Warrior's Temple: Part Two

The Warrior lifestyle is pretty full on, and to make it through the phases of the Warrior Masterclass you have to be in tip-top shape.

You may be wondering how to get into shape, especially with the time restraints of modern life, and without the cost of an expensive gym. This quick routine is designed to build total body strength, to assist your body as it adapts to the demands of the Warrior Masterclass.

Its aim is to strengthen posture, for tired, end of day routines, to improve your strength and endurance, and to help you hold your sword, shield or spear for long periods of rehearsal. If you perform simple exercises little and often, your body adapts for the task you’ve set and then naturally your body will evolve.

These are some simple Warrior exercises that I would recommend you perform four times a day, first thing in the morning, in your lunch hour, when you get home from work and before you go to bed.

As I mentioned in my blog article, Warrior Temple: Part One, please ensure you are thoughtful about your posture throughout the exercises.

The Warrior Circuit

Perform the following three exercise back to back, sets of 10 reps, 7 reps, 5 reps, 3 reps (do not break in between for recovery).

Press up

With your hands and feet shoulder width apart, maintain posture (watch that bottom hitching, keep your hips square), slow the movement down and breath out on the lower, flow the movement with the inhale back up, don’t rush and move like the ocean tide.

If your strength struggles with full press ups, hold posture from the knees.

You can mix up the hand position for each set, drawing in the hands forming a diamond shape (thumbs and forefingers, to really focus on the triceps), then mix again with hands wider than shoulder-width apart.

Combo - Shoulder Flies with Forward Lunge

Go no heavier than an 8kg kettlebell or dumbbell

Nice wide stance, keep posture good, chest open and head up, as you step forward to lunge, raise your arms through 180 degrees, maintaining your palms facing forward, flow the movement with a strong, stable lunge, ensure your knee does not move forward past your toes.

Tricep Dips

Using a chair or a bench, sit on the floor and grab the edge of the chair with your hands behind the body. Keep your posture good, back straight, eye line up. Push down on the chair to raise the body up and lower until your bottom hovers approx. one inch from the floor. To reduce the weight load of the body, walk your legs closer to your body and bend your knees with your feet flat on the ground.

Abdominals (Core) - Single Leg Stretch

Place your hands behind your head, extend and curl up the upper body and hold, bend one knee towards your upper body and stretch the other leg away held just above the floor, switch legs (one rep).

Double Leg Stretch

Curl up the upper body and draw both knees up and towards your hands, breath in and on exhale stretch arms overhead and legs out over the floor at approx 45 degrees, circle arms back to start position and legs to bent knees.

Rocking Stretch

This pilates stretch can be a tough one, laying on your stomach, slowly extend the upper body, bending your knees and reaching your arms to grab your feet.

You will need to hold this stretch rather than working through the reps. Start with a gentle lift and hold for 10 secs, relax and repeat. As you get more use to the position hold the stretch up between 30-40secs.

Squat with Shoulder Fly

With your legs wider than shoulder width apart, (either use sword or shield or weights in your hands by your side), slowly squat down, as you squat raise your arms up to shoulder height, slowly return to start position.

Stretch and hold the Warrior Pose

Move through two positions, slowly with deep breathing for 10-30 secs each side, remember to change legs. Practice this Yoga staple without weight first, then progress on to using weights or your sword and shield.

The British Action Academy strongly recommends that you consult with your G.P. before beginning any exercise program.

You should be in good health and a good physical condition to be able to participate in any exercise.

The British Action Academy is not a licensed medical care provider and represents that it has no expertise in diagnosing, examining, or treating medical conditions of any kind, or in determining the effect of any specific exercise on a medical condition.

You should understand that when participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in our exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk.

Created by Jo on 14 Nov 2018