June 11th, 2014 By Deuce

Purpose of Warrior One:                                                                             

Warrior One is a workout intended to develop the flexibility, balance and core strength of the PAX.  Although it is modeled after contemporary Yoga practices it is not limited to Yoga poses and is open to Q interpretation.   Any stretches, balances or core strengthening exercises which further Warrior One’s purpose are welcomed.   Warrior One does not include running as it serves as a respite from the rigorous cardiovascular workouts of which F3 has plenty.  Therefore, Warrior One is an excellent recovery ground for those with injuries that prevent them from running and for those who just want to improve flexibility, balance and core strength.  Warrior One launched 01/22/14 in Harrisburg, NC.

The Basics of Warrior One:

Breathing– A correct breathing technique is essential in Warrior One to send oxygen to muscles as they stretch.

• All breath should pass through the nose.
• Breathe in on most ascending motions.
• Breathe out on most descending motions.
• Use Full Breaths- full expansion of stomach, then rib cage on the inhales; and full contraction of the rib cage, then stomach (pulling as far as possible towards the spine) on the exhales.

Posture– Each pose is different, but here are some elements to consider:

• Flat Back/Chest Out on most poses.  When folding keep back flat until the last moment.
• Shoulders Down away from the ears, even when lifting the arms.
• Fingers and Toes Spread to engage more muscles.
• Knee Over Heel.  To protect the knee in lunges and other poses make sure the knee is positioned directly over the heel.
• Oppositional Forces- Many poses have part of the body moving one way while another part of the body moves in the opposite direction.  Fully engage both parts to maximize stretches.
• Focal Point- For balancing poses, find a spot on the ground or wall to focus your gaze upon.

Flow– Warrior One workouts are generally designed so that one pose flows easily into another.   Plan workouts so that complementary poses are performed in series with each other.  Example:

• Down Dog, Right Lunge, Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Peaceful Warrior, Crescent, Spinal Twist, Crescent, Right Lunge. Repeato left side.
• Down Dog, Right Lunge, Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Peaceful Warrior, Extended Side Angle, Warrior 2, Right Lunge. Repeato left side.
• Down Dog, Right Lunge, Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Peaceful Warrior, Triangle, Warrior 2, Right Lunge. Repeato left side.

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Warrior One Poses:

Here are some of the major pose series in Warrior One.

Howl at the Moon (AKA Sun Salutations)

• Mountain- Standing with legs slightly bent, hands by the side, shoulders down and chest out. Use for Neck Rolls, Shoulder Rolls or just to recover breathing.
• Forward Fold- Standing with legs slightly bent, folding at the waste with head and arms dangling. Grab opposite elbows for more intensity.
• Half-Forward Fold- Standing with legs slightly bent, folding at the waste with flat back parallel to the ground and arms dangling.
• Plank- On hands and feet with back making straight line from feet to the top of the head.  Slowly lower with elbows in close to the body.
• Cobra or Honeymoon- From prone position, lift onto elbows for Cobra or onto hands and feet with arched back for Honeymoon.
• Down Dog- On hands and feet with butt in the air, focus on keeping the back straight, pressing the chest towards the knees and heels towards the ground.  Legs can be slightly bent.
• Lunge- Front leg makes 90 degree angle with thigh parallel to ground and knee directly over ankle.  Back leg is straight with heel lifted.  Hands are on the ground with one on each side of the front leg or both hands inside the front leg.

The Warriors

• Crescent- Lunge with torso up and facing forward, back arched and hands reaching towards the sky. Transition to Spinal Twist or Revolved Side-Angle.
• Warrior One- From Crescent place back heel on the ground.
• Warrior Two- From Warrior One, Turn torso towards the side, arms out to a T and gaze forward.  Transition to Side-Angle.
• Peaceful Warrior- From Warrior Two, lean torso towards back leg, reaching front hand towards the sky, dropping the back hand and looking up towards the sky.

The Balance

• Tree- Standing on one foot, bring the other knee to the chest, arms a 45 degrees to the body.  Options- Pull knee out to the side and look toward opposite side or Spinal Twist.
• Figure Four- Standing on one foot, place the other ankle on the thigh of the standing leg.  Transition to Chair.
• Warrior Three- Standing on one foot, lean torso forward while other leg rises straight behind, arms out in front.
• The Lynn Swann- From Warrior Three, reach back to grab the leg and pull arm and leg in opposite directions.
• Half-Moon/Revolved Half-Moon- From Warrior Three, place one hand on the ground while the other reaches towards the sky.

The Kitchen Table

• Table- On hands and knees with flat back.
• Cat/Cow- From Table, arch back up with shoulders apart for Cat, drop stomach with shoulders together for cow.
• Spinal Balance- From Table, one arm straight out in front, with opposite leg straight back. Options- toe taps or knee to elbow.
• Awkward Airplane- From Spinal Balance, move arm and leg out to the side. Option- knee bent.
• Gate- From kneeling position, place one foot out to the side with a straight leg, then reach the opposite-side arm towards the sky, leaning towards the straight leg.
• Half-Knot- From Table, place one foot out to the side with a straight leg, thread opposite side arm under body and rest shoulder on the ground with other arm reaching toward the sky.

On the Six

• Cross-Legged Hamstring Stretch- From seated position, leave one leg straight and plant the foot of the other leg outside the knee of the straight leg, then hug the bent knee.  Transition to Spinal Twist.
• Eye of the Needle (Dead Pigeon) – While on the back, make a figure four with legs, then use hands to pull knee to chest.
• Happy 2.0- While on the back, bend knees and grab feet with hands, opening hips and pressing feet towards the sky.
• Bridge- While on the back, place feet on the ground and lift hips while walking shoulder blades together and clasping hands behind the back.
• Ball- Wrap arms around knees squeezing every muscle and roll back and forth.
• Shoulder Stand- While on back, lift legs to the sky until weight is on shoulders and elbows with hands on the back.  No weight on neck.
• Plow- From Shoulder Stand, let feet fall over the head towards the ground.  No weight on neck.
• Revolved Abdomen- While on the back, bring knees to chest, then let the legs fall to one side, with arms out to a T and head facing the opposite side.

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Modifications:

The PAX should be encouraged to modify any pose to increase or decrease intensity based on the needs of their body on that day.  Here are a few modifications:

• Knee or Elbow Down- Putting a knee on the ground during plank or lunging poses and an elbow on a bent leg during poses like Side-Angle can decrease intensity.
• Bind- An arm behind the back, reaching for the opposite leg or shoulder will intensify stretches.
• The Wall- Put a hand on a wall for an assist during balancing poses.
• 2.0 Pose- Resting pose used at any time by a PAX to recover breathing.

Moleskin:

1. While there are no rules that must be followed for Warrior One, please note that Yoga pants and short shorts are discouraged. Lets leave those to FIA.
2. PAX may bring and use a Yoga mat if it so pleases (we may mock, but will not judge). However, most PAX opt for a simple towel that can serve the dual purpose of protecting the knees in kneeling poses and assisting with stretches during hamstring and binding poses.
3. Feel free to use any exercise or pose that improves flexibility, balance or core strength.  Any Mary exercise would be appropriate for Warrior One.
4. Renaming poses is encouraged.  Here are some that have been given F3 names so far (F3 name first):

• Howl at the Moon- Sun Salutations- because there’s not much sun in the Gloom.
• Honeymoon- Up Dog
• Atlas Shrugged- Goddess
• The Lynn Swann- Dancer’s Pose
• Happy 2.0- Happy Baby
• 2.0 pose- Childs Pose

Peace,

Deuce

Warrior One

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