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I'm sorry to tell you that you are terribly misinformed.

Athletes get stronger with yoga, because improved flexibility helps them to do compound exercises with better form, and that allows them to activate the correct muscle groups for better leverage. In other words, they have the same muscle mass - they can just activate those muscles more effectively. This is most likely what happened to you, unless you were so unfit when you began yoga that even simple poses worked the hell out of your muscles.



It's a bummer to be terribly misinformed, but I'll take my own muscle mass gains as a consolation prize. We can't have everything, I guess.


It's good that you got stronger (for the reasons I explained). But unless you are doing some hardcore yoga, it is extremely unlikely that you actually gained muscle mass. (As proof, you can look at any long-term yoga instructor who wasn't muscular to begin with.)


Or, you know...as proof, I can use the gains I've measured in my own body.

No, that can't be it...


I addressed this in my original post:

"unless you were so unfit when you began yoga that even simple poses worked the hell out of your muscles."


I was not unfit when I began yoga.


Okay, so let's get down to specifics. Two questions:

1. How did you measure your lean muscle mass? 2. How did you conclude that it increased due to yoga and not something else?


Which are? Genuinely curious.




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