TrAINInG gUIDEPrograms for Integrating Prasara Practice

Supplement to The Prasara Primer version 2.0

©2010 Real Creative HealthRyan C. Hurst, CST Faculty CoachJarlo L. Ilano, MPT, CST Head CoachAndy Fossett, CST Instructor

http://prasaraprimer.com

Introduction

This training guide is meant to answer the most frequent questions we’ve had regarding the use of the Prasara Primer materials, such as how to get started and where to put the practice into your current training regimen.

Prasara To Fit Your Goals

Since there are so many different programs out there - there are probably as many different workouts as there are people working out! - we’ve provided program outlines for the common four general goals that people have for engaging in an exercise program. We have also included a program for the many people that are having success with TacFit Commando or similar 4x7 programs.

Muscle Gain

Cardio/Fat loss

Sports/Activity Enhancement

Muscular Endurance

4x7 / TacFit Commando

In each section, we give you a detailed outline on which flows to choose, and how to use them to best assist you towards your goal.

Learning The Flows

First, you’ll need to learn how to perform the flows!

As we mentioned in the Course Manual, feel free to jump in and learn the flows in whatever way you feel is best. For those seasoned and experienced athletes, you probably know your optimal learning style. However, it is also good to have a sample plan to give you a general idea of how to begin this practice.

In each of the Flow Charts, we’ve given you two options to attack learning the flow:

Program #1 is the “Slow and Easy” progression. In this program, you progress through your chosen flow slowly and steadily, taking eight training days to learn the entire flow.

Program #2 is the “Quick” progression, for those that want to get going on the fast track to learning a flow. It takes four training days to learn the flow using this method.

These two programs show how to learn the flows, with detailed session outlines.  You can perform these sessions whenever you like in your current program. 

We recommend at least a day in between training sessions, and have found the optimal learning curve to be about once every three days, or twice a week. Your prasara flow practice days can be scheduled as often as every other day, but you must be mindful of using appropriate recovery methods to prevent overuse injuries.

Plug It In

After you have learned the flows you would like to use, then you can follow the guidelines for incorporating the flows into your current training program to meet your specific goals.

We provide options for that and sample training programs in the next section.

Muscle GainIf your current training regimen is focused on muscle building, the Prasara Primer flows are a perfect complement to your exercise program. The flows are perfect compensation routines after your heavy workouts. They will help to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and also maintain or improve your flexibility, which is essential for performing the full range of motion exercise to build muscle.

The following are plans based on the variety of training schedules used for a muscle building routine.

Common Body Part Split Plan

Chest/shoulders/tricepsAt the end of your training session, perform the Ocean flow in a slow and smooth manner, for two sets, resting one minute between each set.

Back/BicepsAt the end of your training session, perform the Wind flow and the Seesaw flow, alternated for two sets each, resting one minute between each set.

LegsAt the end of your training session, perform the Vine flow and the Cricket flow, alternated for two sets each, resting one minute between each set.

Push/Pull Split Plan

Chest/backAt the end of your training session, perform the Ocean flow and the Wind flow, alternated for two sets each, resting one minute between each set.

LegsAt the end of your training session, perform the Vine flow and the Cricket flow, alternated for two sets each, resting one minute between each set.

Biceps/tricepsAt the end of your training session, perform the Seesaw flow for three sets each, resting one minute between each set.

ShouldersAt the end of your training session, perform the Ocean flow for three sets each, resting one minute between each set.

Upper/Lower body Split Plan

UpperAt the end of your training session, perform the Wind, Seesaw, and Ocean flows, alternated for two sets each, resting one minute between each set.

LowerAt the end of your training session, perform the Vine flow and the Cricket flow, alternated for two sets each, resting one minute between each set.

Full Body Workout PlanIncludes all Clubbell work, Mass Assault, and full body weightlifting routines

At the end of your training session, perform the Ocean, Vine, and Wind flows, alternated for two sets each, resting one minute between each set. And after the next training day, perform the Seesaw and Cricket Flows, alternated for two sets each, resting one minute between each set.

Cardio/Fat LossThe flows can also be used to enhance a cardio and fat loss regimen.

Jogging

Perform the Vine and Cricket flows on your days off of running. Set a timer and perform each flow continuously, without rest for the duration. The pace should be slow and steady. Work to a maximum of 10 minutes on each flow.

Bicycling

Perform the Wind and Seesaw flows on your days off of bicycling. Set a timer and perform each flow continuously, without rest for the duration. The pace should be slow and steady. Work to a maximum of 10 minutes on each flow.

Full body training regimensClubbell, Kettlebell, TacFit, CrossFit

Perform the Wind, Ocean, and Seesaw flows on the day before and/or after your training session. Set a timer and perform each flow continuously, without rest for the duration. The pace should be slow and steady. Work to a maximum of 7 minutes on each flow.

Prasara Only

You can also perform the flows by themselves for a cardio/fat loss routine. In this case, choose one flow per training day, and work to a maximum of 30 minutes of continuous movement. The pace should be slow and steady. Switch flows at every training session.

Sports/Activity EnhancementRefer to the Course Manual to determine which flow is best for your particular sporting activity, and use that flow in one of the scenarios below.

You may be interested in doing more than one flow for your activity. In that case, either alternate the flows, or choose the flow that is more difficult and perform that one more often than the other.

