and usually hot women in there, never followed a DVD.

Bram wrote:I've heard Swenson mentioned here, never heard of Kate Potter.

There's free yoga at my gym, and usually hot women in there, never followed a DVD.

Yeah, my wife does a hot yoga class at the fancy pants gym every Thursday and it is MILF central.

Wait...there is competitive yoga? This confuses and intrigues me.

Blaidd Drwg wrote:Wait...there is competitive yoga? This confuses and intrigues me.

That's gotta make even GS seem fun to watch in comparison.

Fat Cat wrote:Swenson short forms is the best yoga product I have ever seen.

While I do mostly YRG now I have to agree with Fats when it comes to real yoga. I like Yoga Doc's dvd a lot as well.

Sandman wrote:

Blaidd Drwg wrote:Wait...there is competitive yoga? This confuses and intrigues me.

That's gotta make even GS seem fun to watch in comparison.

In the hands of an elite athlete, the kind of athlete who is qualified to be a StrangeFist Team Leader, they can be combined.

Blaidd Drwg wrote:Wait...there is competitive yoga? This confuses and intrigues me.

I looked for a video that was fun to watch, but they were all a bit dry. This one is the best I could find.

Very flexible, a little stiff and unhappy looking as they move, strange body structures -- most are low in muscle definition and skinny.

Doesn't look like people are enjoying it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrN6P04WFK4[/youtube]

Sara Jean Underwood:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NIuCGoD2CU[/youtube]

High Velocity Lie-Nap! wrote:

Bram wrote:I've heard Swenson mentioned here, never heard of Kate Potter.

There's free yoga at my gym, and usually hot women in there, never followed a DVD.

Yeah, my wife does a hot yoga class at the fancy pants gym every Thursday and it is MILF central.

There was a butt and legs class that people called the cougar sanctuary. Hah, I'm thinking Tuesday night's class will be the best, going to give yoga a little effort.

I do believe that it's something good to do. Maybe very helpful depending on your sport -- I can't imagine for GS or Strongman, but more creative ones that require flexibility for sure.

Bram wrote:I do believe that it's something good to do. Maybe very helpful depending on your sport -- I can't imagine for GS or Strongman, but more creative ones that require flexibility for sure.

Dunno about GS but I'd say for SM is might very well become a best practice.

Would love it if there were remedial classes offered in a shorter format....like YRG in a hot room.

Blaidd Drwg wrote:

Bram wrote:I do believe that it's something good to do. Maybe very helpful depending on your sport -- I can't imagine for GS or Strongman, but more creative ones that require flexibility for sure.

Dunno about GS but I'd say for SM is might very well become a best practice.

Would love it if there were remedial classes offered in a shorter format....like YRG in a hot room.

Huh, cool that you feel it helps with Strongman.

Most places offer beginner classes. The time commitment may be a little much for you, but I find 75 minutes to be about the right time. Core Power brand yoga seems to have the cutest women, but the classes are 60 minutes with corpse pose/savasana of about 90 seconds. I think that is one of the most important pieces of class, the 75 minute classes seem to drag it out to 5-7 minutes which I like.

Nother hot girl:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loszrEZvS_k[/youtube]

Bram wrote:Nother hot girl:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loszrEZvS_k[/youtube]

I love that commercial.

Sean Connery would never do yoga

Has anyone seen Taken 2?

http://www.irongarmx.net/phpBB2/viewtop ... 4&t=222995

I heard about that book somewhere.

Nice review Yogalete, I should have done a search first.

Fat Cat, all I've heard about Taken 2 is that it sucks.