Bill Solomon's Warrior Wellness & Be Breathed for 5 week

[bsolomon]

7/6/04:

As instructed by Coach Sonnon in Program Design section http://www.circularstrengthmag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2682, I began my program last Monday June 28th. Didn't have Internet since I was vacationing with the in-laws in Minnesota, but just returned to home to Dallas & will keep daily logs now for the rest of the 5-week program.

I've been doing Warrior Wellness (mostly Intermediate program) every morning first thing and usually at night before bed also. Never more than 10 reps and slow to medium speed. RT (technique) seems pretty good, maybe a 5. No pain except as explained below.

Also I'm doing Be Breathed every other day. Started out with 2 sets of 3 pikes, and yesterday was up to 4 sets of 3 pikes spread throughout the day. No straining, but approaching it after the third rep of each set.

As instructed, no other resistance work or stretching was done. Experienced occasional very mild discomfort when doing arm figure eights, particularly above my head. Also, last night and this morning I noticed discomfort when raising my left leg into my lap for the four corner balance drill. (Never noticed this before, so I didn't push it.)

Also occasional slight discomfort in my mid-back, possibly because I was extremely physically active last week with lots of long hikes, foot races, dodgeball, golf, etc.

Over the past week, I've had a pretty high level of energy and have slept extremely well. Four more weeks to go - I'll keep plugging away!

[bsolomon]

Question: I'm feeling a strong need for more physical activity. I felt great during my vacation when I was constantly climbing, running, etc., but now I'm quite lethargic after one day of sitting at a desk.

Since my usual resistance training isn't allowed by this program, are there other alternatives for getting some exercise? How about jogging a couple miles a day?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Scott Sonnon]

Bill,

If you want this active recovery cycle to be of use, you need to exercise restraint. Stick to the plan. You can get back to the 'heavy' when you're through cleaning the slate.

[bsolomon]

So no jogging, windsprints, or fast walks?

[Scott Sonnon]

Bill. :lol: No. Stick to the plan. If you haven't resolved all of those issues by now, then any exertion you do at this point may very well more deeply embed and conceal the source issues.

[bsolomon]

OK, thanks.

[bsolomon]

7/6/04 (evening):

Just did WW (Intermediate level) before bed. Went fairly quickly & smoothly except slow on figure-8 arm circles, focused on reaching backwards & upwards as much as possible. Slight discomfort when reaching above & behind. Also went slow on hip circles (stationery from the waist down, upper body rotating in a semicircle).

Still experiencing pain in my left knee when the left foot is in my lap for the 4-corner balance drill, so I opted out of that exercise. Will try it again in the morning.

[Scott Sonnon]

Bill,

Try to just place it across your shin, rather than in your lap.

[bsolomon]

7/7/04 (morning):

Did WW Intermediate (5 reps each exercise) and Be Breathed butterflies (2 sets, 4 reps each, 3 minutes between sets).

Be Breathed was nice & slow as usual. First time I've done 4 reps without straining. Will try for 2 sets of 4 reps this evening. Focused on talking or singing during butterflies to avoid holding my breath during greatest exertion.

WW was slow & smooth. Still slight discomfort when reaching up & back on figure-8 arm circles. Placed left foot across shin rather than in my lap for 4-corner balance drill.

[bsolomon]

7/7/04 (evening)

Felt pretty lethargic this evening.

Planned to do 2x4 butterflies but reached muscle fatigue after 3 slow reps. Decided not to go for another set after lower back muscles still felt tired and very sore (near the tailbone, slightly to the left of center) later in the evening. To avoid lower back soreness in the future, I plan to do all my sets in the morning as opposed to some in the morning and some in the evening. On Friday morning, I will try to do 4 sets of 4.

WW felt good. Five reps of each exercise. Better range of motion this time around when bending sideways & backwards at the waist.

[bsolomon]

7/8/04 (morning):

Felt pretty tired this morning despite 7-8 hours sleep the last 3 nights. I'm planning to get 8-9 hours from now on.

WW (Intermediate level, 5 reps each exercise) felt good. After finishing WW, noticed that lower back near the tailbone is still fairly sore from yesterday's BB.

