athlete cycle C: recovery
(third month)
introduction to this cycle:
recovery
Cycle A took you back to basics for your strength, Cycle B brought you intensity, and now Cycle C slows things down from the plyometric pace to one that will truly help you recover. This phase should/can be used as your “rest week” exercises during your conditioning season as well. Think of this phase as a break for your body. A chance to break up the repetitive movement of your sport, a chance to stretch, work on balance, and focus on form.
You are still training, and you are still working hard, but with activities that will seem simple, giving your body and mind a chance to recover. Give yourself the space to grow by giving your muscles and connective tissues a rest from the intense physical activity you demand from your body. Use this time to reflect on yourself and how amazing your body is. You ask so much of it, now is the time to get a little quiet, a little introspective, and be thankful for all we have accomplished and for all that is about to come out way.
You did it, you’re here, you made it to the last cycle of fitness in your Fitness for Athletes Program!
Let’s all take a deep breath in and then exhale on the count of three
One
Two
Three
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that feels nice, doesn’t it? We all need to take a breather every now and then. Our bodies need a breather too, we constantly ask so much of them, this cycle, Recovery is to do just that, recover.
As athletes, we have a tendency to push ourselves, sometimes to the brink. That creates a lot of built up stress in the body and over time, that can result in injury. What drives us to compete and to keep pushing ourselves to do better is our Achilles Heel. This cycle will still be challenging, but it will give you a chance to break up the repetitive movement of your sport, giving you a chance to stretch, work on balance, and focus on your form.
Use this cycle to turn inward and listen to what your body is telling you. We can get busy and ignore the cues it's been telling us all along. Follow the journaling prompts for this exercise. It’s time to quiet the mind, listen to your heart, and reconnect to what drives you in your ambition and with your sport. What can you do to be the best version of yourself for yourself? During this cycle we are going to work on it and discover it one workout at a time.
As always, form MATTERS in this cycle. You will be doing a lot of yoga poses mixed with other balance postures. Remember to BREATHE through all of the activities. If you have to hold your breath while stretching, you are pushing yourself too far. Breathe, relax if it is too intense, and listen to what your body is telling you.
Deep breath, Exhale, now let’s get to it!
Items to go over before starting your program:
Resistance bands, and a stability ball is highly encouraged, light weights can also be utilized. If you do not have these or do not wish to purchase them, please contact us at Hello@naturalfitness704.com
Annotations In Worksheets:
FB = Follow breath
ES= Each side, we will be doing a lot on one side of the body and then the other. Sometimes alternating, and sometimes completing one side before moving to the other.
AFAP= As fast as possible, but REMEMBER only go as fast as you can keep the form in check
EW= Each way, some movements require a front/back or side/side motion. It will make sense in the videos, but it is something to note while looking at the excel sheets
Numbers, EX: 2010 or 4321= Think of each digit as an individual part of the exercise. The first digit is going into the exercise, the second if there is a hold, the third is getting out of the exercise, and the fourth is if there is a hold before your next repetition. Using 4321 as an example, think about a pushup, the 4 would be how many seconds you are going down, the 3 would be holding the pushup in the “push” position, the 2 would be how long it takes for you to push back up, and then the 1 would be holding for one second at the top before starting the movement again. If the digit is a “0” that means there is no hold/pause, and you will continue the movement.
Reps= Repetitions, or how many times you will be doing an exercise
Sets= the number of times you will do the group of exercises. Most of the time there will be 3 sets. If you are not able to get through all three sets of all the prescribed exercises.
a/b/c = this is the grouping of exercises. For example, you would do all “a” exercises for the prescribed amount and then you would start back at the top of the “a’s” and complete the number of sets listed before moving onto the next group. If they are all “a” this is a circuit workout. You will start with the first exercise on the sheet, go through all of them, and then start back up at the top.