I'm a guy and there is no way I can do that pose!

So, here’s a thing, and if you are a guy starting out in yoga you most probably thought this at some point, there are poses that women make look effortless while you are struggling to just get your arm the other side of your body!

You are left there shaking your head going What! No way! Not happening!Man v Woman

However, those poses are achievable but it’s just going take you some time and practice.  Men’s anatomy is different than women’s so we got to work around it.  Hey some of those differences mean you can do stuff that women find tough, WARNING: Do not go out there challenging all women in the class to match you in plank.  They will just come back and challenge you to dancer pose, they will end up with the graceful photo and you will look like an elephant with short legs in an out of focus photo because you are wobbling that much…

So, here are a few key differences:

  1. Men’s muscles usually twitch faster and are more powerful. Though if you are doing many poses women’s muscles do not get tired as fast and they recover quicker.
  2. Men have broader shoulders and slightly narrower hips (trapeze) while women have narrower waists and broader hips (hourglass). Women have a shallower pelvis than men which often means they have a greater range of motion in the hip joints. 
  3. Men develop more muscle mass in places women don’t e.g. our general body type lends men to have more muscular shoulders, the sports we do can then add more mass in those areas. Having large shoulder muscles can be good because you can hold that downward dog longer but twisting your arms around you might be a lot harder!

I’m not trying to teach you all the differences between a man and a women, I leave that to your parents and the doctor…  what I am trying to point out is that a man’s body is different anatomically than a women’s.  A woman may be able to do more flexible poses when you start but stick at it and don’t worry you will be able to get those legs behind your head.   Don’t give up!

Don’t forget Yoga was started by men for men… that’s gotta give us some historical advantage…I wish!

Jason Wells, Jan 2017, 200hr Yoga TTC