Scott gets some tail!

[sschaula]

I want to relieve pain in my tailbone. Currently, both the downward dog and sitting with my legs straight in front trouble me. I've had this lingering pain for years and it's time it goes for good. I've been cleared by a doctor I went to see. If there's anything anyone would like to add which could help me structure this THP, I'd really appreciate it. This is my first time designing a program for myself.

I've been following Radiant Recovery, although sometimes eating some sweets (as well as drinking) and also not journalling. Posting here will definitely help me develop more positive habits.

I've been performing intermediate Warrior Wellness with a RPT of 8 usually. Suprisingly my tailbone problem doesn't affect this practice, and the practice doesn't affect my tailbone's healing (directly). I'll continue doing Warrior Wellness every morning, during the exercises and whenever there's excess tension or I want to do it.

GPP: Every other day...
200 Spinal Rocks (progress from butterfly, to spread legs/spread plough to piked/plough) exhaling on backwards movement
Every other day...
100 Locust Circles (50 left, 50 right)

SPP: Once a day
Multi-planar back arch, http://www.circularstrengthmag.com/23/sonnon.html
Bow pose (progress from no hands to with hands...not holding for more than 5 seconds)
Also these stretches: http://www.circularstrengthmag.com/39/sonnon4.html

ASP: Twice a day
Downward Facing Pelvic Tilt
Rocking Bow pose (like a reverse spinal rock)...being breathed of course

[sschaula]

7 PM - Organic Irish Oatmeal with Stevia powder and a handful of raw pepitas

...

8:45 AM - Oatmeal with Earth Balance spread, Celtic sea salt and a little pepper added

1:00 PM - 2 Lasagna pieces and a small dessert.

Had a few snacks which I shouldn't have had in between lunch and dinner.

5:45 PM - Two slices of pizza and a cookie.

Not happy with today's nutrition, but I can't do much about it seeing as how I don't have any food at my apartment and have to rely on my work and my parents to feed me (until Monday).

~ 250 Butterfly Spinal Rocks

[sschaula]

8:30 AM - Ezekiel Bread with natural peanut butter

I've noticed the past couple of days that I have some discomfort (about a 5) travelling from my right buttocks to the outside of my knee. I also can't go as deep in the front swoop in Warrior Wellness (RPD of 3).

Just performed 100 Locust Circles. RPT - 5, RPE - 7. Those are kind of tough!

...

12:30 PM - Small bowl of Original Ezekiel cereal with organic whole milk. Also a few organic triscuit type crackers with Greek style hummus.

3:00 PM - Had a few more crackers and hummus.

Played with a hacky sack at 4 - 4:50 PM. Warrior Wellness definitely carries over to this. I've actually gotten better at it than when I played everyday, three or four years ago. Hacky sack is a fun way to warm up a bit.

5:20 PM - Chicken tenderloins pan fried with white and green pea pods and butternut squash squares, with Frangelico hazelnut liquor, habanero hot sauce, chili powder, basil leaves, pepper and Celtic sea salt. Pretty fun on the spot creation.

Went for a walk afterwards because I was too full of energy.

6:30 PM - Ate egg drop soup and 2 vegetable rolls.

Today was not a typical day for me, nutrition wise. I don't stress it though.

[sschaula]

8:00 AM - Original Ezekiel cereal with organic whole milk and the smallest amount of raw honey to taste.

12:00 PM - 2 Ezekiel tortillas with natural peanut butter and a glass of organic whole milk. Also finished up the Hummus and crackers.

Sat around all day because I was feeling low, until...

2:25 PM - Performed spinal rocks for 35 minutes. I didn't want to count them anymore, because I got very bored the other day when I did that. I discovered a more effective spinal rock for strengthening the core. Roll back into a shoulder stand, then drop your knees in and roll forward. I did that and was exhaling on each roll. Dropping the knees into me helped me be breathed on the way back up.

Doing these with perfect form was challenging...snapping the hips was the difficult part. Next time I'll focus on that aspect. This time I was pretty much going for speed. No discomfort.

Warrior Wellness following the rocks.

Played some hacky sack with a friend for about an hour...had some laughs trying the most outlandish stalls or kicks.

5:30 PM - Arbys gyro, jalapeno bites, onion petals, milkshake.

[sschaula]

Did some Warrior Wellness. There's a lot of tension in my back that I'll need to work out throughout the day.