Off days

The Prasara Primer flows are a perfect exercise activity for your active recovery days off from your sport or activity. Just take extra care in keeping your overall level of exertion below 50% maximum, or it ceases to be rest.

A slow and steady pacing of the flow will really help to enhance the mobility of the primary joint motions involved in your sport. In addition, the slow and controlled pace is an excellent way to develop the neuromuscular control in the transitions between the postures, and this will directly benefit your agility level in your favorite sport.

Perform your chosen flow for 5 sets with a one minute rest in between sets.

Warmup or Cooldown

Perform your chosen flow before and/or after your main activity. Set a timer and perform each flow continuously, without rest for the duration. The pace should be slow and steady. Work to a maximum duration of 5 minutes. We suggest performing only one flow as a warmup, and a maximum of two as a cooldown.

This method is great for priming your body for your activity, and for releasing tension after you are finished.

Muscular EnduranceStrength-endurance work has a primary emphasis on achieving a high volume of work in an increasingly protracted time period. Choose a flow and a particular timeframe and work towards increasing the number of repetitions you can achieve in that time period.

It is best to cycle through the flows, so as to develop all areas of your body equally. We suggest switching up your routine after three weeks.

Prasara to Complement Other Endurance Work

If you are currently on a favorite muscular endurance oriented program, you can plug Prasara easily into your training schedule by working on your chosen flow after your training session.

We recommend starting with a duration of 10 minutes at the outset. Set a timer and work at a quick pace for your flow. Record the number of times you can perform the entire flow before running out of time. A repetition does not count if it is not fully completed. Work on increasing the number of repetitions you can perform at each training session.

When you hit a plateau, and have not increased the repetitions after three training sessions, add more time to the duration. Start at 10 minutes, then move up to 15, and a maximum of 20 minutes. Your overall exertion level should remain under 80% maximum.

Prasara as the Primary Training Method

You can choose just to perform the flows themselves as your main muscular endurance training activity. In this case, begin by choosing three flows.

We recommend working a duration of 10 minutes for each flow. Set a timer and work at a quick pace for your flow. Record the number of times you can perform the entire flow before running out of time. A repetition does not count if it is not fully completed. Work on increasing the number of repetitions you can perform at each training session.

Keep your rest period between flows very brief, down to one minute or less. Then move on to the next flow. This will be a total of 30 minutes of sustained effort. Your overall exertion level should remain under 80% maximum.

TacFit CommandoThe flows can be inserted into the Low and Moderate days of a 4x7 program, such as TacFit Commando.

For TacFit Commando, it is recommended that you cycle through the flows, so that you can reap the full benefits of the total body work of the program as written. If you’re training on a 4x7 program for a particular goal, choose the flow that best suits your sport/activity. In this case, it’s still a good idea to switch to a different flow at the end of a cycle.

Pick one Prasara Primer flow and perform that one for the duration of the 28 days, and choose another for the next 28 day program, cycle through these with each 28 day 4x7 cycle or TacFit Commando mission.

The interval training method employed in TacFit commando is an excellent approach for developing a high level of burst-recover-burst metabolic conditioning. We don’t want to just tack on additional activity using this method after you have gone through the complete TacFit workout of the day.

Instead we will use two other protocols to complement the main training. You will perform “on the minute” intervals on the Moderate Intensity days and a slow, steady pace for a specified time on the Low Intensity days.

Moderate Intensity Days

In the usual “on the minute” training protocol for TacFit, you perform the particular exercises as fast as possible in order to have adequate rest before the minute expires and you start again. Because of the length of the Prasara Primer flows, we will perform the individual sections of the flows as the exercise activity. They are designated as A, B, and C.

You will perform your chosen flow for 5 one-minute sets. After you complete one set of the flow, your rest period before the next repetition is determined by how fast you completed the breakdown.

The Prasara flow practice will be performed after the main workout and before the cooldown activities.

Follow your Mission Calendar and add the chosen flow breakdown to your day as follows:

Day 3 Flow Section A

Day 7 Flow Section B

Day 11 Flow Section C

Day 15 Flow Section A

Day 19 Flow Section B

Day 23 Flow Section C

Day 28 Full Flow (see below)

On Day 28 you’ll perform the whole Flow, but this time on the “third minute” for 3 sets. So just like the “on the minute,” you will go through the whole flow, and the rest period will only be as long as it is from when you stop until the third minute begins. If it takes you two and a half minutes, then you only get thirty seconds rest.

The flow will be performed after the main workout and before the cooldown activities.

Low Intensity Days

The purpose of a the low intensity day in the TacFit Commando program is to use compensatory postures to alleviate and counteract the stored tensions from the moderate and high intensity days. To complement this, you will perform your chosen flow at a slow and steady pace for seven minutes.

Simply set a timer for the seven minutes, start the flow, and finish when the timer goes off. Perform the flow before the compensatory postures.

Outroduction

The example programs in this guide are just samples of the many ways you can us the Prasara Primer flows to complement your existing training. The possibilities really are endless, so don’t take these programs as scripture.

Whichever program you choose, or even if you do something totally different, remember that the key to developing grace, power, and mobility is consistent, conscious practice. As unsexy as it sounds, lots and lots of practice is the true “secret” to learning any skill or building any attribute your could ever hope for. We hope this guide gives you an inkling of the many options for fun and varied practice that are possible with Prasara Yoga.