Will take an ibuprofen to see if that helps.

[bsolomon]

7/8/04 (evening): Took a break & went to bed earlier

7/9/04 (morning):

Did WW Intermediate level, 5 reps each exercise. Mild discomfort with arm screw in right shoulder.

Did BB butterflies 2x5, 4 minutes between sets. Had to assist myself (pulled on my shorts with my hands) with the "situp" portion of the fifth rep of the 2nd set.

[bsolomon]

7/9/04 (evening):

Did WW Intermediate 5 reps each. Felt good, no problems.

[bsolomon]

7/10/04 (morning):

WW Intermediate 5 reps felt good except mild discomfort in right shoulder with front-back elbow circles.

[bsolomon]

7/11/04 (9am):

Did WW Intermediate 5-reps.

BB butterflies 3X3 (5-10 minutes between sets). First set of 3 was extremely slow. Second & third sets were medium-slow. It felt like 3 reps was the most I could get without straining.

[bsolomon]

7/11/04 (evening): Did WW Intermediate 5 reps, & everything felt good.

7/12/04 (morning): WW Intermediate, no problems.

Noticed recently that shoulders get tired after 5 reps of shoulder rolls (with arms in motor cycle position). Not sore, just muscle fatigue. Seems strange that such a low-resistance exercise could generate fatigue at such low reps.

[Scott Sonnon]

Bill,

It's not the movement which is creating the fatigue, but the pre-existing tension. You're closing on uncovering an issue. Keep moving it!

[bsolomon]

Coach Sonnon,

Thanks for the feedback. Glad to hear that I'm on the right track.

[bsolomon]

7/13/04 (morning):

WW Intermediate felt good.

BB butterflies:
First set, Rep one: 75 seconds. Rep two: 60 seconds. Rep three: 50 seconds.
Waited 5 minutes.
Second set, Rep one: 50 seconds. Rep two: 45 seconds. Rep three: 50 seconds.
Waited 3 minutes.
Third set, Rep one: 50 seconds. Rep two: 50 seconds. Rep three: 70 seconds.

[bsolomon]

7/13/04 (evening):

I'm pretty tired from staying up late recently. Did WW Intermediate. Slight discomfort in right shoulder when doing elbow figure 8s front-back. Also had more trouble than usual maintaining balance on 4-corner drill and large leg circles.

Earlier this evening I had sudden slight pain a couple of times after prolonged leaning over my laptop (reading about CST, of course!) but didn't have any back problems later during WW.

Neck was a little tight this evening, probably from leaning over so much.

[bsolomon]

7/14/04 (morning):

Tried WW Advanced just to see what I'm missing. Most of the exercises went fine except I couldn't coordinate the alternating front-back figure 8 arm circles (My arms kept wanting to go the same direction instead of in opposite directions). I will probably alternate between Advanced & Intermediate programs from now on. The advanced 4-corner balance drill was a little tricky but not unmanageable.

[bsolomon]

I noticed tension in my left rear shoulder/neck today, directly behind where the clavicle (collar bone) meets the scapula (shoulder blade). Probably sitting in front of a computer all day doesn't help!

[bsolomon]

7/14/04 (evening):

Watched BB video to refine my technique since I haven't watched it in a while. Did 5 or 6 butterflies while following along with Coach Sonnon. (For some reason they seemed easier than before.) My kids tried to follow along and asked "Are these exercises for kids or grownups?".

After that I did WW Intermediate. Had better range of motion than previous sessions during spine circles (I focused on exhaling this time). I also noticed that it's much easier to do leg circles (large and small) when looking at my reflection in the window!

[bsolomon]

7/15/04 (morning):

Did WW Intermediated with no problems.

[bsolomon]

7/15/04 (evening):

WW Intermediate went well, no problems.

[bsolomon]

7/16/04 (morning):

Did WW Intermediate, no problems.

Also did BB butterflies, 3 sets of 4 reps, 1 minute each rep, 5 minutes between sets. RPE = 5 (no straining)

[bsolomon]

7/16/04 (late evening):

Did WW intermediate program except the arm circles were from the advanced program (both arms swinging at the same time). Tonight I nailed the front-back arm circles going opposite directions for the first time. I was very excited since I've tried this for a few days without success.

