5 yoga-inspired strength exercises to do without weights

Of course, strength training for women is hugely important. Not only for reducing the risk of muscle and bone loss that naturally comes with age, but also for everyday movement. For many, this means doing a dumbbell workout at home or in the gym. But not everyone enjoys weighted workouts, and that’s okay.

You can do yoga as a workout in a way that strengthens the muscles, putting them under an increasing amount of tension as you get stronger. At the same time, you’ll be stretching them, helping to improve flexibility and mobility. With breathwork part of the package, you’ll find your mind finds a moment of calm with these movements, too.

“While yoga is often associated with relaxation, the reality is that it can also be deeply strength-building. Holding poses (asanas) requires sustained muscular engagement, particularly through the legs, glutes, arms and core, which builds strength in the same way a slow, controlled strength workout does,” says certified yoga instructor, Sophie Deakin. Here’s the workout she recommends.

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1. Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

This is a powerful bodyweight exercise, says Sophie, who is also the founder of Radiant Waves Yoga, Surf & Wellbeing Retreats. “Despite being a static hold, Chair Pose fires up the legs and the glutes, strengthens the core and challenges postural muscles in the upper body,” she says.

Here’s how to do it:

From standing, bend the knees as if sitting back into an invisible chair, keeping the chest lifted and the spine long while the arms reach overhead.The weight stays in the heels, thighs work hard to support the bend in the knees, and the glutes and core engage to stabilise the pelvis and lower back.2. High Lunge (Ashta Chandrasana)

High Lunge is a strong, dynamic standing pose that targets the legs, glutes and core as well as challenging balance and coordination, says Sophie. “This pose builds serious lower-body strength, particularly through the quads and glutes of the front leg, while the back leg works to stabilise and support,” she explains. “Because you’re working in a split stance, High Lunge also improves balance and functional strength.”

Here’s how to do it:

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From standing, one foot steps back, and the back leg stays long and active as the front knee bends over the ankle.The torso remains upright, the chest opens, and the arms can reach overhead, while the core engages to keep the pelvis stable and prevent collapsing into the lower back.3. Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana)

Goddess Pose is a wide-legged squat that combines strength, stability, and mobility. Much like a regular squat, the instructor says, it’s a “great low-impact way to tone and challenge multiple muscle groups simultaneously”. It also builds the stabilising muscles in the hips and core, making it a good core exercise to do as part of a 10-minute ab workout as well.

Here’s how to do it:

Stand with your feet wide, toes turned out, and bend the knees deeply, lowering the hips while keeping the spine long and chest lifted.Arms can be raised to shoulder height or overhead.4. Glute Bridge (Setubandhasana)

You might recognise the glute bridge from your regular gym dumbbell workout. “It’s a simple but effective posture that primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back while engaging the core,” says Sophie.

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“This pose strengthens the posterior chain, improves hip mobility, and helps counteract the effects of prolonged sitting. It’s also a gentle, low-impact way to build stability in the pelvis and improve overall lower-body strength,” she adds.

Here’s how to do it:

Lying on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart, press through the heels to lift the hips toward the ceiling, creating a straight line from shoulders to knees.Keep the chest lifted and be mindful not to overarch the lower back, drawing the core in to stabilise.5. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

From a standing lunge, shift your weight onto the front leg and hinge forward at the hips, extending the back leg straight behind you and reaching the arms forward (or alongside the body for a variation).Your body should form a straight line from fingertips to toes, with core engaged and shoulders relaxed.Can I build strength with yoga?

Absolutely. Whether you do Pilates with weights, lift weights in the gym or at home, or do yoga, the most important thing is to increase the pressure on your muscles over time – otherwise known as progressive overload. That’s how you get stronger.

The body doesn’t recognise the difference between breaking down muscle fibres with slow and controlled yoga workouts or barbell lifts.

But yoga does a lot more than build strength, says Sophie. “The slow and mindful transitions between poses also develop functional strength and stability, training the body to move well rather than just lift heavy,” she says. “Because yoga uses your own bodyweight as resistance, it’s naturally low-impact and joint-friendly, making it accessible while still highly effective. Over time, this combination of strength, balance and control supports better posture, protects joints and helps build a strong, resilient body without excessive strain.”

Tips for doing yoga to build strengthAdd pulses: Finding it too easy? Add small pulses to your squat movements. You only need to move up and down by a few centimetres in each pulse to feel the burn.Lift your heels: In the squat movements, lift your heels to make it harder. “This shifts the weight into the balls of the feet, increasing the load through the quads and calves while also challenging balance and ankle stability,” says the instructor. In the high lunge, raising the front heel brings more load into the legs and challenges balance, increasing engagement through the calves and core.Do it for longer: While each of these poses can be held for about 30 seconds, try working your way up to a minute or longer, making sure to keep your form the same. This will also put tension through the muscles, encouraging them to work harder.Add a side bend: For the squat, lunge, and standing poses, you can add a side bend from the waist to recruit more of the core muscles, strengthening the abdominals.