weight training/mula bandha

[DanH]

good morning bernie,

two questions:

you mention in several posts your personal regiment includes weight training.
i have always been told weight training shortens and strengthens muscles, whereas yang style asana practice lengthens and strengthens muscles.
seems one contradicts the the other
please comment...

regarding, "cycle breathing," ie., when holding some asanas, breathing in, as the air goes down and we are to engage mula bandha, then breathing out the breathe goes up and when the lungs are empty, we are tho hold breath for a few seconds and visualize parana/chi going up ones side of the central channel then back down the other side of the central channel. then continue with another cycle. think i got that right, seems like a form of kumbhaka.
my question is: when are we to relax mula bundha? after the hold and before breathing in and down again? and then re-engage mula bundha as we breath in and start another cycle?

cheers,

daniel

[Bernie]

1) It depends upon how you train. Muscles can be activated in 3 ways: concentrically (which shortens the muscle: think of the biceps during a curl); isometrically (where the muscles neither shortens or lengthens: think of holding a plank pose); and eccentrically (where the muscle actually lengthens while it is activated: think of pushing into Down Dog--the arms muscles lengthen while engaging.)

There is nothing wrong with any of these forms of muscular activations per se, but if you only ever use concentric activations, the muscles are constantly being shortened and the body can remodel them to that shorter length. But if you add eccentric lengthening from time to time as well, they can stay long and lean.


2) regarding bandhas, please read my article here.

Cheers
Bernie

[DanH]

can get very confusing but i think i get it. if something shortens, counter it with something that lengthens, like stretching in the morning after a night of pretty much laying in bed in the same position. counter balance
thanks