Arm screws felt very smooth. They reminded me of snow skiing while while making quick smooth turns (that's what it felt like, anyway).

Shoulder rolls felt smooth also. One direction felt like dancing "boogie" style and the other direction (over and down) felt like my arms were part of some big machine or the gears on a train wheel. My shoulders also felt fatigued after 10 reps both directions.

Elbow figure 8s (I did them pretty fast) reminded me of playing with sparklers in the dark on the 4th of July, where you can only see the light trail streaking through the dark like a snake.

My wrists felt fatigued after figure 8s and circles, and I don't remember that before.

Obviously lots of images and thoughts tonight. It's late on a Friday and I'm feeling looser than usual looking forward to the weekend.

[bsolomon]

7/17/04 (morning):

As usual, after waking up I did the WW intermediate program. I subsituted the double arm circles from the advanced program.

Sensations: I felt a little dizzy after doing spine semi-circles.

[bsolomon]

7/17/04 (evening):

I did WW intermediate program before bed. I am physically tired this evening after lots of fun on the lake. Spine semi-circles felt harder than usual, especially the leaning back part. Everything else felt fine.

[bsolomon]

7/18/04 (morning):

Did WW intermediate program, subsitituting double-arm circles for single-arm.

My spine felt stiff and a little sore this morning, probably from an active day yesterday and sleeping longer than usual. Specifically, I felt soreness and stiffness in the lumbar area when doing chest circles, spine circles (when leaning backwards and sideways, particularly to the left where it sort of felt like my left hip might cramp up), and the breathing exercise at the end of the program.

[bsolomon]

7/19/04 (morning):

I was extremely tired this morning. My sleep cycle has been messed up from getting too little sleep during the week (about 6 hours) and sleeping late on Saturday & Sunday. Back soreness was also keeping me awake a bit the last couple of nights.

After doing the WW intermediate program, I had much more energy. I had some popping in my left shoulder during up-down arm figure 8s, but no discomfort.

I also did butterflies from the Be Breathed program, 2 sets of 5 reps, 5 minutes between sets, 50-55 seconds each rep. I didn't do BB on Sunday so it's been 3 days since the last time I did them.

[bsolomon]

7/19/04 (before bed):

I did the WW intermediate program, substituting double arm circles.

7/20/04 (morning):

After waking up, I did the WW intermediate program, substituting double arm circles. As usual, I felt somewhat dizzy after doing spine semi-circles. After finishing the whole program, I noticed that the right side of my middle back felt a little sore, but this soreness went away after about 20 minutes.

Recently I've been doing chest circles and/or small hip circles throughout the day whenever my lumbar back feels sore, usually after long periods of sitting or driving. I've also been focusing on arching/elongating my back during WW chest circles (at the top of the exercise), the inhalation stage of the 4-corner balance drill when I put my foot in my lap, and the breathing exercise at the end of the program.

[bsolomon]

7/20/04 (evening):

I did BB butterflies, 10 reps in 9 minutes 15 seconds. I didn't think I could do 10 reps and my abs were burning after rep 5. But at the end of each rep it felt like I could do another without straining so I kept going.

After dinner (an hour later) I did another set of 8 reps in 9 minutes. The 8th rep was a bit of a strain so I stopped after that.

After a short break I did the WW intermediate program with double arm circles. Spine semi-circles and small hip circles were harder than usual because my stomach and oblique muscles were tired from BB. Also the 4-corner balance drill with leg pointed outward seemed harder than usual. I stopped after counting to 6 on each side since it felt like I might cramp up at the hip joint.

[bsolomon]

7/21/04 (morning):

I did the WW intermediate program with no problems.

[bsolomon]

7/21/04 (evening):

I didn't feel like doing the WW program this evening because I was sleepy and my back muscles felt tired after a long day of sitting at my desk and 3 hours in the car. After doing the WW intermediate program, I felt more energetic all over.

As usual, the intermediate program was challenging but not overwhelming (overall RPE=5 or 6). The spine semi-circles (especially leaning sideways & backwards), leg semi-circles, and 4-corner balance drills require the most concentration for me.

