Does Barre ‘Count’ as Strength Training or Is It More of a Cardio Workout?

Whether it’s goats, swings or paddle boards, it can seem like a new form of yoga debuts every week. But one version has found a foothold in studios worldwide: yoga sculpt. With its heart-thumping classes, the workout riffs off traditional yoga practices while introducing tools like dumbbells to transform it into something entirely new.

“Yoga sculpt is typically a form of a yoga class that includes hand weights, cardio moves, and additional strength exercises built into the yoga sequence,” explains registered yoga teacher and personal trainer Samantha Deutchman, RYT-200, CPT, lead instructor at Y7 Studio in Austin.

Ahead, get the full scoop on yoga sculpt, how it’s different from traditional flows, what to expect in your first class, and more.

What is yoga sculpt?

Peek at your yoga studio’s schedule and you’ll quickly realize yoga can refer to a ton of practices and workouts. Some sessions might center on rejuvenation while others are all flow. Yoga sculpt takes after the latter—with a twist, sometimes literally.

As Deutchman said, yoga sculpt incorporates a range of moves, equipment, and exercises that level up the bodyweight movements and postures frequently in classic flows. (And yes, it still counts as yoga.)

“Yoga sculpt was created to integrate the more dynamic parts of traditional Vinyasa yoga with the high energy and HIIT components of group fitness classes. The foundation for every sculpt class is power yoga,” says Michelle Salvatore, vice president of operations and yoga at CorePower Yoga.

Yoga sculpt vs. traditional yoga: What’s the difference?

While yoga sculpt is informed by classic yoga practices, its function is entirely different. “Yoga sculpt focuses more on the cardiovascular systems and strength-building exercises than traditional yoga. We encourage students to maintain the mind-body-breath connection both in traditional yoga and in yoga sculpt, but the intensity increases when adding weight,” Deutchman says.

Similarly, sculpt classes at CorePower typically begin with warming up the body using flows influenced by traditional practices, followed by the weight and cardio series. “Our instructors lead the class through not only yoga postures, but also combinations using weights to target and engage the entire body,” Salvatore says.

In addition to new moves, tempo, typically with the help of music, is regularly used in yoga sculpt classes to emphasize certain phases of exercises. “Yoga sculpt is energetic with upbeat music to keep you moving. The class is designed to enhance your overall yoga practice,” says Tiffany Keyser, E-RYT 200, senior lead trainer and yoga teacher trainer at Hot 8 Yoga in Los Angeles. Both Deutchman and Salvatore echo that music is—pun intended—instrumental to a yoga sculpt class.

What are the benefits of yoga sculpt?

According to the experts, yoga sculpt can positively impact your mental and physical well-being. However, peer-reviewed studies specifically on yoga sculpt are lacking and require more dedicated analysis before any firm conclusions can—and should—be made. That said, there’s been plenty of research published on the benefits of traditional yoga for blood pressure, insomnia, and memory, among others.

But back to yoga sculpt. Physically, your body can enjoy a host of benefits from the workout like, strengthening your core, building lean muscle, boosting metabolism, increasing strength, building balance, and improving overall cardiovascular endurance,” Salvatore says.

With the added focus on strength training, a benefit for bone and joint health, practicing yoga sculpt can “build strong muscles, which helps to stabilize and support your bones and joints, keeping your body healthy and reducing injuries,” Keyser says.

As the experts mentioned earlier, yoga sculpt can also foster growth for your other yoga practices, too. “This style can help you focus on strengthening a target area of your body that you may want to strengthen. For example, shoulder and arm strength training to improve your Chaturangas,” Keyser says. For anyone looking to improve their mobility, yoga sculpt can help with that, too.

Yoga sculpt can also help shift your mindset, Salvatore says. For starters, it can help enhance mental clarity and focus, she says. “By engaging your body to perform compound movements, your mind must focus on the task at hand. Additionally, when we move, our bodies produce a whole host of feel-good chemicals,” like dopamine and endorphins.

Further, joining a group fitness class—not just yoga sculpt—has also shown to reduce stress. Take, for example, a small 2017 study published in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine: The researchers found that medical students reported reduced stress after completing a 12-week group fitness regime.

Of course, if you’re dealing with more ongoing depression or anxiety, it’s important to check in with a licensed medical provider to help get to the root of what’s going on—and develop a customized plan to address it.

What to expect during your first class

Okay, so you’ve decided to try your first yoga sculpt class—congrats! Going to any first workout class can be daunting, and not without reason. There’s the unfamiliar to contest with, after all.

“Beginners should anticipate a challenging and unique blend of strength and yoga. The pace can be faster than a typical yoga class, but they can look forward to a fun and invigorating class that challenges both their body and mind,” Deutchman says.

As Salvatore mentioned earlier, yoga sculpt classes at CorePower Yoga begin with a series of flows to help you warm up. From there, the weight series starts, performed to the beat of music.

If you have a case of first-day jitters, consider getting to the studio a little early to chat with the instructor about what’s going to come up in class, and any relevant modifications you might need. “Take modifications that suit your body’s needs. Yoga teachers love to support you, so ask questions before or after class,” Keyser adds.

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