Men We Love: The Iron Yogi
September 5, 2009 by Annie Brokaw
Filed under Men We Love, Relationships, Video
He’s dubbed the Iron Yogi. And the name definitely fits, considering he’s a body builder who does yoga. Not too many of those around.
“I’m a purple cow. I’m different,” says Peter Seamans. “There are no other body-builder yogis out there.”
Seamans, 51, who lives primarily in Boulder, but also in California, Costa Rica and Hawaii has been a local figure in fitness and yoga for 30 years.
At 21, Seamans says he was like “John Belushi, without the fan base and paycheck.” After an epiphany at the rec center, Seamans lost 40 pounds and broke his addictions to alcohol, drugs and food. Four months later, he was working in a gym and the members began asking him to train them.
“I was training people before the term ‘personal trainer’ was coined,” he says.
Seamans has since won numerous drug-free and master’s bodybuilding championships (he’s never done steroids). He is undefeated in every competition he has ever entered, was named the National Physique Committee Trainer of the Year in 1993 and had the world’s largest following with 2,000 seats per month when Spinning first took off in the ‘90s. And that’s just scratching the surface.
Now, Seamans is back in Boulder and running his own studio, Iron Yogi, 2516 Broadway, suite 300, Boulder (www.ironyogi.com).
Seamans trains people with free weights, kettle bells, dumbbells, fit walls and Gravity Training Systems. He also teaches his own version of Vinyasa yoga, called Turbo Vinyasa, and Turbo Bar, which is a class for women that targets the butt, thighs and abs.
We wanted to learn more about this powerful “purple cow,” so we asked him five questions — plus one. We then asked the same questions of his friend and student Laura Posen, 41, of Boulder. All we can say is, Iron Yogi indeed!
1. Out of all of the people you’ve trained, who has been your favorite and why?
Peter: Deepak Chopra and Anthony Robbins were both amazing experiences. But honestly, being a guy who seems to connect more with the female population, helping women lose weight and reshape their bodies is what really makes me tick. The confidence, vitality and opportunity for self-realization that comes with such an experience are the real gifts. I am both humbled and honored to be a part such a positive life change.
Laura: Me, of course! But in all honesty, I think Peter’s favorite client would be a woman who after two years training with him, transformed her body so completely that she became a pro-figure athlete.
2. If you could have a superhero power what would it be and why?
Peter: Mind control, so I could get people to stop thinking and enter the present moment.
Laura: Peter already is a superhero with the power to transform bodies and inspire people to lead healthy lifestyles. If he could gain another super hero trait, I think it would be to heal people with touch.
3. What is your most cherished possession and why?
Peter: My white marble Quan Yin statue. Quan Yin is Chinese and literally translates to “she who hears the cries of the world.” This Buddhist goddess (no, I’m not Buddhist) reminds me daily that compassion, understanding and sensitivity are the keys to our evolution.
Laura: Peter’s most cherished possession is his good physical health because if you don’t have your health, nothing else matters in life.
4. Why do you love living in Boulder?
Peter: It’s eclectic, free-spirited and friendly. I feel both proud and fortunate to live in a community where people place such a high value on wellness and self-realization.
Laura: Peter loves living in Boulder because at any time of the day, he can visit Whole Foods and have at least 15 people he knows come up to him and say, “Hi.”
5. What is the most important thing your parents taught you?
Peter: The three A’s: adventure, affection and authenticity. Every day should be an adventure — and it is. Love is something to be felt and expressed freely. And always be yourself, no matter what others think or say.
Laura: Be comfortable with who you are as a person.
6. What is one thing we would never guess about you?
Peter: I love chocolate.
Laura: Underneath all the hard, toned muscles is a very soft, kind soul who truly cares about helping people.
— By Annie Brokaw