[bsolomon]

7/22/04 (morning):

After waking up I did the WW intermediate program.

I noticed slight muscle fatigue after completing 10 reps (5 reps both directions) of shoulder circles and also after completing wrist figure 8s, 5 reps each direction. While doing spine semi-circles, I also noticed a bit of tightness at the point just to the left of straight back, at approximately 7o'clock if 12 o'clock is bending straight forward. The tightness seemed to work itself out by the end of the drill.

[bsolomon]

7/22/04 (evening):

I did the WW intermediate program before bedtime. I had more trouble than usual staying balanced during the 4-corner balance drill.

[bsolomon]

7/23/04 (morning):

After waking up I performed the WW intermediate program.

My overall perceived form felt better than ever. Like yesterday morning, I experienced some tension on spine semi-circles at the 7'oclock position (slightly to the left of straight back) but it seemed to dissipate by the end of the exercise. Also I felt slight muscle fatigue after doing shoulder circles. During arm figure-8s, I noticed a stretching sensation (no discomfort) in the shoulder joint, especially when reaching up and back.

After WW I did 2 sets of Be Breathed butterflies, the 1st set of 5 reps in 5 minutes, and the 2nd set of 6 reps in 4 min 15 sec. I felt like I did as many reps as I could without straining. The situp portion is definitely the hardest stage of the exercise for me.

[bsolomon]

7/23/04 (evening):

At 10:30 PM, I performed the WW intermediate program. During arm figure-8s I focused on reaching with my hands, and I felt the shoulder joint stretching but without discomfort. My shoulders felt a little tight during arm screws, not as loose as I would like. There was some popping in my left shoulder during elbow figure-8s but no discomfort. Good range of motion and smooth feeling on chest circles. I tried hard to also increase the ROM on spine semi-circles, and I think it's slowly increasing.

[bsolomon]

7/24/04 (morning)

WW intermediate: My form is improving but I'm getting sweatier than I used to by the end of the program.

I consciously worked for greater ROM on elbow circles today. During spine sem-circles, I noticed for the first time a quiet popping noise deep in the center of my back, but no discomfort. Balance felt good on leg circles and 4-corner balance drill, with good ROM on leg circles (parallel to the ground in front & slightly higher on side & back).

[bsolomon]

7/25/04 (morning):

WW intermediate program: My spine felt stiff this morning, probably from catching up on sleep the last couple of nights. ROM in chest circles was limited so I repeated the exercise later in the program with better success. ROM was also limited in spine semi-circles although it improved after a few reps.

[bsolomon]

7/25/04 afternoon Be Breathed butterflies: The first set of 10 reps took 9 min 20 sec. After a 7 minute break, the second set of 10 reps took 9 min 30 sec.

The rating of perceived effort was about a 5 or 6 (definitely less than in past efforts), and form felt good. My abdominals weren't burning for the last few reps as they have in the past. I'll probably move up to pikes for my next session.

[bsolomon]

7/26/04 (morning):

WW intermediate program went well, with no problems.

[bsolomon]

Just got back from a business trip. Here's a quick update:

7/27/04: I did WW intermediate after waking & before bed.
7/28/04: I did WW intermediate after waking & before bed. After the morning session I tried Be Breathed pikes for the first time. My ROM was limited to the rear (I couldn't touch my feet to the floor behind me). The first set was 10 reps in 7 min 30 sec, and after a 4 minute break the 2nd set was 10 reps in 9 min 30 sec. I was very close to straining by the end of the 2nd set.
7/29/04: I did WW intermediate after waking & before bed.

I didn't experience pain or discomfort on any of the above exercises. I've noticed recently that WW intermediate is becoming less challenging (I'd say RPE=4 or 5) and form feels good so I'll probably move up to the advanced level soon.

[bsolomon]

7/30/04 (morning):

I did the WW intermediate program after waking up. I was pretty sleepy when I started. I experienced slight shoulder discomfort when doing arm figure 8s above my head in the clockwise direction (counterclockwise almost always feels better). Spine semi-circles started out with limited ROM but improved significantly by the end of the exercise. I had trouble maintaining my balance on leg semi-circles with my right leg planted on the ground. I was fairly sweaty after finishing the program.

