Yoga Meets Movement Science

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen are joined by Greg Nuckols to discuss whether stretching can make you strong. Greg has an M.A. in exercise and sports science and is the co-founder of Stronger by Science and MacroFactor (the best nutrition app on the market). He’s held three all-time world records in powerlifting, is an international speaker, and is the author of multiple books. He’s also the co-host of the Stronger by Science podcast.

Points of discussion include:

8:50 What is strength?

12:25 When muscles grow in size, is it because individual muscle fibers grow larger (hypertrophy), or is it because we gain more muscle fibers (hyperplasia)?

19:08 What does evidence from animal research suggest about whether stretching can lead to muscle growth?

36:20 What is the current scientific perspective on the mechanism(s) of hypertrophy / muscle growth?

39:22 What is blood flow restriction training?

44:37 Is muscle damage a driver of muscle growth?

50:10 What role does tension play in causing muscle growth?

50:30 The anatomical continuity between muscle, intramuscular connective tissue, tendon, and bone

55:36 The tendency to take a “tension reductionist” point of view on muscle growth / hypertrophy

58:15 What’s the difference between active tension and passive tension in a muscle?

1:05:03 What is the length-tension relationship?

1:12:26 Why does strength training at longer muscle lengths produces greater muscle growth / hypertrophy?

1:20:26 Does research suggest that stretching can lead to muscle growth in the human body?

1:37:28 Do we know what the mechanism is for *why* long duration, intense stretching can cause muscle growth?

1:48:23 Do we have a natural propensity to seek explanations for phenomena even when no science-based explanation exists yet?

…And much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Stronger by Science website (free articles by Greg Nuckols)

Stronger by Science Facebook group (ask Greg Nuckols questions here)

Stronger by Science podcast (free audio learning with Greg Nuckols)

MacroFactor nutrition app (the best nutrition app on the market)

Follow Stronger by Science / Greg Nuckols on Instagram

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Article: Influence of Long-Lasting Static Stretching on Maximal Strength, Muscle Thickness and Flexibility

Article: Stretch training induces unequal adaptation in muscle fascicles and thickness in medial and lateral gastrocnemii

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the anatomy, biomechanics, and cueing of hip rotation.

Points of discussion include:

• A brief intro to hip joint anatomy
• Open vs. closed chain hip rotation
• What is the average ROM of hip external & internal rotation?
• What are hip anteversion and retroversion?
• What does research suggest about the connection between lack of hip rotation and hip pain?
• The difference between alignment/position and muscular action in a yoga pose or movement
• What’s the hip rotation alignment in warrior 1?
• What’s the hip rotation alignment in warrior 2?
• What’s the hip rotation alignment in gomukhasana?
• What’s the hip rotation alignment in the 90/90 position?
• What’s the hip rotation alignment in half moon?
• How could you work on hip internal rotation in yoga?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

Podcast episode: “Posture is Overrated” w/ Todd Hargrove (Yoga Meets Movement Science episode 25)

Blog Post: End-Range Training: Does Closing the Gap Between Active and Passive ROM Prevent Injuries?

Research study: Is lower hip range of motion a risk factor for groin pain in athletes? A systematic review with clinical applications

YouTube video: Warrior 1 vs. High Lunge: What’s the Difference?

YouTube video: Hip Anatomy Lesson in Warrior 2

Podcast episode: “Pigeon Pose: Friend or Foe?” (Yoga Meets Movement Science episode 18)

Instagram post on the 90/90 position

Podcast episode: “Yoga Alignment Rules That Don’t Make Sense” (Yoga Meets Movement Science episode 33)

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss what research suggests about whether we should truly “always listen to our body”.

Points of discussion include:

• A review of interoception
• Do yoga & mindfulness practices actually improve interoception?
• What’s the connection between interoception and anxiety?
• Does what we feel in our body necessarily reflect what is actually taking place in our body?
• Do feelings of back stiffness correlate to actual biomechanical back stiffness?
• The conundrum of treating pain in a rehab context when pain does not necessarily correlate with tissue damage
• Should rehab exercises be painful or not painful?
• Is the sensation we feel at the end of a stretch an accurate reflection of the mechanical end range of our tissue’s length?
• What role does interoception play in athletic performance?
• Do elite runners have better interoception than non-runners?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Research study: Feeling stiffness in the back: a protective perceptual inference in chronic back pain

Research study: Interoceptive differences in elite sprint and long-distance runners: A multidimensional investigation

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the phenomenon of “magic muscles”: the tendency in the yoga, fitness, and rehab worlds to treat some muscles as more important or more special than other muscles.

