Total Body Strength

Hello, and welcome. My name is Chantani. We're here for your total body strength and mobility class. For today's class, you'll need a mat and a couple sets of dumbbells, something that's lighter that you can use for your upper body, and something that's a little heavier so you can get into your legs. Now today, I'm using £5 for my upper body, £10 for my lower body, but you can use whatever you have at home, and that feels best for you. Now, For our class, I want you to just feel like you can really dive into something new.

This is an opportunity for you to get stronger and feel more mobile so you can feel great in all parts of your life. So let's go ahead and get started. Bring your feet wide. We'll start with just body weight and we'll take a couple squats. So your weight goes back and you come up. Take it down and up.

So my weight goes back into my heels, my feet are wider than my hips today, and then start to add the arms reaching up and down. Just to get a little bit of movement here for 4, for 3, for 2 and 1. Now from here, you'll take your right leg forward, step forward into a lunge, and come back, and then the left leg. It's pretty simple. I like to place my hands in prayer, or in a fist, whatever feels best for you. Let's get 4 more, Good. 3.

There's 2 and 1. Now from here, bring your feet wide once again. Arms go out to a tee. From here, you'll take a side lunge. So bend one leg, come up, and then the other side. So this is option 1.

If you're feeling it, you wanna go a little quicker. You can alternate. And then if you want even more, you can take little twists, But again, the the whole goal is for you to come out of this class feeling stronger and having tried maybe something new. Let's get 4 more. There's 3.

There's 2. And one nice job. Standing at the back of your mat, you'll reach your arms up. And then just roll it all the way down. Walk your hands out to a plank and then pull it back in We won't be here long. One more inhale reach, exhale roll down, walk it forward, and walk it Back. Thanks, Job.

Shake it on out. Okay. So for class today, remember, we have a heavier set of weights and a lighter set of weights. You can also do this all with just body weight, and I promise you will feel it. So, let's start with our legs, grab a heavier set of weights, whatever that means for you, Walk your feet out wide. We did those squats, but now we're gonna go into a sumo squat, which is basically like a goddess horse dance if you're taking yoga every day. So arms go long, you take it down, and up. Down and up.

So my knees are driving back, chest stays lifted, You might feel already feels a little different than the last time I was on my yoga mat, which is all good. It's all good. It's really important that we give ourselves just a chance to try something new, to put the strength in the legs in every single rep. Good. You've got about 15 seconds. I'm keeping time for you.

Notice if your shoulders are rolling forward, keep your chest open. Good. Let's get 5 more. For 4. Good. A little deeper.

3. Getting warm. 2. And rest. Take a moment. You can check that out. Alright. So for our next one, we've got an alternating reverse lens, which we did basically a lunge in the warm up, and we'll just add some weights.

So your feet go hip with the part. You're gonna take your leg back take reverse lunge and come on up. Other side and lift. Some people prefer to what's called rack the weights up on your shoulders. This is a great option too.

It does make it a little bit more challenging for some people, But if you're up for the challenge today, go for it. Let's get about 10 more seconds Then we'll switch it out. Can you go a little bit deeper? See if you can get both legs, your version of 90 degrees. Good for 5, 4, 3, 2, keep yourself even.

There's my last one. Alright. Nice job. Okay. I'm ready for upper body. So let's set these weights down, switch them out, and remember, I'm using £5, but you can use whatever's best for your body. Fee can go hip with the part, bring a soft bend into your knees.

Palms are facing you. Elbows are pulling in. Go with me. We go up, press it up, and then pull it down through the center. Exhale as you press, inhale as you pull it down the middle. Exhale.

Inhale. Really stepping into the invitation to build more strength in the body, to come back to the breath, You're more than halfway through. You can do this. Good. And take your time.

No need to rush. Let's get 5 more seconds, 4, 3, 2, and rest shake that out. How you doing? Okay. We are going next to the reverse fly which is gonna work your back. Now, if you have lower back sensitivity, you can change this out for another move, which I'll give you in a second. So, your feet go hip with the part bend your knees hinge forward. Arms are gonna go long.

