Famous Feet - Athlete Interview


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Yoga: Steve Ilg
Part II of a II part interview.
by Faye Rapoport

Last week on Foot.com, we posted the first of a two-part interview with Steve Ilg, of the country’s most highly sought-after professional trainers and an expert Yoga Practitioner. To read the first part of this interview, click here.

For Part Two, read on:

Foot.com: Does yoga offer the kind of cardiovascular training and fat burning workout that many people seek, or do you supplement it with activities such as running?

Ilg: I don't know for sure what you mean by "many people," but I will say this: most people that come to me from conventional (Western) fitness methodologies could really stand to do more yoga and less cardio in order to burn fat over the long term. Again, I can only speak for my style of Yoga teaching, because many forms of Hatha Yoga do not raise the heart rate at all, which I do not think is wise.

In my HP Yoga classes however, I offer HP Prop Workouts, Strong Flow, Slow Flow, and Easy Flow classes, all of which affect the Heart Rate differently but all benefit the cardio-respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Why? Because although the actual heart rate may not be raised particularly high, it is elevated and stays elevated for most of the class. But the real metabolic (thus fat burning) effect kicks in AFTER the HP Yoga session is over. Yoga, if taught well, improves what yogis know as 'agni' or the fire element. Agni increases the digestive and psychosomatic heat in the body. This inner fire is what burns fat off the body, not just cardio training. In fact, when I won my State Championship in road cycling, I was logging over 18 hours per week of low to super high intensity cardio and my body held ONTO bodyfat more aggressively. When I limit my cardio to around 6 hours per week and do HP Yoga and Yogic Breathing Exercises (pranayama) everyday, I easily hover around -5% bodyfat very healthfully. And, I may be 41 years old chronologically, but Yoga has kept my physiological age at about 20 years old! I can still outperform nearly any 20 year old conventionally trained athlete across the physiologic spectrum.

Foot.com: Can people with foot injuries that prevent them from running do yoga?

Ilg: Yes, but they must be willing to be patient and persevere. Ironically, success in Yoga comes 'quickly' to those who are willing enough to 'slow down.'

Foot.com: How often should someone do yoga as part of a fitness regimen?

Ilg: This depends on the individual of course. In fact, that is why at my HP Yoga Studio in LA, I only offer a few open to the public classes and focus mostly on personal training. Yoga is traditionally an Internal Art of Self Cultivation. It was not really intended to be taught in a class type of situation because everybody has unique abilities, temperament, willingness and karma. If a person wants to gain Enlightenment in this lifetime like the Buddha said anyone could, they need to Practice everyday and essentially modify their entire Worldview. If they just want to gain some physical health and feel better? Two classes per week on nonconsecutive days is fine.

Foot.com: Do you recommend yoga for people of all ages and fitness levels?

Ilg: Depends on the person and the style of yoga. In my experience, it takes a particularly gifted Teacher to work with kids younger than about 15 and older people whose minds are as brittle as their bones. Kids share the same challenge in Yoga as do older people; they can't sustain mental focus for very long. Yoga is all about training the mind. The body just comes along for the ride. Most of my Work is with the fitness public, people who already realize the importance of lifestyle exercise, but are confused as to how to structure it in to their lives and in what amounts. My general answer to your question however is yes! Hatha Yoga can be enjoyed by all ages and abilities.

Foot.com: What is the best way to get started in yoga?

Ilg: Get my latest book, TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION (Hyperion Press)! Everything you need for at least the next 5-20 years is right there, baby! Otherwise, begin a journey of taking yoga classes around your town. Finding a Teacher that suits your unique Way might take a while. Like everything else about Yoga, develop patience and persistence. Devotion to Rising Higher is what Yoga is all about!

Steve Ilg, RYT/USCF, author, TOTAL BODY TRANSFORMATION