Points of discussion include:

• What is a magic muscle?
• Muscle-based approaches in strength training & bodybuilding
• Teaching yoga with a  “teach movement, not muscles” approach
• What research suggests about these specific magic muscles:
  • Quadratus Lumborum (QL)
  • Vastus Medialis Obliquus (VMO)
  • Transverse Abdominis (TvA)
  • Psoas
  • Glutes
  • Piriformis
• What do all magic muscles have in common?
• Is the practice of labelling certain muscles as “stabilizers” and others as “movers” somewhat outdated?
• The trend in evidence-based rehab to use non-specific vs. specific diagnoses for persistent pain conditions
• What are “corrective exercises”, and are they evidence-based?
• How well does yoga, specifically, help with low back pain?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast! Starting at $3/month.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Take Jenni’s course: “When to Be Anatomically Specific in Yoga” for free!

Podcast episodes referenced in this episode (in order of appearance on the show):

• Ep 35: Nasal vs. Mouth Breathing: Does it Matter:
• Ep 6: Is Ashtanga Yoga a Cult? And the Value of Strength
• Ep 4: The Truth About Core Training
• Ep 9: Do We Store Emotions in Our Hips?
• Ep 13: The Glutes: Peachy Keen or Not All They Seem?
• Ep 18: Pigeon Pose: Friend or Foe?

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen are joined by special guest Joe Miller, MS to discuss the physiology of breathing.

Joe Miller has been teaching yoga since 2000, and he has a master’s degree in applied physiology from Columbia University. He teaches anatomy and physiology in yoga teacher trainings nationally and worldwide. He’s also a Guild Certified Feldenkrais® Practitioner and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA.

Points of discussion include:

• Joe’s yoga backstory and how he got into physiology
• Has the yoga world historically been insular by nature, and is that changing?
• Why do we breathe?
• How is breathing controlled?
• What is anaerobic vs. aerobic respiration?
• Is it helpful to teach yoga students to breathe “fully and deeply” all throughout their yoga practice?
• Do we have “stale” air in our lungs that we clear out with full exhales?
• What different effects do breathing into the belly, rib cage, and upper chest have?
• What physiological effects does ujjayi breathing have?
• Is it helpful for yoga teachers to remind people to breathe?
• Is it helpful to pair specific movements in yoga with specific phases of the breath (inhale or exhale)?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!


Resources mentioned in this episode:

Learn more from Joe Miller: website / Instagram / YouTube

YouTube video (Joe Miller): Does Deep Breathing Increase Blood Oxygen?

Breathing 101 Course with Joe Miller

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss what scientific research suggests about nasal vs. mouth breathing.

In addition to nasal vs. mouth breathing as a general topic, Jenni and Travis also take a closer look at the Buteyko Breathing Method, as well as and 2 popular books on breathing: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor (2020) and The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown (2015).

This episode features a special guest interview at the end specifically about the book Breath by James Nestor. Jenni and Travis are joined by the amazing science communicator Dr. Rachel David to discuss this book. Rachel has a PhD in immunology and a master’s degree in science communication, and she’s also a yoga teacher.

Points of discussion include:

• What claims are commonly made about nasal vs. mouth breathing?
• Outlining the difference between *breathing practices* (acute) vs. day-to-day breathing (chronic)
• What type of research would need to be done in order to investigate a possible causal link between mouth breathing and negative health effects?
• What does research suggest about the health effects of nasal breathing techniques or practices (i.e. pranayama)?
• Day-to-day breathing is autonomic (unconscious)
• What percentage of people breathe 100% nasally?
• What are the benefits of nasal breathing?
• When our mouth is open, do we still breathe through our nose?
• Does an open mouth indicate that someone is a “mouth breather”?
• What does the research on the effects of mouth breathing suggest?
• A closer look at the Buteyko Breathing Method and 2 books: The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown (2015) and Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor (2020)
• How popular is the book Breath by James Nestor in the yoga world?
• Did any scientific organizations endorse the book Breath?
• Is the basic premise of the book Breath scientifically-based?
• …And much more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Dr. Rachel David’s website: https://geeky.yoga (**sign up for her email list in the footer of her website!)

Dr. Rachel David’s article about the book Breath by James Nestor

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen are joined by the knowledgeable science educator Jonathan Jarry, MS to discuss complementary and alternative medicine.

Jonathan Jarry is a science communicator for McGill University’s Office for Science and Society. He has a master’s degree in molecular biology, and he brings his experience in cancer research, human genetics, rehabilitation research, and forensic biology to the work he does for the public. Jonathan also co-hosts the award-winning medical podcast The Body of Evidence, and he is frequently quoted in local, national and international media on issues of science and pseudoscience.