I have a micro bend. I'm gonna open up using my upper back and then slowly close. Now, here's option 1. If your lower back starts to feel uncomfortable, you can totally come up. Now, showing you this from the side, as you hinge, you want your weight back into your heels.

Yeah, there you go. Feeling your upper back. A lot of people when they do this move starts to get into the shoulders, in the neck. Remember if it's burning, it's working. Right? So you wanna make sure you're really focusing on the target. Let's get 5 more seconds.

You got it. Sync a little deeper for 3, 2, and 1. Really nice job. Alright. Check it out. Up next, we're working the biceps.

This is one of my favorite ways to do it. I like to call it the serve the platter. Okay? So, your feet are hip width, your knees are bent, abs are engaged always, palms are facing the front. You curl halfway, serve it up, pull it back, reset. Okay? So join me here halfway curl, serve it up, pull it in, and reset. You might notice if your weights are heavy, you'll wanna lean back, try to keep yourself right in the center, and keep all of the work in the arms. Good. I just imagine myself serving up the best charcuterie board We've got all the chips, all the dips, meats, cheeses, we aren't leaving nothing behind. Okay?

Okay. Let's get 10 more seconds. Serve up your best platter right here for 5, 4, 3, you got it. 2, one really nice job. Okay. I'm ready for legs. Are you ready? I'm gonna switch things out.

If the weights you have already, feel plenty heavy. Keep them. Next, you're gonna bring your feet hip with the part, bring a soft bend into your knees, and then slide your left leg back just so it's a kickstand. This is not a lunge. Okay? So as you bend your knees, you're gonna hinge forward and then squeeze up to lift. Okay? Join me here hinge and then squeeze it up. Now a lot of times, especially if you're somebody who finds yourself to be pretty mobile, This is what we tend to see, and people throw their hips forward.

That's gonna do some damage to your lower back. So keep your shoulders stacked right on top of those hips. Yeah. Let's get 10 more seconds. Good. Hamstrings are the target.

You should be feeling it there for 3, 2, and one really nice job. So once again, take a moment to recover, You wanna make sure that your shoulders stay open and that you're not rounding here, and you're not thrusting those hips forward. Let's try the other side. So slide your right leg back, soft, bending the knees, core is tight. Arms are long. We go in 3, 2, and 1. We hinge.

And then squeeze up. Inhale. Exhale. So if you've been moving with us for a while Your breath to movement connection can be your anchor. Right? You've been practicing this on the mat. And it still applies here when we're doing strength work.

Right. So we inhale as we expand on the stretch, exhale as we contract. Let's get 15 more seconds. Good. Last 65, 4, 3, 2, and one. Nice job. Shake that out.

Let's switch it out for arms. Oh, you might notice that one leg is a little stronger than the other. That last one really got me. Which is totally normal. It's all good.

Right. Bring your feet hip width apart once again, soft, bending those knees, having a strong balance, we'll start with an alternating front raise. We go in 3, 2, and 1. So you lift one arm and lower down. You lift and lower. Now, we're all working with what we've got. You know what I'm saying? So if what you're using at home feels like it's a bit too much.

You can set one weight down and then use two hands at the same time. Okay. So now you just split the weight between two hands. It makes it feel a little lighter. If what you have is like, man, I'm getting strong. I need to get some heavier weights.

I just want you for today to maybe lift both arms up at the same time. Yeah, so it'll make it a little more challenging. You only have 5 more seconds. Last three, two, and one nice job. So you gotta make it work for you. Yeah. The most important thing is that we from start to finish are constantly asking, how is this serving me? Can I improve it, and can I make it work for my body? Yeah?

So the next one, we're gonna hit the triceps. Feet go hip width, bend the knees. You're gonna bring your arms up, bend, and extend. Come with me. We go, bend, and extend. Now, a lot of the time, people will flare their elbows out to the side. Okay? So imagine like there are magnets on your inner elbows.

