23 Things I Learned At A Broga Class

Yoga for bros. All the positions, twice the hurt.

1. Broga is a challenging yoga practice, designed with men in mind.

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Former body builder Matt Miller has designed Broga to help improve strength, mobility, and flexibility. Miller tells BuzzFeed Life he looked to create a different practice as he felt men "need to feel challenged by it or it feels like a waste of time that could be spent doing another type of training".

2. Despite the name, Broga isn't a boys-only club.

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With half of the current batch of Broga London teachers being women, this is an all-inclusive club. As Miller put it, "Broga was designed for the male athlete, but it’s also a killer workout for women. Women have the flexibility that guys lack, but the physical power aspect of Broga challenges them."

3. Like many yoga practices, it uses stretching and lengthening to help strengthen the body.

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There are six different Broga workouts: chest, back, arms, legs, shoulders, and core, and a full-body hot Broga session, which they call Broga Sizzle.

We came for a shoulder and core workout, which Miller told us is the hardest of the groups that Broga exercises.

4. A lot of it comes down to body control.

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For this hopping exercise we were tasked with flicking our legs up in the air before coming back down to earth as lightly as possible.

To achieve minimal noise when your feet impact the ground, it's important to tighten your stomach muscles and use your core muscles to control your legs coming back down to Earth. This was a continuing theme throughout the class.

5. With time either spent in the plank.

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6. Or in a bum-high Downward Dog.

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As Miller explained, the importance of Broga is to get athletes to use their muscles in groups, that way you can improve strength and flexibility, while also preventing injury risk.

"Teaching people to use correct positions in isometric/static holds allows people to effectively build strength in the correct position so that when load, endurance, and dynamic force are applied to that same position they have a greater chance of being in the safer and more correct position."

7. Make no mistake, this is a tough hour at the gym.

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This was near the end of our warm-up and I had already built up a decent head of sweat.

8. And not one for you to wear boxer shorts to.

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It was around about this point where I regretted my choice of underwear. Work out in something that keeps you together.

9. It's very important you lock your shoulders in to get the right form.

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Compare and contrast my lazy shoulders to the nice fellow next to me.

10. Really important.

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11. Seriously, lock in your shoulders while doing Broga or you'll be in for a world of pain.

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As Miller explained, Broga works to undo the years of bad habits you've picked up slouching in an office chair.

When I asked him why I had such trouble locking in my shoulders, he explained, "People have no idea how to create force from twisting the shoulder joint since it is normally so mobile." In most poses we did, our shoulders tried to lean forward. However, to maintain proper form, it's imperative you tuck them in.

12. You also learn that we really don't put in enough thought into how we breathe.

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Deep breaths are key to maintaining good control of your muscles.

"Professional athletes all focus on and control their breath and use it with movement in a coordinated way. We teach regular people to tap into that secret power source – which as it turns out – is very yoga!" Miller told us.

13. Not to mention a whole bunch of muscles your average squat session just cannot reach.

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Matt created Broga to address areas of the body that your traditional heavy-weight workout has trouble helping. "Participants progress further each time and learn to establish connections that open up typically tight areas like the chest, hips, and hamstrings."

14. Slippy feet make for a real problem.

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Here I am trying to clamber my legs onto the wall to start a handstand. Compared to the person behind me, you can see where I come a cropper. Bring a towel with you when you take on Broga.

15. Great workouts sometimes flip the script upside down.

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For the main part of our workout, we advanced to headstands, which brought strong disclaimer that we rest on the crown of our heads, and not the forehead. Safety first people: You don't want to put any undue strain on your neck.

16. And while you may rise...

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17. You can eventually come crashing back down.

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18. But with a little help, you'll be pulling off moves in no time.

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19. Provided you tighten your abs along with locking in your shoulders.

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There's a hardcore workout, and then there's a Broga workout that's hardcore.

20. As for cool downs, the sit-ups most people do at home are small fry.

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That feet-planted-on-the-floor, crunch-your-stomach sit-up we normally do? Nothing compared to the custom Broga version.

Instead, you lie on your back flat with your feet together and your arms by your side and then slowly raise your feet and back off the ground by an inch. Stretch your hands out and then try your best to rock back and forth.

Also, try not to cry; this core abdominal workout is pretty harsh. I'm meant to be staring at my stomach here.

21. Want to make those harder? Try raising your arms in the air or putting them above your shoulders.

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Miller instructed us to look at our stomach while doing these sit-ups. He said it was to help firm the stomach and maximise results, but I just think he wanted us to watch our tummies cry out in pain.

22. And you end up so wiped it makes for final meditation really quite soothing.

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Miller said Broga uses "a mind-body connection to teach athletes to be more aware and in control of their physical body."

23. It is really helpful for putting a busy mind at ease.

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After my Broga session, I slept better than I had in about a month. The combination of hard stretches followed by light meditation really helped put me at ease.

Broga classes can be found in various locations in London, Cheltenham, and Solihull. Head here to find out more.

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