[John Michael Kane]

So, I'm trying to work yoga into my exercise routines, alongside of my weight lifting. Been doing it for a few weeks now, but the mats that are available to borrow at my local gym are too small. I'm 6'2" and the tiny mats that are marketed towards women just won't work for the long warrior poses, etc.

I want a mat made for a man, and would appreciate the input of the esteemed yogis here.

I've been reading the other yoga threads on this forum, and have found that a few brands/mats have been recommended:

Mats:
Yogamatic
Manduka
Prana
Aurorae
YogaJack

I'd really like to pick a mat with an original background, design, quote or masculine design. So many of the mats marketed towards men are just plain blah. I like the ones from Yogamatic the best so far of what I've found in terms of having unique designs. Are there any other companies out there that are similar? I haven't found a whole lot in that vein, with the original styles. Has anyone else found companies that produce high-quality yoga mats for men with cool designs?

While on the subject, here's an article about men doing yoga:

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/he...-1.1274203

Quote:

More men are flocking to yoga classes — and they're tired of borrowing their girlfriends' purple, flowered yoga mats.

Thankfully for them, some savvy retailers have heard the complaint and are starting to step up their offerings for male yogis.

YogaJack Inc., a fledgling company based in San Francisco and Boston, last week announced its introductory line of yoga gear just for guys.

Among the offerings: longer, thicker yoga mats with a "proprietary non-slip surface" for sweaty dudes, and tote bags in guy-friendly basic black.

Founder and president Jahon Jamali, a 32-year-old father of two who once worked in intelligence for the Department of Defense, first got into yoga because "my wife had been pushing me," he told the Daily News.

"I gotta be honest — yoga is a little intimidating for guys at first," Jamali said. "I went out to buy a cheap mat and I couldn't find anything for me. I'm not a New Age guy; I'm a standard average Joe. Guess what, I don't want a floral print mat."

Jamali's first yoga mat was a cheap purchase from one of the big-box stores. "It lasted me a couple weeks, then started to fray and chip away," he said. "I'm 200 pounds. It doesn't take much to squish those things."

The YogaJack ONE Men’s Premium Yoga Mat is longer and cushier than other mats on the market.
GOYOGAJACK.COM
The YogaJack ONE Men’s Premium Yoga Mat is longer and cushier than other mats on the market.
YogaJack isn't the only company to get a jump on guy-friendly yoga gear. High-end athletic shop Lululemon has a dedicated men's yoga section in its stores and on its website, though the women's offerings are still more plentiful. Yogi favorite Manduka offers its signature mats in longer sizes and a wide range of colors.

The number of guys doing yoga has jumped in recent years, said Mike Patton, who founded lower Manhattan's YogaVida after he was laid off from Bear Stearns.

"Our classes were 90% female two years ago and now it's about 70-30," he said. "Men are realizing that yoga is not just for chicks, and that it's a little more challenging than trying to touch your toes for an hour." He credits popular workout program P90X, which includes yoga-inspired stretching, for exposing more guys to the practice.

More products geared towards men are only likely to increase that trend, said Mike Taylor, co-founder of Strala Yoga in NoHo.

"The men's perspective has been that yoga is just for women, but I think that's changing," he said. "Now it's being recognized that I shouldn't have to sneak into the girls' section if I want a mat bag or to see if there are any neutral clothes."

The good news for budding yogis is a mat and comfortable clothes are really all you need to get started. Here are some tips for choosing yours.

No pastels here: A yoga bag from Yoga Jack comes in standard black.
GOYOGAJACK.COM
No pastels here: A yoga bag from Yoga Jack comes in standard black.
THE MAT: Comfort is key when picking out a mat, our experts agreed. "Guys aren't as flexible and tend to have a lot of old injuries," said Jamali. "The mat should be durable, flexible and big enough."

You can find yoga mats everywhere from Wal-Mart to Bed Bath and Beyond, but in many cases you get what you pay for, Taylor cautions.

"I think a lot of times when people just get a basic mat, they're sort of slippy slides," he said. "Make sure the mat is sticky enough to keep your hands and feet in place. If you're just getting started, pick one that isn't too thin so the floor isn't pinching your knees, and get one with some traction."

THE PANTS: Sport the same baggy shorts you wear to the gym and you'll likely end up flashing your class. "Don't wear gym shorts," said Patton. "You're going to lift your legs differently than you do playing basketball." If you don't want to go full Spandex, look for shorts with a liner, like those from Lululemon, to hold everything in place.

