DDP Yoga: Everything You Need To Know About This Awesome Practice

What does professional wrestling and yoga have in common? Well, DDP of course! DDP is Diamond Dallas Page, a WWE Wrestling Champion. Not something you would usually connect with yoga, but with a growing fanbase around the world and the tagline "It ain't your mama's yoga," prepare to be impressed, amused and sweaty!

1. DDP YOGA: What is it?

DDP YOGA is a form of power yoga that mixes yoga positions and rehabilitation techniques, slow burn old-school calisthenics, and dynamic resistance exercises to get visible results faster. "DDP YOGA is a yoga-based exercise system that uses dynamic resistance, isometrics and isokinetics," Dallas tells Lots of Yoga. If you've never heard of DDP YOGA, perhaps you've seen this video of the story of Arthur Boorman.

Arthur's inspiring story has been viewed over 12m times. Arthur was a disabled veteran who was told by doctors that he would never walk again unassisted. He met DDP and his life changed forever. He lost 100 pounds in 6 months and was not only able to walk again, but sprint run with no difficulty at all.

Arthur Boorman before and after he started getting fit with DDP

"When I first talked to [Arthur] on the phone I had no idea what he would achieve with DDP YOGA and a little encouragement. Without a doubt, it’s the most incredible transformation in fitness history! It’s because of Arthur’s amazing story, that I like to ask, “WHAT COULD YOU DO?” Most of us have it easy compared to him, and he is now a true DDP YOGA warrior! He has proven to so many that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE." - Diamond Dallas Page

2. DDP YOGA: How it all began

DDP is Diamond Dallas Page, a WWE Wrestling Champion who, ever since suffering injuries to his spinal discs in 1998, turned to a lighter form of exercise by means of yoga, but wanted something a bit more intense, since he was used to hardcore stuff, what with wrestling and all. He tried many forms of exercise, a bit of martial arts, a bit of Pilates, and eventually come up with his own yoga system incorporating his trademark DDP-ness (including his trademark "Diamond-cutter" hand signal).

"When my wife first suggested that I do yoga, I laughed," says Dallas. "I was the kind of guy that wouldn't be caught dead doing something like yoga. But when I was told how serious my injury was serious - I had damaged my L4 and L5 discs - I decided to give it a try. I got a couple of my buddy Brian Kest's yoga on VHS and that helped me a lot." Dallas enjoyed yoga and quickly saw its benefits but found that he needed more modifications than were being offered. By doing his own thing, incorporating more and more resistance and modifications into the routine, Dallas found that his back was improving greatly. And so, DDP YOGA was born. Watch this video to see how Dallas overcame all of his injuries.

"My partner, Dr. Craig Aaron, a.k.a. The Yoga Doc, says that DDP YOGA is a yoga-inspired exercise system," Dallas tells us, "as opposed to an actual form of traditional yoga. It's a yoga-based, dynamic resistance, low impact, bootcamp. It's also very approachable and down-to-earth, without the "yoga-tude" that is so prevalent in much of the yoga world nowadays. Most yogis are "Namaste", DDP is T&A... Tone and Attitude!" Dallas wrote a book with The Yoga Doc called Yoga for Regular Guys, which was designed, as the title would suggest, for regular guys, who just like Dallas at first, might be hesitant to try yoga at first.

Dallas is a big fan of Shiva Rea ("she's awesome") and he also likes Jasmine Lieb, a California based yoga teacher who teaches restorative yoga classes. In January 2015, Diamond Dallas Page was back in the ring for the first time in 13 years and credits his strength (and survival) to DDP YOGA.

3. DDP YOGA: What is it good for?

Just as in regular yoga, DDP YOGA has an array of benefits, but prides itself in the following:

Weight loss,
Lean muscle building,
Improved cardio levels,
Low impact on joints, and
Increased flexibility.

"It ain't your mama's yoga."

4. DDP YOGA: The Workouts

DDP YOGA has 5 workout programmes: -

DDP YOGA Combo (beginner to advanced),
DDP YOGA Max (beginner to advanced),
DDP YOGA 1 (beginner to advanced),
DDP YOGA 2 (intermediate to advanced), and
DDP Extreme (advanced).

Diamond Dallas Page in DDP YOGA action via sheknows.com

DDP YOGA, at the moment, is a system which is available via books and DVDs. There are a few DVP YOGA videos available on YouTube but the full system is available for purchase on the DDP Yoga Website.

5. DDP YOGA: How can I start?

If you wish to attend a DDP YOGA class, click here to find a certified DDP YOGA teacher near you. Whether it's your cup of tea or not, there is no denying that DDP YOGA is a powerful body workout which gets results (just have a look at all these success stories and transformations from die-hard DDP YOGA fans). DDP YOGA proves that there is a type of yoga for everyone.

6. DDP YOGA: Videos

If you want to try out some DDP YOGA to see if it's for you, check out these videos.

DDP YOGA Strength builder workout

DDP YOGA Slow burn push-ups!

30-minute DDP YOGA workout with modifications

For more DDP YOGA videos, have a look at this DDP Yoga Youtube playlist.

7. DDP YOGA: What you will need

Just as in all more dynamic versions of yoga, you will need the following items when practicing DDP YOGA:

Yoga mat,
Towel (it gets you all sweaty),
Water (stay hydrated now),
Energy (this is not restorative yoga. We repeat, this is not restorative yoga), and
An open mind and an understanding that this is not regular hatha yoga (you will hear phrases such as "Hulk it out").

8. DDP YOGA App: Watch this space

DDP YOGA is set to evolve to a whole other level thanks to the DDP YOGA phone app which is in the works. This app, Dallas tells us, will be a complete health and fitness lifestyle programme, which among other things, will give you exercise routines and cooking lessons.

"We've created a performance center," Dallas says, "which we will regularly film various workouts and videos for subscribers of our app." The app launched in November 2015 and you can learn more about it and give it a try here.

Are you a fan of DDP YOGA? What are your experiences? We would love to hear from you.