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| I am a teacher, and I have a couple of new classes at a gym that is mainly frequented by body-builders of the male persuasion. None of them have been to my classes, although they have expressed a little interest - it's a small town and they sort of have the idea that "yoga is for girls", and nobody wants to be the first one to look like a sissy.
I just know that yoga would be great for them, help them to maintain their flexibility as they add bulk, and to focus on their alignment so they don't injure themselves during a workout. However, I'm not sure how to attract them to class.
Are there any gentlemen out there that like to work out with weights, and also enjoy practicing yoga? If so, what would attract these guys to class? Should I distribute some information about how it would help with their body-building activities, or try to start up a Power Yoga type class? Any ideas would be great!
Thanks!!
Jean |
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| I'll speak only for myself Jean but your approach would only put me off--like nagging on quitting smoking, etc. I'd say offer some flyers or some such then let it go...you can only lead we horses to water... |
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| Which approach do you mean? I haven't done anything yet, I was just fishing for ideas (marketing, different style classes, etc). I just wish there was some way to tell them that yoga isn't a "chick thing."
The classes are very small right now, and I fear it will be cancelled if I don't get more people signed up!  |
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| Jean
Personally, when I have a few guys in my class it's time to turn on the heat and let them know they can get a workout. I focus on a lot of vinyasas. A lot of chattarangas and vasistasanas. I favor bakasana to paschimottanasana. Guys like that can seldom touch their toes and few will even enjoy the attempt. Usually they will at least be up to the challenge of balancing on their hands and doing some chattarangas and handstands and stuff. I also will throw in a lot of utkatasana to make them sweat.
Finally, I end with some good deep stretches for the upperbody. Gomukasana and some other shoulder & heart openers.
Of course humiliating them by exposing their weaknesses is a chance I am willing to take. Being a guy I don't want guys leaving my class thinking it's for wimps. I want them to feel like they've grossly underestimated yoga. However, I keep it light and fun, but I make sure they are challenged in terms of strength and balance. Gradually I will introduce more flexibility to them as well. I also try to correlate how doing this will make them stronger and look better and how it will hit muscles differently. Appeal to their vanity. |
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| My gym has flyers for every class on offer. You'll find them in a display at the reception. On these flyers there's a short information about how this class works and what the benefits are. I find it a good idea since there's so much stuff going on nowadays, you really don't know what is what anymore: Tai-chi, kick-box (with and without bags), pilates, aqua-aerobics, cardio express, yoga, ab blaster, bosu express, spinning, bodies in action, latin fever and whatnot. There's even a class called "hi-lo can you go?"
Perhaps the body builders don't like reading either, cause otherwise they would show at the yoga class. Unfortunately they don't. The few males in yoga class are either of the emancipated or more intellectual kind, or married and doing it together with their better half ... or freaks like me. But we are lucky since there are more than enough ladies attending the yoga classes so there's no danger of getting canceled.
You can't force anybody, Jean, can you...
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| I should add that this is a very small gym in a VERY small town - the only classes currently offered are yoga and step aerobics! I am mainly faced with explaining what yoga is like to a lot of people who never heard of it before.
But it definitely sounds as if I should gear things to be more energetic and challenging for any men who might be interested! These have been very valuable suggestions and I appreciate everyone's input very much. Keep 'em coming!
Thank you!!! |
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| There is a book called Real Men Do Yoga. It features some prominant athletes (footballers and baseballers mostly) that do yoga. It might behoove you to drop some names of famous athletes that do yoga and also to point out how certain poses have a crossover into other sports. Increasing range of motion in the shoulders can improve throwing ability for example. |
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| this thread came at a perfect time as i have just been asked to teach a mens class. can you tell me some famous athletes/actors who do yoga?
in my case, i am dealing with painfully shy males who view yoga as something only women do. their boss seems to think otherwise.
the challenge, i think, is going to be to keep some semblance of order in class. i have met some of the students and they seem to like to make a joke of the whole thing. i dont want to intimidate anyone from the start but i do want the class to be challenging/beneficial for the boys.
i havent actually agreed to teach it yet. still trying to decide what routine is going to work best.
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| Kira, I'm not a teacher but I would design the class like one of my gym instructors does: "No phylosophical blah-blah!" she says, "this is a gym, people want to work-out first and foremost!" She's the one teacher I like the least I have to admit. On the other hand her's is the only class that makes me sweaty and doesn't give me a split second of boredom. Most people seem to rather enjoy it very much. For me it's a nice contrast to my "real" yoga classes.
That's maybe a good way to handle your "rebellious men's society", give them a hard regimen so they have no possibility to start joking. Keep them busy on the mats and don't force them to sit around and listen to philosophical or medical readings. Once you have established some disciplin in that group you can slowly start introducing the ideas and background of yoga.
Please keep in mind they are men. Men are a bit more simple minded than ladies, they want to play, show of, compete, fight ... and win! That's why men generally have more fun in life than women. Let them have that and everything will be fine 
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| I seem to recall Sting does yoga ? |
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| I haven't read the book (yet) but according to the Amazon review, two of the famous men listed in Real Men Do Yoga are pro golfer David Duval and star running back Eddie George.
Obviously I'm the one who posted looking for help, so I'm no expert, but another tactict you could take with the jokers is to just let it go and conduct class as usual. I haven't had any grown-men jokers, but I have had some giggly teenagers (in fact in the very first class I ever taught, two 11-yr-old boys positioned themselves directly in front of me!). Laughter is sometimes a defense mechanism because people feel stupid, sometimes it's just a release when things get too serious. I don't mind too much if people get the giggles in class, I just let them get it out of their system and eventually they want to get something real out of the experience just like the other students.