[bsolomon]

7/30/04 (evening):

I did the WW intermediate program before going to bed. The ROM on spine semi-circles felt excellent for the first time ever. Leg circle ROM also felt good although balance on my right foot is still difficult. Both exercises required maximal effort.

Knee figure-8s and 4-corner balance drill were also somewhat challenging.

[bsolomon]

7/31/04 (morning):

I did the WW advanced program and it was quite challenging.

After that I did a set of 8 Be Breathed pikes in 7 minutes. I felt and heard several loud pops in my back throughout the exercise (mainly on the situp-descent portion, but also a smaller pop each time I straightened out my legs before the next situp). There was no discomfort associated with the popping. I still couldn't touch the floor with my feet behind my head; my feet were 6 inches to 1 foot off the ground. It felt like my neck was being stretched in a slightly uncomfortable way. After a 10 minute break I did another set of 7 reps in 6 minutes. This time I was able to touch my toes to the ground behind me (with my legs straight) for a split second during each rep.

Coach Sonnon, tomorrow marks the end of my 5-week program. Would you be so kind as to advise me how to proceed from here? Specifically, will I risk injury to my shoulder and back by resuming heavy resistance training with clubbells & kettlebells in conjunction with WW & BBreathed? If this risk does exist, is there a certain program I should be following to avoid injuries and continue the healing process? Thanks for all your help so far!

[bsolomon]

8/1/04: I did the WW intermediate program morning and evening. The program is now complete.

Coach Sonnon:
Could you please answer my question from the previous day? Thanks.

[Dan Chomycia]

Bill,

My apologies for not getting to your post, the forum was down over part of the weekend.

Coach Sonnon is offline for this week and part of next week. I'm filling in for him until he gets back.

Give me a little time to read through your log and I'll be able to offer some advice at the end of the day.

Talk to you soon!

[Dan Chomycia]

Wow Bill,

You are having great success with this program!

The thing that I noticed that you had problems with some times was Sleep.

What is that related to?Work?Kids?

You have been working hard for 5 weeks, I want you to enjoy your success and take 3 to 5 days off doing only Warrior Wellness as needed for the stiffness.

During those days I want you to figure out 3 things.
What your goals are for your training?

What are yout reasons for those goals?

What you would like to do to accomplish them?
With that information I'll be able to help you.

Great work! 8)
Talk to you soon!

[bsolomon]

Dan,

These are good, tough questions. Here is my best attempt at answering them:

My goals:
1. To maintain injury-free & pain-free joints (specifically, my back, shoulder, neck, & knees). A sub-goal is to complete the Be Breathed program & Warrior Wellness advanced routine.
2. To continue to improve the strength of my shoulders, midsection, legs, grip, & calves with a program of resistance training. Here are some of my more specific goals:
• To press 80-100 lbs above my head with one arm, either with the side press or MP. Currently I can only press 55-60 lbs with one arm.
• To complete a one-arm chinup or pinky-assisted chinup (currently I can do the middle-finger assisted version).
• To do a one-legged squat. My bad knees make this difficult.
• To snatch the 88LB KB, or maybe two 53LB KBs.
• To bottom-up clean a 70LB KB (for grip strength).
• To complete one rep of the standing “evil wheel” (for abdominal strength). I am cautious about this exercise because I’ve heard of people injuring themselves.

The reasons for my goals:
1. Being injury-free & pain-free is important to me because otherwise I get obsessed with relieving my pain, which distracts from more important things like work & family.
2. I like to play physically with my kids, mostly in backyard sports & general roughhousing. I don’t want to worry about getting them or myself injured in the process. Having a strong grip when I’m swinging them around is very important.
3. Joint mobility & resistance training helps me have more energy and better productivity throughout the day.
4. Having good posture is a priority so I can avoid degenerative problems later in life.
5. Maximal strength is a higher priority for me than strength-endurance, aerobic fitness, or muscular hypertrophy.
6. I’d like to have strong calves for running, jumping, etc. They’re not naturally very strong so I have to make sure they get a workout.