They're pulling towards the center. And then your ribs, right, so your core is engaged. We wanna make sure that we're not arching the back, pull everything in, and keep all the focus on the back of the arm. You're more than halfway through. Really good.

So keeping that breath here. If you're starting to hit your edge, me too. It's okay. It's okay. I'm not here to tell you that it's gonna be easy all the time, But I promise after this, you're gonna feel really proud of yourself, and you're gonna feel really strong.

Yeah. Let's get 5 more seconds. You got this for 3, 2, and one really nice job. Alright. We are gonna set these weights down, switch it up, and come down to the ground for a push up series. Now, if you've been taking yoga for a little while or a long while, you have a little bit of an edge. And if it's your first time, don't worry because I got you.

That's why I'm So, finding a full plank pose, but I want your hands wider than your shoulders. Your feet can go hip with the part, pull the abs up, You're gonna inhale to bend, exhale to press, then you walk your hands in underneath your shoulders. Think Yogi push up also known as a tricep pushup. So the elbows are pulling in towards the side, and then you press. We're alternating between wide, And then narrow.

Good. Now, you have the option to come down to the knees. And do all of this right here. The target is to strengthen the chest, and it's also a great time to practice if you're someone who loves taking vinyasa classes, me too, but it's nice to just practice this move that we actually do quite a bit in those classes. Let's get 10 more seconds. For 5, 4, 3, 2, and rest. Nice job.

I'm ready to lay down. So you have an option. You can do this with no weight, or you can bring just one dumbbell. I'm feeling generous. Okay? So lay down and you, if you have a dumbbell, you would place it on your hips. Okay? So you can feel it, like, land into the pocket of the hips. We're going into bridge.

You guessed it. Your feet are gonna go hip with the part. And then you press your hips up and down. So you peel yourself off the mat and then lower down. Now this is a strength class. Right? So we can start to kind of push the pace a little bit. What does your body feel like in this move you've maybe done before, but how does it feel to experience it a little quicker?

Good. Now if the weight ever becomes too much, You can set it to the side and just really focus on pushing down through the feet. Knowing that the goal is not for your whole class to be perfect. That's just not the goal. It's never the goal.

Yeah. Just keep it honest. Just do your best. Know that challenge is a part of the conversation right now. You're more than halfway through. Push down to those feet.

Feel your glutes and your hamstrings really activate. Whoo. We are feeling this. You've got this 5 more seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. Nice job.

Set it to the side, hug your knees and towards your chest. We have one more strength move, and then we get to switch gears. So you still with me? Listen. We're halfway through. We got this. So you're gonna curl up into a ball.

Hands come behind your head. Option to tap your elbows to your thighs. That's not the goal, but sometimes it's nice to have a target. You pull it in, and then you extend everything out. And out. Now there's also the option to rest your head, and just focus on the legs moving. If you're like, girl, This has been a doozy. Okay? You have an option.

You can put your head down. Most important thing once again is that you finish this class, feeling stronger. Yeah. Good. If your hands are behind your head and you have this curl, remember tapping your thighs is not the goal. We're really working to get our shoulder blades off the ground if you can.

We are feeling this, yo. Whoo. Okay. We've got 5 seconds. We got this. And then we get to switch gears in 4, 3, to and rest, hug your knees in towards your heart. Just take a moment, shut down the eyes. Breathe into the nose, out through the mouth.

Remember why you showed up today? Have an opportunity to build a relationship with hard today. Just something that it's it's so essential. Yes. On the map, but off the map. Like, can you hold in the hard stuff until you get to this moment, of release. Take one more deep breath in.

Exhale. Great job. Carefully rock and roll yourself up. And we get to part 2. So you're not gonna need dumbbells. Thank goodness. Set them to the side.