The long athletic pants you already own might work, too, but put your body through the motions to make sure they won't trip you up. "It's very hard to find yoga pants for men," said Taylor. "I used track pants for a while, but the way you move is completely different from when you're running. They need to perform differently, stretch differently, move in different places." Do some squats and lunges to make sure they can move with you, he suggests.

Thanks for the suggestions on mats!

[RawGod]

Just do yoga. I travel a lot and improvise all the time with double beach towels on tile floors, cheap mats from the only store in town, etc. What's the next thread, most masculine brands of water bottles to take to the gym?

[John Michael Kane]

Of course I could do it with just a plain mat, and if I don't find something better to take, that's what I'll end up purchasing. Some of us just like adding extra style to our lives when given the opportunity. There's no reason why artwork can't be portable, right?

[eradicator]

I have the manduka pro lite. That might be too small for you. I am 5'10, it works good.

I went with the 71 inch matt, you might want the 79 inch one if the mats you are using are too small

http://www.amazon.com/Manduka-PROLite-Yo...a+pro+lite

Whatever you choose, it will probably be cheapest on amazon. I've been teaching yoga for 2 years. Hope this helps

[The Beast1]

Real alphas do Yoga on frozen peas.

[Chauncey]

I thought for sure this was a johnbozz thread when I saw the title.

[texas]

Haha ^ Chauncey I said the same goddamn thing when I saw it. I was wondering if he was unbanned.

[redbeard]

Whatever brand you get, make sure you get a brightly colored one. Great opportunity to peacock.

[General Stalin]

(04-30-2016 07:31 AM)Chauncey Wrote:  

I thought for sure this was a johnbozz thread when I saw the title.

This killed me.

Don't know why it matters to dudes what a mat looks like that you're going to sweat all over and rub your body on. It's a purely utilitarian item. Me personally? I'd just get whatever is cheapest and low profile.

[John Michael Kane]

(04-30-2016 12:15 AM)eradicator Wrote:  

I have the manduka pro lite. That might be too small for you. I am 5'10, it works good.

I went with the 71 inch matt, you might want the 79 inch one if the mats you are using are too small

http://www.amazon.com/Manduka-PROLite-Yo...a+pro+lite

Whatever you choose, it will probably be cheapest on amazon. I've been teaching yoga for 2 years. Hope this helps

Yea, I've heard good things about Manduka, just wish they had more interesting styles available. Mostly just solid colors from what I've seen, though they are good quality from everything I've read. As a beginner to yoga, what advice would you suggest to focus on?

[ChokingHazard]

We already had that thread about water bottles.

(04-29-2016 10:49 PM)RawGod Wrote:  

Just do yoga. I travel a lot and improvise all the time with double beach towels on tile floors, cheap mats from the only store in town, etc. What's the next thread, most masculine brands of water bottles to take to the gym?

[Hades]

I bought an 80" mat off Amazon a while back, it works great.
Not sure this is threadworthy. Anything with high reviews should suit your purpose.

[eradicator]

(04-30-2016 01:51 PM)John Michael Kane Wrote:  

(04-30-2016 12:15 AM)eradicator Wrote:  

I have the manduka pro lite. That might be too small for you. I am 5'10, it works good.

I went with the 71 inch matt, you might want the 79 inch one if the mats you are using are too small

http://www.amazon.com/Manduka-PROLite-Yo...a+pro+lite

Whatever you choose, it will probably be cheapest on amazon. I've been teaching yoga for 2 years. Hope this helps

Yea, I've heard good things about Manduka, just wish they had more interesting styles available. Mostly just solid colors from what I've seen, though they are good quality from everything I've read. As a beginner to yoga, what advice would you suggest to focus on?

Try different studios out until you find one you like. Check groupon for deals, most studios offer a huge discounted first month or a very nice groupon for new clients.

Find a studio that is nearby to where you either live or work, that you can make use of. If you like to shower after practicing, make sure it had showers.

Vinyasa is the popular format now, there are tons of others: kundalini, acro, yoga sculpt, hatha, yoga barre, bikram yoga, heated yoga, yin(restorative) yoga, try them all, find out which teachers you like the most that you will keep using and do continue to do that.

Or are you still talking about mats? Measure twice, cut once. Buy one good mat that will last you for many years instead of a lot of cheap ones that will fall apart.

Yoga studios are not really that great for gaming, but it certainly can be done. A lot of the younger girls, college age and so on that can't afford a full membership will do a work for trade(cleaning for a few hours each week in exchange for free yoga classes at that studio), you can try that and get to know some of the other women and some studios have a monthly event like bowling night, movie night, etc Game the girls, as noted from the other threads, due to the nature of yoga, asshole game probably won't get you very far. Sure, go direct and try to get them out on dates but cocky funny might not be your best bet.

