Customer Reviews

Yoga For Athletes

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I have been using this DVD for two years and have not found it boring. I will agree with some of the posts here that to some it may seem slowpaced, but I consider this to be a plus. The several minutes spent on each pose, including getting into the pose, makes it actually very physically challenging and the more I have progressed the more I have come to appreciate the time spent loosening the neck and inhaling before looking up. If you simply want to bend over as far as you can and then move to the next pose with a beach in the background then this is not the DVD for you. Yes, the poses are taped individually and there is a black screen between them but I welcome this as I have done so many of the dozens and dosens of combinations by now that I like to know what is next since I cannot recall the variations in each one, drink some water, skip a track sometimes, etc. As a dad who works at home, this DVD routine seems ideal as it can be done on mute once you get used to it and it does not require chanting or any visualizing. I do not personally believe the kayaking selections are better for kayakers than the rock climbing ones are, but to me, that is not the point, and after a while, it is great to simply have so many combinations of area (legs, hips, abs) and times (20-60 minutes). When I first started with it, I felt I did okay, but now with 2 years practice, I realize how much better I have become and have noticed a remarkable toning up of my legs (but my upper body has not progressed as much; my waist is slimmer but not rock hard). To me this DVD is no non-sense and engaging and is more about feeling your muscles burn than the trappings of yoga often marketed in the media. My wife attends yoga classes and claims some of the names of the poses differ from her class but that my results far surpass even what her instructor is able to achieve in a classroom situation.

What an amazing concept! As a triathlete I make a substantial time investment in swim, bike, run training. This DVD allows me to select the sport I want to focus on in the first menu selection, then the body part and amount of time from the second menu. With time as a precious commodity, I can follow a 40 mile ride with a 20 minute hip routine or on an "active rest" day do an hour with overall running as the key.

Just for kicks, I've checked out what the teacher suggests football players do for a shoulder routine. It was a nice change of pace! This disk has well over 100 routine options. A true bargain when compared to a one routine video.

Since adding yoga to my training program, this 50 year old guy will see many more tri-seasons! And this is what DVD is all about. Multiple configuations... we'll see more like this I'm sure!

I run, bike and lift weights at a gym to try to stay in shape. I also play in softball and besketball leagues (nothing serious but a fun way to get some exercise.) Some running magazines recommened yoga, which I started to do some yoga a bit.

Then I saw the Yoga Journal (which I started reading a few months back and also recommend) had made this DVD their editor's choice in the September issue. I figured they knew what they are talking about, so I picked it up. And I am really glad I did.

It is perfect, and accomplishes what it says; it is has increased my flexibility and helped me with all of my pursuits. The set up is easy, and the ability to target different parts of your body for different sports is great. If you are looking to implement the benfits of yoga to help with your sports then you should pick this up, well worth the money.

I am a rock climber and was really excited to try this dvd. When I read others' reviews that said the dvd had "no flow", I figured it wouldn't really bother me (I love bikram yoga - and often the poses don't actually flow together). But this dvd is ridiculous. EVERY pose is literally seperated by a black screen and announcement, then most of the poses are done painfully slow. The poses are cut and pasted to fulfill the many, many options for work-outs, which really aren't that different (I've fast forwarded through a lot of them). It you have any yoga experience, this will drive you nuts! Also, there is absolutely no warm-up, and only some of the poses suggest a modified form. My friend who is an avid cyclist and also occasionally does yoga, agrees that this dvd is a huge disappointment.

The title enticed me into buying this DVD. I must have been on an ego trip to think that I was an "athlete."

I hadn't taken yoga class in many, many years so I don't have the flexibility or the balance to do some of the yoga positions so I cheat. I would not recommend this to anyone who is not somewhat fit or active.

The DVD's voice over instructions are very easy to follow, but she does get her lefts and rights mixed up. This can be confusing and annoying, but the mix-up is obvious.

Overall, this DVD is cheaper and as good as paying for actual yoga lessons.

I'm a long time athlete but novice yoga practitioner. This DVD gives me enough variety to remain interested and challenged. Great use of DVD random access technology!

Here's a DVD that could keep you busy for months with all the pre-mixed workout chapters available on it. The main menu has chapters for your chosen sport; for example, golf, running, skiing, and loads of others. Under each of those categories are many yoga workouts ranging from 20 minutes to an hour in length. You can choose from such workouts as full body, shoulders, legs, and many more (and also with a variety of lengths).

The yoga itself is what I refer to as "general" Hatha style. It is slow-paced, and each pose is held for a little while, allowing you to really get into it and feel the stretch. I consider myself an intermediate-level yogist, and I find this neither too easy nor too hard -- it's just right. A male exerciser performs the exercises, and there is a female voice-over giving the instruction. She is very helpful and precise, often giving you that one little hint that makes all the difference in the pose. The set is a little bland, which is something of a drawback, but who's looking at the TV anyway?

I like the workouts alright. I wasn't to concerned about the "flow" b/c ihave a ton of other dvds for flowing yogas.I like the idea of holding the poses for building strength but I thinks its also dangerous to get into these routines without a good sun salutations warm-up. The first time I tried it without the warm-up i pulled a muscles, now i do Shiva Rea's Sun Salutations before going into one of these practices.

I got this DVD with this company's Power Yoga Complete for Every Body and I love them both. The Power Yoga flows more, which I prefer somedays, but this one really helps me focus on the details and hold the poses for a long time, which seems to challenge my muscles while opening my body in an isometric way. Very enjoyable DVD with all the variety and choices.

In Yoga for Athletes, instructor Barbara Benagh has created a huge variety of practice options for athletes and others. The DVD addresses 16 different sports (baseball, basketball, cycling, football, golf, hiking, kayaking, martial arts, rock climbing, running, skiing, soccer, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and weightlifting), and for each sport, 12 practices of varying lengths and with various areas of body/postural focus (eg, hips, legs, shouders, backbends, balance, twists, etc.). I think this is a great concept--although I don't play any particular sport, I love the idea of choosing a specific practice based on whatever type of focus I might want to have that day.

Unfortunately, I didn't think this DVD worked as well in actual practice. First of all, how the DVD works is that each and every pose is its own individual chapter (with a male model demonstrating and Barbara providing voiceover instruction). This means that the practices themselves are simply a series of the individual postures strung together with no transitions inbetween. To me, this made the practices feel very disjointed and without any flow to them. Secondly, Barbara's instruction is meticulously detailed, which is sometimes a good thing, sometimes not. For example, when I was lying in a relaxing, restorative posture (such as reclined eagle--this was very nice), I didn't mind and in fact appreciated Barbara's comprehensive cues on form. However, for some of the standing postures, I felt that my enjoyment of the full posture was delayed as I waited on Barbara's overly detailed setup.

Finally, I think that I have been spoiled by Barbara's more recent DVD release, Yoga for Stress Relief. This DVD follows a somewhat similar format, but all of the practices are restorative, and thus I really enjoy Barbara's detailed instruction here. However, Yoga for Athletes might be a better choice for those who are newer to yoga, prefer their yoga to be very straightforward and no-nonsense, and/or are looking for practices designed to their particular sport. Overall, Yoga for Athletes is a well-done DVD that I would recommend, but it's not for everyone--3 1/2 stars.