For this first part, I thought we could start out with something we know and love, cat cow. Hands come underneath your shoulders, I could just feel some of you go like, oh, thank goodness. Hands at her shoulders, knees, and her hips. Here we go. Inhale, opening up. Exhale roundspine. So we're just starting off with something that we know, something that we love. And even though the breath is a part of this conversation, I want you to draw your awareness to really finding your edges of this movement, because we're just a little bit halfway done with class.

And when the concept of mobility comes into play, we really wanna explore our edges, like, how far can I go in that Cat, how expanded can I get in the cow? Let's take 2 more. And notice I am going a bit quicker. Yeah? How's a different feel? Add release that handstand underneath your shoulders.

You're gonna take one leg, fly it out to the side, and just draw some circles. Now let's start out just start out at an easy pace, whatever feels good. So I'm pulling it out to the side, wrapping it back, pulling it through, And then what happens when you really slow everything down? It actually it's kinda hard. You can feel the strength in the outer hips, really wrapping back.

Do your best here. And let's go to the other leg. So you take it out to the side. Just find an easy pace first. It's kinda lubricating the joints, dusting off the cobwebs for some of us.

It's cool. It's cool, and then start to slow it down. Like, really wrap around See if you can keep that connection with your core. So a lot of times we get into this multi space. We're like, oh, this feels so good. Different class. Okay? So slow things down.

Really just focus on mobilizing through the leg. Good. Let's go for 5. 4, 3, 2, and 1. Step your right foot on the outside of your right hand. Okay. So think lizard lunge. Keep your back knee down for now.

Reach your right arm up. Inhale, and then exhale what's called world's greatest stretch because it is. You wrap it down If your elbow can touch the ground, amazing. If not amazing, you can touch your shoulder instead. In hell up, exhale, tap, inhale up, exhale, tap. And you wanna feel the opening through the inner thigh, the groin, getting the twist, the spinal rotation. And so this is the thing too, if I could just be real.

Coming through right now. So a lot of times when we're trying new modalities like mobility, what's that? You've been doing it all along. It's just a lizard lizard lunge with a twist. You know what I mean?

2 more like this, one more, and then we'll switch it out. Other side. It's about finding the bridge. You know what I mean? Alright. So my left foot is on the outside of my left hand.

Chest stays open. You reach the left arm up, opening up through the chest, and then twist. Again, you might not be able to tap all the way down That's okay. You can just tap your shoulder. So you reach up, and then you twist around and tap. Inhale, exhale.

This is like my favorite thing to do is have the conversation about, like, Where are the connections? What's the bridge between all the different ways that we can move our bodies? Mobility, yoga, same family, different approach. You know? Let's get 3 more. Exhale.

2 more. Oh, yeah. Last one. Good. Beautiful.

Now, coming down, hands come down. Let's come up to downward facing dog. Hips go high. If you've never been in this pose before, just bring your feet in line with your hip bones. Okay? But if they feel a little tight today, maybe a little surge. You need more room.

You can bring your feet wide for today. Now you're gonna roll through the spine. So think, tip toes, tucking through the pelvis, pulling all the way through the spine, shift it forward, plank. Then from here, you tuck your chin, roll it back. Back to downward facing dog.

Take a few of these. You can inhale shift forward. Ex, he'll take it back. And so we're starting to get a little bit more mobility, kind of flossing the shoulder in a way that we know and love, So as you continue to try more of these classes, if you're like, oh, strength and mobility, I'm not sure. Look. This is mobility too.

You've been doing it this whole time. That's the bridge. Take one more. Downward facing dog. Good. Now tip toe your feet forward.

Take a moment. Rolling yourself up. Head is the last to lift. We made it. Alright. Bring your feet.

Hip width. It's just like breaking up a little yoga flow. We reach the arms up, and we're just gonna pull down to the cactus and then watch, roll it in roll it out, reach it up, yeah, in. It goes down, open, up. Now when you're doing mobility work, just like any other, think like a powerful yoga class, we're not just hitting the poses and moving through.