[WalkingMan]

Yoga is the shit. I was thinking about making a post sharing my experiences. Honestly, it's one of the most manly things I've ever done. This is completely due to the results it gave me for my male organ. I'm getting back into it again.

There's a $100 mat I wanted to get that has a special surface that keeps you completely slip proof. When I find it I'll post it on here.

[NewMeta]

Manly? Yoga?

I dont understand why men would feel the need to do yoga a mostly female and SJW mangina dominated sphere. There are many other more male orientated sporting environments that offer the same benefits without looking like a pussy.

Gymnastics, street workout, break dancing, calisthenics, acrobatics to name a few all place importance in flexibility and mobility to accomplish some truely remarkable feats of strength.

When you have all these much cooler "manly" choices, why go the route of yoga?

[WalkingMan]

"When you have all these much cooler "manly" choices, why go the route of yoga?"

-doesn't take a lot of time compared to other activites, and is a very good compliment to certain other activities (stretching after weightlifting and martial arts)
-invented by a bunch of indian dudes
-works your body out in a way other types of exercises don't
-higher oxygen intake helps heal the body. Yoga teachers look years younger than they should
-stronger, bigger dick. harder erections

I had a girlfriend who I was getting hot and heavy in my car with one night. I did yoga and 30 minutes of running that day. A lethal combination. when she felt how hard my cock was she shouted out "Damn!" I have a few other interesting stories.

[NewMeta]

(05-03-2016 10:08 AM)WalkingMan Wrote:  

-stronger, bigger dick. harder erections

[Vinny]

(05-03-2016 09:34 AM)NewMeta Wrote:  

Manly? Yoga?

I dont understand why men would feel the need to do yoga a mostly female and SJW mangina dominated sphere. There are many other more male orientated sporting environments that offer the same benefits without looking like a pussy.

Gymnastics, street workout, break dancing, calisthenics, acrobatics to name a few all place importance in flexibility and mobility to accomplish some truely remarkable feats of strength.

When you have all these much cooler "manly" choices, why go the route of yoga?

Once you get over your insecurities and try yoga you learn that there is nothing better than yoga to keep a healthy spine.
Maybe swimming comes close, but while you can do yoga anywhere at times finding a pool is a hustle.
To do yoga you don't really need to go to expensive studious each time. Get few lessons to get the basic, then just find a nice yogi on youtube and train away.
The benefit of studios are all these sexy girls in yoga pants you can meet.

Haven't done it for a while myself, but I am signing up for a yoga class as soon as I land in Kiev.

I bought a yoga mat from a local sport shop. A was actually looking for the opposite, a smaller and thinner mat, as I travel a lot.

(05-03-2016 10:08 AM)WalkingMan Wrote:  

-stronger, bigger dick. harder erections

Was I doing it wrong? Cause "my dick shrunk smaller but my balls grew larger" (Eminem)

[NewMeta]

(05-03-2016 12:34 PM)Vinny Wrote:  

(05-03-2016 09:34 AM)NewMeta Wrote:  

Manly? Yoga?

I dont understand why men would feel the need to do yoga a mostly female and SJW mangina dominated sphere. There are many other more male orientated sporting environments that offer the same benefits without looking like a pussy.

Gymnastics, street workout, break dancing, calisthenics, acrobatics to name a few all place importance in flexibility and mobility to accomplish some truely remarkable feats of strength.

When you have all these much cooler "manly" choices, why go the route of yoga?

Once you get over your insecurities and try yoga you learn that there is nothing better than yoga to keep a healthy spine.
Maybe swimming comes close, but while you can do yoga anywhere at times finding a pool is a hustle.
To do yoga you don't really need to go to expensive studious each time. Get few lessons to get the basic, then just find a nice yogi on youtube and train away.
The benefit of studios are all these sexy girls in yoga pants you can meet.

Haven't done it for a while myself, but I am signing up for a yoga class as soon as I land in Kiev.

I bought a yoga mat from a local sport shop. A was actually looking for the opposite, a smaller and thinner mat, as I travel a lot.

(05-03-2016 10:08 AM)WalkingMan Wrote:  

-stronger, bigger dick. harder erections

Was I doing it wrong? Cause "my dick shrunk smaller but my balls grew larger" (Eminem)

Yoga does nothing different than any of the other disciplines I mentioned, it just happens to be the most prominent one featured in social media right now.

You think stretching, you think Yoga simple as, but stretching is not Yoga, which a lot of people seem to be confused about. Matter of fact I'd go as far as saying they have a pretty bad approach in particular to stretching vs mobility and rarely will the teacher explain to you the difference between active vs passive stretching. They certainly will not teach you how to load your stretches either, they actually are highly against that, even though its proven to be extremely effective for men especially in martial arts that require good ROM in your high kicks.

These same mobility ranges are required in many other practices, i.e. you can enjoy the same benefits of Yoga by following literally any other "movement" based sport/activity. There are people out there who believe it or not are failed gymnasts who now teach yoga simply because its where the money is at right now. And all they had to do was look like a hippy and stick their arms out while doing their usual stretches.

If you want to use it as a means of hitting on girls, I will tell you now they are a weird bunch, hardcore into their vegan, gluten free and everyone is equal lifestyle. Which is made equally weird when they treat yoga as their religion and when they get into relationships they call their bf or gfs their "partners". Even weirder considering Yoga originates from India which makes them pseudo Hindu without even noticing.

I could rant on and on about Yoga, but it doesn't come from a position of insecurity, just look and talk to the types of people who are into it and maybe you might see where I am coming from. I'll leave it at that, not gonna derail any further.

[WalkingMan]

I'm not going to go into any more detail either. I posted a short list of why I like it and that's it. It's really not that serious. We don't have to agree.

[RawGod]

Yogi game is real. And it doesn't have to be in the West with vegan leftist women either. Let's just leave it at that.

[wi30]

I was forced into yoga for dry-land as a kid. It was god awful. My high school coach made us do yoga too. Luckily he chose a babe so we could make jokes the whole time. Junior and college coaches made us do real workouts. We did cross-fit style workouts with NHL/NFL caliber players. It sucked ass and half the guys were puking by the end. Circuit style workouts destroy pussy yoga shit every day of the week.

During yoga, we were arguing over what bra-size the instructor wore. During circuit training, we tried to catch our breath and not puke on the floor.

Yoga is for pussies who shop at Whole Foods or the local co-op. No self respecting man would go to yoga for a workout. Lift some damn weights. Get strong and then hit on girls. Don't go to yoga for the girls.

[youngblazer]

(05-03-2016 10:02 PM)wi30 Wrote:  

Yoga is for pussies who shop at Whole Foods or the local co-op. No self respecting man would go to yoga for a workout. Lift some damn weights. Get strong and then hit on girls. Don't go to yoga for the girls.

Of course every man should lift heavy and lift often. But yoga is good to throw in the routine as well, even if it's just once every two weeks or so. It's a different kind of workout. You discover muscles you never knew you had. And as you get older it helps keep away the aches and pains as has you feeling good.

As a bonus, sex after a yoga class is highly enhanced. You get super boners, most likely to do all the enhanced blood flow in the pelvic area from the stretching. You usually also feel a lot more in control of yourself. I thought this was a fluke, but it would happen consistently every time I had sex a few hours after yoga. With my boyfriend. Just kidding. Fag.

[WalkingMan]

(05-03-2016 10:02 PM)wi30 Wrote:  

I was forced into yoga for dry-land as a kid. It was god awful.

honestly I feel for you, man. When I was a kid I would have never had the patience to do yoga lol.

As stated many times in this thread, yoga is a great compliment to a number of exercise routines. I don't know where you guys are getting the idea that yoga should be the only thing you ever do.

I don't even go to any classes because I vastly prefer my personal routines which have consistently given me the results I desire. Like the "super boners" that youngblazer is talking about.

[Checkmat]

(05-03-2016 10:02 PM)wi30 Wrote:  

I was forced into yoga for dry-land as a kid. It was god awful. My high school coach made us do yoga too. Luckily he chose a babe so we could make jokes the whole time. Junior and college coaches made us do real workouts. We did cross-fit style workouts with NHL/NFL caliber players. It sucked ass and half the guys were puking by the end. Circuit style workouts destroy pussy yoga shit every day of the week.

During yoga, we were arguing over what bra-size the instructor wore. During circuit training, we tried to catch our breath and not puke on the floor.

Yoga is for pussies who shop at Whole Foods or the local co-op. No self respecting man would go to yoga for a workout. Lift some damn weights. Get strong and then hit on girls. Don't go to yoga for the girls.

That's a hell of a blanket statement. Yoga kicks my ass. Some of the toughest BJJ black belts I know also do yoga.