9:30 AM - 3 cage free hard boiled eggs and Ezekiel bread.

12:30 PM - Ezekiel tortilla with vegenaise, spinach and wild Alaskan Salmon. Glass of whole milk with stevia powder.

100 Locust Circles. I've also been releasing tension all day.

4:45 PM - Pan fried steak strips, kale and asparagus with Worcesterchire sauce and Celtic sea salt on an Ezekiel tortilla. Glass of organic whole milk with stevia powder.

I've been wanting something more, like a dessert, with my meals...so I've been using milk with stevia because it's kind of sweet and nourishing. I have a feeling tonight will be tough for sugar withdrawals. Normally I don't drink milk. It gives me too much phlegm. I will most likely finish this jug then go back to kefir...or just not have any dairy at all.

[sschaula]

9 AM - Bob's Red Mill 5 grain hot cereal with stevia powder. A spoonful of natural peanut butter.

1 PM - Ate out at Hacienda Los Compadres...good Mexican food! 8)

Not going to do any kind of work out today.

[sschaula]

I've found that the top of the pyramid is the most important part. I've been stressed about money and busy lately so I haven't made time to practice. I'll start again today.

10 AM - 3 cage free eggs, Ezekiel bread. Some strawberries.

[sschaula]

Okay, I am broke for the next few weeks, so I won't be logging any nutritional info since it's basically whatever anyone will feed me.

4:41 PM - 18 minutes of spinal rock to shoulderstand. Then warrior wellness.

[sschaula]

All right. This has not been going well. :evil: I'm going to revamp the THP, in an attempt to actually do this cycle. I haven't been training for whatever reason....money, stress, no confidence in the THP, laziness. I need to stay on this. It's just a month. Here is a semi updated THP:

GPP - 25 minutes of shoulderstand spinal rocks. 10 minutes of locust circles.

SPP - Multi planar back arch. Bow pose/Side planks/plank/bridge, etc.

ASP - Downward facing pelvic tilt. Bow rock. Side plank lifts. Bridges. Cobras.

MEP - Moving into and out of downward dog. Same with the piked spinal rock. Multiple times throughout the day.

Each stage will last a week. In the middle of each week I'll begin integrating the next stage. So if I stay on cue, I'll get this done by June. In the middle of MEP stage, the last week of May, I'll start more Warrior Wellness in place of the workouts.

...

In June I want to start a cycle targeting my fat stores. I'm not too overweight or anything, but I need to make Army regulations or else I don't get my education benefits. Hopefully someday soon they'll realize that muscle weighs more than fat, and that people have differing body types (my neck is too small and my core is too big, so it's hard to pass the taping). Some way out of shape people can pass by easily, while some really fit people have to cut calories and workout intensely to barely make it. Pretty soon I'll get a camera and take before and after photos so that my posts aren't just text. I, for one, like to SEE progress and results.

What I'll be doing in June isn't really structured in terms of what movements I'll do. What I mean by that is that there aren't specific movements for a GPP, which change when I move up to SPP, etc. My goal is fat loss, therefore I don't need to develop specific skills. The philosophy is basically just to workout for 3 hours straight, 2 days on and 1 day for active recovery. If I'm doing an activity, I will do it for at least 35 minutes. Some activities I've thought of so far: biking, running, yoga, swimming, climbing, wrestling with my huge little brother, training with my 15 lb Clubbell®, guerrilla drills, canoeing.

I'm going to focus on timing the workouts with my meals, so that I workout no earlier than an hour and a half after eating. I'll have a meal after the workout. It'll be tough attempting to fit this in with my work schedule, so I will probably need to increase my meals to 4 a day.

After that, I currently see the need for a Forward Pressure type cycle...then I'll begin training for a cross country skiing marathon, which takes place in January.

:arrow: But focusing on the present THP, I'll begin again tomorrow at the GPP stage.

[sschaula]

Good day.

Did 25 minutes of shoulderstand spinal rocks, focusing on snapping the hips, straightening the legs at the knee and pointing the toes upward...to make myself straight as possible. Several times during I got an excess amount of tension, so I had to release it a little bit during this session by rolling over to do a cobra or just doing normal spinal rocks.

I wasn't able to do ANY locust circles because my core was too fatigued. It's all good. Tomorrow I'll try doing locust circles first.

Glad to be back in my training. :arrow: