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WOW. A great yoga tape. This tape is advanced and it's content and difficulty are clearly stated and accurately explained in the editorial review. If you're looking for a fitness video, this may not be for you...it really is about the yoga (which I prefer) vs. the "yoga aerobics" style tapes.

Yoga is it's its own deal - like all endeavors; being able to do a pull up doesn't make one a climber...being fit & flexible does not guarentee one a proficiency at yoga. So you can't expect to hit the ground running on this tape even if you are both.

As an intermediate at best in Yoga (but an athlete who can do splits in 3 directions, back bends and hand stands) I find the tape super challenging and I can not do all the poses but it gives me something to aspire to, especially the end where the difficult arm balances happen-the most challenging part for me (and for a lot of women). It may be usefull to note that for some beginners-intermediates arm balances are easier than the leg balances and vice versa. This tape packs a challenging combo of both. I also find it nice to use an aid if I can't properly hit a pose - like a chair or strap. Don't skip the hard bits - modify the pose! (A "spotter" can help with this too!)

Remember....there is more to Yoga than being successfully bendy..........

In addition: Rodney Yee's "Yoga Conditioning for Athletes" is in my opinion a great intro to Yoga for the already athletic person. It's a great warm up for any sport and on its own a nice work out. Should be on Amazon if it's not ( i didn't find it listed)

Not a bad video, by any means. The first half, actually, is pretty good. You do basic poses & hold them for longer periods and that feels great. The second half, though.... I dunno...

You do some more basic moves and then all the sudden, Rodney is holding his crosslegged body off the floor, balancing on his two hands, hoisting his torso into midair.

Now, I'm a healthy female in my 30's. I've been doing yoga daily for about two years now. And I've been lifting weights daily for one year. I can do 15 lb curls, no problem, can do more tricep dips than you can shake a stick at and still -- there was NO WAY I could do what Rodney Yee was doing. I could barely get my torso off the ground.

With other yoga tapes, when you get to the challenging poses you're often shown how to use props or modify things so you can work up to this. Well, Yoga for Strength doesn't. So I just shut the VCR off when this part of the tape comes up, cause struggling to support myself as my wrists wiggle and my arms bow just isn't "yoga" to me.

If you're thinking of getting this tape, get on the floor right now. Cross your legs over your thighs, like a full or half lotus, I guess. Put your arms down by your sides, hands on the floor. Now lift yourself off the floor. Higher. Higher. Is your body parallel to the floor? If so, this tape'll work fine for you. If not, you may wanna consider another, or at least be mindful that you probably won't get all that much outta the final segment Rodney Yee teaches.

But then, even with that considered, it's not a bad tape. I don't like it to do it every day, but it's nice on the weekends, sometimes, or for a change. But definitely NOT one of my favorites.

I like Patricia Walden's Yoga For Flexibility, and for building strength really think Kathy Smith's New Yoga Challenge has some good stuff in there, too.

I am a big fan of Rodney Yee's and generally buy anything he releases. Over the years his practices have become a central part of my exercise routine. You can always count on impeccable voice instruction, flowing, sometimes challenging routines and great scenery. STRENGTH BUILDING YOGA however is not one of my favourites and I would suggest giving it a miss for one of his other workouts. The biggest problem with this DVD is the menus, they are absolutely impossible to figure out and I find myself stopping, fast forwarding and going back and forth to get a complete workout. It's very frustrating. On the back of the case it states that the menus will go directly to the segment you want but this is not an option, you will only get a choice of interview or workout.

So far without a usable menu I have discovered 3 different sessions; SESSION 1 is approximately 30 minutes long and not bad once you get going. Although Rodney does keep stopping to introduce the poses and subsequently it doesn't flow very well. SESSION 2 is approximately 20 minutes long and contains some balancing poses that beginners may find difficult but again once you get going it`s quite good. What appears to be SESSION 3 contains some very advanced inverted poses (headstand preparation) and a couple of complex arm balancing poses. You will also hold Dog and Bridge pose for 1-2 minutes each. I usually skip this and go back to the end of session 2 for Relaxation pose. Unfortunately I always forget that this is non-existent and just get into Corpse Position when the credits roll. Its 10 seconds Max and I always feel cheated.

My final gripe with this DVD is the misleading cover; it shows Rodney on the beach but this workout has been filmed in a studio and not outdoors in Hawaii as the back of the case tells us, but that's really the least of the problems here.

I would not recommend STRENGTH BUILDING YOGA but Rodney Yee has many other great ones in his collection. A few of my favourites are; YOGA BURN, YOGA CORE CROSS TRAIN, POWER YOGA STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY OR ENERGY BALANCE YOGA.

Props needed include a mat, brick, strap, chair and blanket, Namaste.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Not too bad, but where are the menus?
I tried this video right after I gave up on Yee's Power Yoga: Flexibility, and I found it much better. Read more

Published on Feb 13 2008 by D. Lester

4.0 out of 5 stars The menu needs work
Rodney Yee is as always very good. The workout is great and I felt stronger almost immediately after practicing the postures in this presentation.

The menu is dismal. Read more

Published on Mar 7 2006 by Sharma

5.0 out of 5 stars Challenging and calming
Although I have to agree with the reviewer who noted that the final segment of the tape contains two impossible poses, this segment literally comprises no more than a minute or... Read more

Published on Feb 24 2002 by M. Pearson

5.0 out of 5 stars Rodney Yee gets it all RIGHT!
This tape is quite amazing! Paced perfectly, and quite challenging. I practiced yoga at a studio until my schedlue prevented me from attending classes. Read more

Published on Nov 10 2000 by T. Sheppard

3.0 out of 5 stars Too slow moving
this video does have some excellent strength moves but i must agree that if you enjoy the flow of vinyasa, as i do, this tape got too boring. Read more

Published on Sep 7 2000 by Maggie

5.0 out of 5 stars 2 really wonderful, challenging yoga sessions...
Though this is definitely not for beginners or people still feeling intimidated by yoga, it's a tape with 2 really great sessions with different focuses. Read more

Published on July 7 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it and look forward to practicing the routine.
I have taken yoga classes for a couple years, and have the Yoga for Beginners, Ali McGraw's yoga tape, and one with Tracy Rich and Ganga White. Needed something new. Read more

Published on Jun 21 1999

3.0 out of 5 stars A simple strength workout ; concise, but a bit slow.
Yee's instructions are helpful, and the video does indeed build strength in the legs and upper body. Read more

Published on Jan 4 1999 by Nickischer@ac.marywood.edu Ka...

5.0 out of 5 stars Best overall Yoga workout video I have used
Rodney Yee gives concise, totally nonobtrusive verbal instruction in this video that can be used with or without actually viewing the screen as long as you have a basic knowledge... Read more

Published on Dec 9 1998 by M. Kyle

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