On the other hand, from what I am reading, it sounds as if the men would probably enjoy a more serious, workout-based program. Kira - I'd love to hear more about your experiences if you decide to teach that class! |
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| thanks for the replies. i just love how supportive this forum is!
one thing i keep thinking about is how things like forward bends can be frustrating for the male folk. poses that require more flexibility and less strength can be daunting for men, would you agree?
as for the first meeting i had with the president and a few of his employees, they were doing "animal poses" (lots of monkeys and lions!) and joking around. the thing is, that i have the boss on my side. in japan, you do what the boss says and you dont mess about. i am sure the class will go fine. i am going to have another meeting next week, check out the space, etc.
i think you might be right about leaving out a lot of the philosophy at the beginning....(if swamiji finds out, he will be very disappointed in me - but i will leave that part out of my mail to him  or atleast wait until he asks....the one thing i wont compromise on is prayers. i really find they announce a definite beginning and end and set the tone.
men have more fun than women?? that my friend, is hilarious! you were joking, right? |
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| I love Keith's approach. One of my teacher's told a story that she was contracted to teach X number of yoga classes to a fire dept. They weren't at all interested and were only there on requirement. She assessed the situation and like any good business person (or ambassador depending on your level of skepticism) she decided that they would get no benefit until they had more respect for yoga. So she got into a modified plank pose propping on her elbow for core stabilization and offered that anyone who could stay there longer than her could leave the class and still receive 'credit.' Afterward, she had a packed obedient class. 
Amy |
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| whoa whoa whoa, men have more fun than women? poor afroyogi, still confused after all this time. it's alright, we'll let it slide this time. 
Don't you think we have lots of fun toying with the boys? |
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| LoraB - 2005-01-22 4:54 PM
whoa whoa whoa, men have more fun than women? poor afroyogi, still confused after all this time. it's alright, we'll let it slide this time.
Don't you think we have lots of fun toying with the boys?
>> men have more fun than women?? that my friend, is hilarious! you were joking, right? <<
Me? Joking? Now come on, have you ever heard anything funny from this super-earnest yogi? No, ladies, I kid you not. Think about it: men get into pub brawls, men start wars, men shoot themself into space in rocket-propelled tin cans, men jump from bridges with a rubberband to slow down their fall and lots more of real fun stuff. Okay, lots of these things are done by women too nowadays but men have started it. No lady would've ever come up with the idea to jump off a building with a parachute, or use motorcycles to jump over canyons I guess.
See, it takes a special kind of intelligence to come up with things like that, a wonderfully weird intelligence that makes life worth living and is tragically lacked by womenfolk 
I rest my case ... yeah, I better do so ... |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
  
Location: A Blue State | easternsun - 2005-01-22 2:25 AM
this thread came at a perfect time as i have just been asked to teach a mens class. can you tell me some famous athletes/actors who do yoga?
Let's see...
Willem Dafoe does Ashtanga. Kareem Abdul Jabar does Bikram. The Philadephilia Eagles
are in bed with Baron Baptiste (at least, they were). Tony Sanchez trains some high bore
executives. Yehudi Menhuin did Iyengar yoga. Going back to Bikram, he had a basketful
of Beverly Hills types who worked with him. George Bush is such a good yogi that he
can put his head up his a$$ when he makes decisions. There are more, I'm sure, but my
memory is not sharp. |
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| I think Bush gave up yoga in Nov 2004 when he became a magician and pulled off yet another successful election. For his next trick, he's teaching his brother Jeb how to win in 2008. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State |
Jeb versus Hillary, what a trip! Each will have a former President on the stump for them. |
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| Sounds like the Bush's are starting a new family tradition. Maybe in 100 years or so someone with the name of Bush will go like: "Yah, my grand-grandaddy was a president, my granddaddy after him, then his brother, then both his daughters and some others I forgot. And after my brother's second term the calling will be on me to hook 'em by the horns. I don't feel like but I have to. It's a trad... trado-itionaliensation in our family ya'know..."
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| flipcat - 2005-01-22 10:42 AM
I love Keith's approach. One of my teacher's told a story that she was contracted to teach X number of yoga classes to a fire dept. They weren't at all interested and were only there on requirement. She assessed the situation and like any good business person (or ambassador depending on your level of skepticism ) she decided that they would get no benefit until they had more respect for yoga. So she got into a modified plank pose propping on her elbow for core stabilization and offered that anyone who could stay there longer than her could leave the class and still receive 'credit.' Afterward, she had a packed obedient class.
Amy
That's such a good story Amy. One of the gals I started yoga with is only 5'1" and skinny as a rail. But she can do an Ashtange/Power Yoga routine that will kick the toughest guys butt.
There are two way to approach it for guys IMO. 1. Do a lot of power yoga style that uses a lot of strength. Heavy emphasis on vinyasa to get the body heat up and the breath coming faster. Guys like to sweat when they exercise. After all we're so good at it. 2. Do some where you go into a static pose like side plank and hold it for a long time. Let them get their muscles shaking at least a couple of times in practice. Make it a strong, not a gentle practice.
A strong standing leg series on one side can be a real killer -- Warrior I, Warrior II, Reverse Warrior, Side angle, can make triangle feel positively heavenly.
Tell them Yoga strengthens muscles when long, not short like weight lifting does.
Edited by MrD 2005-01-24 2:34 PM
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Yoga for Men
