Rings One (Day 8) + light cardio + RESET + low starch/salt diet = a template for living?
8/8/6/5/8 reps, then 3508m #rowing just under 120 bpm, back in the WaterRower saddle, again :)
Am following the Rings One protocol, a gymnastics ring-based program designed by CST folk Ryan Hurst, Jarlo Ilano, and Andy Fosset. This is the first day of Week 2, and the elbow-flexed DOMS has finally passed. Reaching the keyboard without cringing...muy nice.
There are Prasara yoga warmup and cooldown moves, which are done together as extra compensations on the off days (M/W/F on, T/R/S/Sn off). I'm continuing to run, RESET-style, on my off days, as well as do some low intensity cardio like the rowing above on the Rings days; for me, this plus a low starch, low sodium diet keeps my BP in check. Am also doing RESET vibration drills during the 60-90 second rest periods between sets, to counteract any tendency to get tight and push up the pressures. Will see what this does to the BP over the next few weeks, and add TacFit Commando back into the mix one day per week, for high intensity metcon.
I've come to the realization rather late in the game, that diversification is as important as depth.
I can think of a couple of phenomenal martial artists off the top of my my head, who were done in by health problems, arguably prematurely. Their activities and mastery thereof did not save them.
Attention to what we now know make a real difference -- diet, avoidance of certain overindulgences, sufficient rest and recovery, and, yes, medical treatment if all else fails -- might well have.
Mere mortals have enough to contend with, just showing up on a regular basis: the "depth" allusion above. Consistency with whatever your workout regimen is more than half the battle: put forth your hand and Make it so, Number One.
For the Activity slice of the pie.
Just remember that Activity may not be the whole pie for you. If you have certain health goals that aren't being met by Activity alone, or the activity types you're doing, it's back to the drawing board:
- Look and See, without blinders. Getting to the goal? No?
- Adjust accordingly. Ratchet down the intensity, throw out the kettlebells, add dishonorable running, if those have worked for you and closing to the goal demands them.
- Repeat.
I dislike sounding like a wannabe, quoting The Little Dragon, but Bruce had it right:
Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.
Creating innovation, influencing customers and organizations...suddenly everyone's talking about what really works to create lasting behavioral change: what I call Incremental Iterative Improvement. Adapt, reject, add. Look, adjust, repeat.
That's the theory, anyway.


