By Danni Levy
IFBB pro bodybuilder Brad Rowe made it all the way to the Olympia stage, before hitting the yoga mat and discovering a serious new passion. Now specializing in life enhancement, Brad is a Neufit practitioner whose goal is to improve the longevity of his own life and others.
A seriously stacked bodybuilder effortlessly posing a chaturanga may turn a few heads at a yoga class, but after suffering injury Brad explored alternative methods to improve mobility and fell in love with yoga.
“Yoga has not only helped me to overcome injury and the emptiness I felt after retiring from the stage, but it’s given me a real passion for life”
“I wanted to get back to being an athlete again,” begins Brad. “I suffered a ruptured tendon in my quad at the beginning of 2021, which not only set me back for over a year from my athletic goals, but also forced me to slow down and be more present in life. I decided at the beginning of 2022 that I wanted to try yoga to help with mobility and took my first practice in January. To date, I have completed 108 classes in 99 days, with a goal of hitting 365 classes within 365 days this year.
“I wish I had found yoga decades ago and incorporated it into my routine as an athlete and bodybuilder”
“Yoga has not only helped me to overcome injury and the emptiness I felt after retiring from the stage, but it’s given me a real passion for life. It provides a tough physical challenge that improves long-term health. Alongside that comes the mental challenge of staying present while in practice. I wish I had found yoga decades ago and incorporated it into my routine as an athlete and bodybuilder. I believe I would have avoided a lot of injuries during my career thanks to the improved mobility and tendon strength that yoga provides.”
Brad promotes life enhancement for himself and others.
“Mind, body, and spirit must all be addressed in harmony in order to truly improve our lives,” he says.
Master Brad’s Yoga Routine
Practice daily to improve mindfulness and mobility
Movement List
- UPWARD DOG
Hold for: 45-60 seconds
Chest/shoulder opening movement with lumbar activation
- DOWNWARD DOG
Hold for: 1-2 minutes
Opens up the hamstrings, calves and lower back. Creates activation of the shoulders and arms
- SLEEPING HERO
Hold for: 2-3 minutes
Deep quad and hip stretch with ankle mobility
- TOPPLING TREE
Hold for: 60-90 seconds
Balancing pose that also activates the posterior chain and standing leg
- KNEELING VACUUM
Hold for: 15 seconds as a beginner, working up to 1 minute
Not a traditional yoga pose, the vacuum can also be performed standing or lying Strengthens and activates the transverse abdominis, improves breathing
- DANCER’S POSE
Hold for: 60-90 seconds
Balancing pose to open up the quads, hip, shoulders, chest, and activate the standing leg
- LOW LUNGE TWIST
Hold for: 45-60 seconds
Opens up the hips and spine and activates the forward leg
- EASY POSE
Hold for: 1-2 minutes
Meditation pose to reconnect with the breath and center yourself
@BradBRowe
There’s more! Read about Bodybuilder-Turned-Yogi Brad Rowe on Why You Should Never Skip Leg Day