Points of discussion include:

• What is evidence-based medicine? What is science-based medicine?
• What is a randomized clinical trial?
• What is complementary & alternative medicine (CAM)?
• What is the wellness industry?
• What are some qualities that all complementary & alternative medicine modalities have in common?
• Specific alternative medicine modalities discussed include:
  • Chiropractic
  • Naturopathy
  • Homeopathy
  • Acupuncture
• What is the placebo effect?
• What is regression to the mean?
• What’s the difference between correlation and causation?
• Is using yoga as “medicine” or “therapy” evidence-based?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Find Jonathan Jarry’s work at the Office for Science and Society at McGill University

Follow Jonathan Jarry on Twitter

Listen to Jonathan’s award-winning podcast The Body of Evidence

Book recommendation by Jonathan: Trick or Treatment

Jonathan Jarry on the Adaptabilia podcast

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss a selection of yoga alignment cues that don't make sense! These cues all have one thing in common: they are each used inconsistently across similar (or the same) positions. By examining these carefully-chosen examples, we gain insight into whether or not these cues are actually important. And we improve our ability to think critically about the information we’re taught!

Yoga alignment rules covered in this episode include:

• Stack the shoulder over the wrist in plank pose
• Stack the shoulder over the wrist in side plank pose
• Don’t let the feet turn out in wheel pose
• Don’t jump back to straight-arm plank pose; instead, jump into bent-elbow chaturanga
• Don’t transition from closed-to-open hip poses or vice versa
• Don’t place your foot on your inner knee in tree pose
• Ground your inner hands down in down dog
• Internally rotate your hips in forward folds
• Catch the outer ankle in bow pose

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

Sara Paige, who inspired the idea for this episode! website / Instagram

YouTube video: Should We Shift Forward Onto Our Toes in Chaturanga?

YouTube video: Is Turning Your Feet Out in Wheel Bad?

YouTube video: Is Jumping Back to Plank Bad for Our Shoulders?

Blog post: No Foot on the Knee in Tree Pose? Questioning the Cue

YouTube video: Should We Avoid Closed to Open Hip Transitions in Yoga?

YouTube video: Should We Ground Our Inner Hands in Down Dog?

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen are joined by the knowledgeable and inspiring Claire Zai, a strength coach with Barbell Medicine and a competitive powerlifter with her bachelor’s degree in physiology & neuroscience and her master’s degree in physiology with a focus on biomechanics.

They discuss myths and evidence-based information about women & strength training, including these topics:

• How societal gender stereotypes influence how we view women’s and men’s bodies
• Strength training around the menstrual cycle – is this something women should think about?
• What role do hormones like estrogen and progesterone play in our ability to generate force and strength train?
• Strength training and menopause
• Does our metabolic rate (i.e. our metabolism) decrease when we reach menopause?
• Strength training and osteoporosis
• Are claims that yoga can improve bone density evidence-based?
• Strength training and pregnancy
• Does strength training make women “bulky”?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Follow and learn from Claire Zai, MS: Instagram / website / email

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

Research article: The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Exercise Performance in Eumenorrheic Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Research article: Variations in Strength-Related Measures During the Menstrual Cycle in Eumenorrheic Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Research article: The Impact of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Athletes’ Performance: A Narrative Review

Research article: The effect of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptives on acute responses and chronic adaptations to resistance training: a systematic review of the literature

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen discuss the anatomy, biomechanics, and cueing of the yoga asana downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana).

Points of discussion include:

• The anatomy and joint positions of down dog
• The biomechanical effects that down dog has on the body
• Should we externally rotate our shoulders in down dog?
• What is “shoulder impingement”, and why is this an outdated model for shoulder pain?
• Should we ground our inner hands down in down dog?
• What’s the right hand-to-feet length in down dog?
• Should our heels be on the ground in down dog?
• Should our knees be straight in down dog?
• Is down dog a resting pose?
• How can we regress and progress down dog?
• What are strategies for working around pain in down dog?
• Is down dog OK to practice during pregnancy?
• Do we need to anteriorly tilt our pelvis in down dog in order to stretch our hamstrings?
• …And much more!

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

YouTube video: Should We Ground Our Inner Hands in Down Dog?

YouTube video: 3 Tips for Shoulder Pain in Down Dog

YouTube video: What’s the Right Length for Downward Dog?

Blog post: Top 4 Myths About Yoga During Pregnancy by Lauren Anderson

Research article: Surgery for shoulder impingement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

Strength for Yoga email newsletter

To find out more about Travis Pollen: website / Instagram

Music used with generous permission from Dischord A Cappella.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Support the show

**Become a supporter of the Yoga Meets Movement Science podcast – starting at $3/month!