5 Yoga Workout Routines for Toning Muscles

Yoga is an excellent way to build strength and tone muscles without having to lift a single weight, and these 5 yoga workout routines for toning muscles will help you do just that.

Yoga experts and practitioners at Gaiam say that yoga is a well-rounded approach to strength training.

As one of the original forms of functional fitness, yoga poses mimic the bending, twisting, pushing, and pulling motions you do in your everyday life.

It uses your body weight, and many of the poses have different levels to make them more difficult as you progress over time.

Also, yoga relies on eccentric muscle contractions, forcing it to stretch while it contracts, which develops flexibility and a sleek, elongated aesthetic.

Yoga also builds muscular endurance by forcing you to hold a pose for several breaths, which usually adds up to 20 or 30 seconds in the workout.  You will then repeat that pose several times and will grow and tone muscle fibers as you do so.

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or an advanced yogi, these five yoga workout sequences will help you to tone muscles, increase your metabolism, and burn fat.

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1. Sun Salutation

A traditional yoga sequence, the Sun Salutation, is extremely effective at toning muscles and building strength.

In a 24-week clinical study, researchers found that both men and women significantly increased their strength in the bench press, shoulder press, push-ups, and sit-ups by doing the sun salutation sequence six days per week.

There are many variations, but a traditional sun salutation is a full-body workout.  You can do it first thing in the morning in less than ten minutes to awaken your body and senses and start your day.

You can watch the video here.

2. Yoga for Butt, Hips, and Thighs

There are many different variations of yoga, and some workout routines focus on specific muscle groups in the body.  We’ve all heard the expression “yoga booty,” and this quick sequence is a great way to tone your glutes.

It includes four different poses that you’ll do on your mat from the floor.  The sequence starts with your right leg as the active mover and then flows to your left leg.

The instructor does an excellent job of walking you through the poses, including all fours, three-legged dog, and a crescent lunge.

The whole workout only takes ten minutes, but you could repeat the sequence more than once for even better results.

You can watch the video here.

3. Full Body Tone

If you like the idea of the strength benefits from yoga, but a class that’s made up of just holding poses and breathing isn’t really your style, you might like this full-body tone.

The full-body tone is a mostly leg-focused workout that more closely mimics a traditional fitness class.  The instructor demonstrates the movements and then takes you through a series of repetitions that will make you feel the burn.

Unlike traditional yoga where poses are held for 20-30 seconds each, here you’ll do movements like chair pose, bridge, extended leg holds, and more at a faster pace for ten to 25 reps.

You can watch the video here.

4. Beginner Core Strength

Yoga is a great way to build core strength.  Not only do many poses target your abdominals and lower back directly, but most of the positions also require your core muscles to work as stabilizers through the movement giving you a double whammy of efficiency.

This beginner workout is perfect if you’re just starting to build core strength, or if you’re new to yoga.  But, don’t expect it to be easy.

Instructor Tara Stiles will spend about three minutes thoroughly warming up your body and preparing you for the exercises, and then leading you through movements like scissor kicks, bicycles, and planks, that activate your core muscles.

You can watch the video here.

5. Advanced Core Workout

More advanced yogi’s, or anyone with a strong core, will love this more advanced series from certified instructor Tara Stiles.

The workout is just over ten minutes long but will challenge your muscles in new and unique ways by adding movement to yoga poses.

You’ll do a short three minute warm-up to get your muscles firing, and then transition immediately into advanced poses that challenge your abs, lower back, glutes, and other core stabilizers.

Our advice?  Remember to breathe through the burn.

You can watch the video here.

Remember to take a savasana at the end of your practice, and thank yourself for taking the time to workout and relieve some stress today!

If you are looking for more tips and beginner poses to transform your body with yoga, our Yoga Fat Loss Bible for Beginners is a great place to start!

It comes with everything you need to get started, including a complete 6-week workout plan, a flexibility guide, and a beginner’s guide to meditation!

It’s a great solution around for those looking to lose weight, get more flexible, and relieve aches and pains with a calm yoga practice.

It will show you exactly how to melt away stubborn body fat with a regular yoga practice and has the top 50 fat-burning yoga poses every beginner should learn.

Click here to check out the Yoga Fat Loss Bible today.

Always remember that the most difficult part of doing yoga SHOWING UP.  Make sure to show up today and give your best to this workout. You deserve it!

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