Is Yoga & Pilates REALLY the answer? (ATHLETES LISTEN)

In this video, Brian shares his thoughts on if athletes should be doing yoga and or pilates. He talks about the potential damages it can cause as well as if there are any potential benefits. Lastly a little warning for those who take too much advice from WebMD.

Back Pained and want to return to lifting? Or need some guidance?

Brian is a retired world-class powerlifter with over two decades of world-class powerlifting. From 1999 to 2020, Brian Carroll was a competitive powerlifter, one of the most accomplished lifters in the sport's history. Brian started off competing in bench press competitions 'raw', then, shortly into the journey, he gravitated toward equipped lifting as there were no "raw" categories then. You only had to choose from single-ply (USPF) and Multi-ply (APF/WPC).

Brian went on to total 2730 at 275 and 2651 at 242 with more than ten times his body weight in three different classes (220, 242, 275), and both bench pressed and deadlifted over 800 pounds in two other weight classes. He's totaled 2600 over 20 times in 2 different weight classes in his career. With 60 squats of 1000lbs or more officially, this is the most in powerlifting history, regardless of weight class or federation, by anyone not named David Hoff.

Brian realized many ups and downs during his 20+ years competing. After ten years of high-level powerlifting competition and an all-time World Record squat at 220 with 1030, in 2009, Brian was competing for a Police academy scholarship. On a hot and humid July morning, Brian, hurdling over a barricade at 275lbs, landed on, fell, and hurt his back.

After years of back pain and failed therapy, Brian met with world-renowned back specialist Prof McGill in 2013, which changed his trajectory more than he could have imagined. In 2017, Brian Carroll and Prof McGill authored the best-selling book about Brian's triumphant comeback to powerlifting in Gift of Injury. Most recently (10.3.20) -Brian set the highest squat of all time (regardless of weight class) with 1306 lbs – being the first man to break the 1300lb squat barrier at a bodyweight of 303 lbs.

Brian's impressive recovery has allowed him to teach and deliver talks to physical therapists, chiropractors, medical doctors, professional strength & conditioning coaches, and experts from all facets of sport on how to minimize injury risk while building anti-fragile strength and resilience in athletes. Brian has worked with and consulted athletes and coaches in the UFC, NFL, NBA, and NHL. He also works with Army and Navy Special Forces. He has played a crucial part in dozens of records broken in powerlifting, whether coaching, diet, supplementation help, or weight-cutting tactics.

His articles are published in multiple magazine publications, including Men's Health, Power, Powerlifting USA, Ironman, Muscle & Fitness, and Flex, and Medical Journals such as the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies.

Brian was recently named as having two of the "top 20 greatest powerlifting performances of All-Time," with 2651lbs total at 242lbs and 2730lbs total at 275lbs, respectively, with the higher ranking total (242 done in 2016) accomplished post-back injury. Brian was named the #2 lifter of the 2010s, most recently, only ranking behind the immortal Dave Hoff. Most recently, Brian retired in 2020 after setting the world record in squatting with 1306, being the first person to cross the 1300 squat barrier.

[AUFalcon]

As someone who has had a body building background.

I have been doing Yoga recently and found it helps ur mental heath greatly, it definitely also has healing effects on the body.

I got lucky having a really good teacher that was focused on traditional methods who really knew there stuff.
Most gyms do a form of yoga called gym yoga, where they just do pose after pose without holding the pose without perfect technique and it is treated more like a workout. It’s a butchered form of yoga, that is currently practiced today in most gyms.


It is really something you have to experience properly to truly understand. I had the same kind of belief that it was useless.

[michaelmorin]

Yoga and Pilates consistently made my herniated disc pain worse. I really wanted it to work and was hoping I could increase flexibility and strengthen my core, but the moves utilized ALWAYS left my back in pain the next day. Specifically forward folds and the Pilates roll up/roll down.