Starting Strength program query

[Margie Golby]

Hello.

I'm planning on starting the SS program once the SSOC is available. Unfortunately I don't have a SSC to train with in-person over here in Dublin, Ireland.

While I'm doing the SS program, is it okay for me to continue doing Ashtanga Yoga? I do it 4 days a week. With Ashtanga yoga, you do the exact same yoga postures every time and you focus on your breathing. Since I'm doing the the same yoga postures every time and it's not that strenuous, would it be okay for me to continue doing Ashtanga yoga 4 times a week while doing the SS program? If not, please could you let me know what you suggest?

I'd like to have clarity on this to ensure that I do the SS program correctly.

[Tom Campitelli]

Early on this will be fine. If you find that your yoga practice interferes with your recovery from lifting, then you will need to make some decisions. This does not mean abandoning yoga entirely. It may mean cutting back on it, or not doing until you finish out your linear progression. If someone is adapted to an activity, they can likely keep at it, or at least do some of it while they push the weights up. It varies from person to person and how well they recover. If you were inactive to start, I would tell you to hold off on the yoga until you are done with your LP. Once it gets heavy, however, be prepared to do less yoga, or not do yoga for a bit.

I was in Dublin about two years ago. I like it there a lot.

[chrisd]

If I may chip in here.

I do Ashtanga yoga, still working on the primary series.

I haven't found that the yoga conflicted with my lifting. The only thing I avoid is doing a session before lifting or perform yoga very soon after lifting if I've had a particularly hard session, still feeling a bit weak.

Good things about doing both. I maintain flexibility, which lifting alone was seriously reducing. The postures that require strength, chataranga dandasana etc, become easy.

Negatives, larger muscles can get in the way a bit.

[Dave Hahn]

I maintain flexibility, which lifting alone was seriously reducing.

Can you expound on this a bit? How was lifting making you less flexible?

[wwg]

Ashtanga here too. In my opinion doing an Ashtanga series is similar to doing a gymnastic bodyweight routine for 1.5 hours. If you do this 4 times a week for some years, you will perceive it as "not that strenuous" because you're adapted to it. But if you start lifting and the weight get's heavy I'll assure you that you will have recovery issues and will have to make some choices. Doing Ashtanga 4 times a week and lifting 3 times leaves you without a single recovery day. Think about that.