You're moving with intention. You're squeezing your muscles. Okay? Increasing your range of motion requires the buy in of your muscles, which means in making them engage. Right? So we're not doing passive movement. I'm burning through the shoulders, actually.

So let's get 2 more. Turn it in, turn it out, reach it up, you cactus, then you turn it in, as far as you can, turn it out, reach it up, and just for fun, pull it right down the center, bring it home, take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. You're doing great. Okay. So let's shake this out. Up next, we're gonna do what's called a Jefferson Curl.

It's basically just a roll down. So feet go wide. I'd rather underneath the hips and just tuck your chin. I want you to take your time rolling all the way down And you might notice that there are places where it's hard to, like, move slow it intentionally, so take it take your time. Then you'll roll it back up.

It's okay if you don't touch the ground today. It's all good. So having that conscious awareness, tuck the chin, go upper neck, mid back. This is where I get a little stuck. Right in there, and it goes into the lower back. And then you do you kind of release the pelvis so you can get that oof, that nice hamstring stretch?

And then we begin again, you push through the legs, tuck the hips, start to roll up through the spine, taking your time, coming up to stand, and here's your last one. Take it down. Oh, yeah. Feeling that. And you're gonna stay hands on the ground, bend your knees and come down. Okay. We've only got a couple moves left.

So you're gonna bring your right leg out in front of you 90 degrees. Your left leg goes back. This one is a tricky one for a lot of people. You can start by flexing your feet. That can help. But you're sitting up nice and tall.

We're gonna start using our hands. My right leg is forward. My left hand is down right here. We open up Both legs go flat, and then you switch sides. Boom.

You open up nice and slow. And take it to the other side. And you wanna really feel it's right in here where it gets sticky. Woo hoo. It's okay. Perfect is not the goal.

Just keep it going and start to feel into this. Now, if you have it, I'm feeling bold. This is bold for me. My hands can come to prayer. Oh, yeah. She still got it, and we come back around.

Maybe this is you. Maybe maybe this happens today and maybe it happens tomorrow. It's all good. So you've got a couple more on your own. Just doing your best here.

And when you return back to where you started, release. Nice job. That's a good one that you can do. It really opens up the hips. It feels really nice. Now let's shoot our legs out in front We'll just take a simple fold.

Reach back to the base of your seat and pull back your seat muscles so you're really just sitting on your pelvic bones. Okay? You reach your arms up, exhale folding right over the top. Maybe your hands go to your feet, your ankles, your shins, drop the chin. Just take a moment for yourself, and we'll just have a moment to stretch, to land, to ground, feeling everything melts towards the earth.

Maybe you're feeling a little bit of energy buzzing through your system from that first half of class. Remember that? Take a deep breath in. Exhale. Good.

Now roll yourself up head is the last to lift. You can take a seat cross legged. Some people like to sit on the back of their heels So whatever feels best for you, I'm gonna take a seat, cross legged, bring your hands to the top of your thighs, inhale, opening up the chest, exhale round spine. Inhale opening up. Exhale round spine.

And I'm actually feeling like kind of feels like a little massage through the hips. Like, I'm rolling and tipping my pelvis forward and then taking it all the way back. Almost like if it were a bowl of water, it would spill the water to the front, and then spill it to the back. Take one more. And exhale, and then come back to center. And we'll just finish off just opening up through the neck where we tend to hold a lot of tension.

So just give me some neck circles all the way around. And take your time. You can close your eyes, feeling into which side feels a little tighter, what feels more open, What's calling for your attention? Good. And then reverse it other way. Really, really slow.

Like, I'm feeling more open when my head goes back, but then when it comes to the side, it gets a little tight. And that's okay. Taking one more. And then just coming back to your center for a moment, just close your eyes. Place one hand over your chest, the other hand over that hand, or you can bring them to prayer.

Take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. You did it. Really, really great job. My name is Chantani. That was your total body strength and mobility class.

I'm so proud of you. Thank you for trying something new. Thank you for showing up again and again for yourself and your body. We'll thank you later. We'll see you back here next time.