My preferred training methods/exercises:
I would like to continue the Warrior Wellness & Be Breathed programs. I can feel both programs healing my previous injuries, and my muscles & joints feel more relaxed, loose, & capable of supple movements. I would also like to resume my resistance training so that I can continue building greater strength throughout my body. Specifically, I like training with CBs- I have a pair of 10 pounders and a pair of 15 pounders for doing shoulder casts, shield casts, & lateral pendulums, and I’m certainly open to trying other movements as well. Concerning CBs, I especially like the extreme shoulder ROM and multi-planar work that you can’t get with other exercises.

I also like doing various kinds of chin-ups (on a bar or on rings) & occasional KB rows for variety. I like doing presses (primarily side presses with an Olympic bar, but also occasional KB MPs). In general the side press feels better with my shoulder. I like doing ballistic KB swings & snatches to work the rear side of my body, full ROM squats such as front squats and pistols, bottom-up KB cleans & other grip-oriented KB & CB drills like clean to order. I like doing all-out sprints occasionally. I hope to continue my abdominal training. In the past I’ve cycled Janda sit-ups, evil wheels, & Swiss ball crunches with the Be Breathed program. Going forward I’m not sure whether to continue doing these additional abdominal exercises or just stick with Be Breathed only. Lastly, I used to do Hindu squats sometimes and they seemed to make my knees feel better.

By the way, I’m not wedded to any of these exercises (or to any of my specific resistance training goals, for that matter)- they’re just the ones that I enjoyed doing before I began the five week program prescribed by Coach Sonnon. I was making steady progress by cycling these exercises and focusing on two or three at a time. My progress was slowed however by occasional soreness/aching in my shoulders, neck, & knees, which hopefully can be avoided in the future.

Dan- thanks for your help. I look forward to your recommendations!

By the way, the sleepiness was from going to bed late & waking up early due to a rough work schedule. My schedule’s better now.
:wink:

[Dan Chomycia]

Bill,


1. To maintain injury-free & pain-free joints (specifically, my back, shoulder, neck, & knees). A sub-goal is to complete the Be Breathed™ program & Warrior Wellness™ advanced routine.

These are actually the same goal Be Breathed and Warrior Wellness is how you will remain injury-free.

I think you should add in Clubbells slowly to this program, and then later on Body-Flow.

You're a little worried about your knees and shoulders, which is going to make diving into something that utilizes those joints detrimental due to the Fear Reactive bracing. When you do Warrior Wellness you might notice that there is a one legged portion of the 4CBD. So you don' t have to do alot of Pistols just continually go deeper into the movement without forcing it.

The Clubbells will help rehab and strengthen your shoulders.

What you need to understand is that you must continue to do the things that help to keep you healthy and moderate those that advance your Strength.

To many people place a bigger emphasis on the goal of strength over their health and as a result lose their health. Health is the platform your strength comes from don't ever forget that. Health should comprise the bulk of your training, so that you can spend the bulk of your life healthy. That my friend will be what your loved ones will benefit from.

Good luck,

Talk to you soon!

[bsolomon]

Dan,

Thanks for the great advice! If I have future questions about this program, should I post to this same topic or create a new one?

[Dan Chomycia]

Bill,

It is up to you.
So long as your training is logged the Staff will be able to comment.

Talk to you soon.

[bsolomon]

Dan,

Are there certain CB exercises that would be especially appropriate for my situation or are all of them equally beneficial?

Thanks.

[Dan Chomycia]

Bill,


Are there certain Clubbell® exercises that would be especially appropriate for my situation or are all of them equally beneficial?
In general you want to give your shoulder as much varied experience as possible incrementally. So work on getting to the Mill & Swipe combination routines. An example of disparate exercises would be Parry Casts and Circles. Use the more conventional stuff like presses & snatches sparingly.

Be sure to continue in your progression with Warrior Wellness and at some time you may want to get Mobilized Strength and some light Clubbells to continue your progression you can find it through my website. If you need detailed Coaching my rates are on the website as well.

Talk to you soon!

[bsolomon]

Thanks again Dan. I've opened up a new topic ("Bill's Injury Recovery Program") to continue tracking my progress. The new URL is http://www.circularstrengthmag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=18375#18375