Floreio Workout number 2

Floreio fans, the Floreio Art project is growing bigger and bigger by the minute. I am completely shocked by the response so far, with hundreds of subscribers, emails, comments and people flowing on the ground. This is world wide response - USA, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Australia and Africa. (Yes, even Africa...) This is also multi - diciplinary interst - I get letters from ordinary people, crossfitters, capoeiristas, martial artists, dancers, breakdancers, weightlifters, yogis and more.
The response only makes me want to put out more material for you all, and today we are going to explore some new movement possibilities and increase the size of our arsenal.

AU CORTADO

Au is one of the most basic Floreio movements, and it is maybe the most ancient acrobatic skill in our history - the Cartwheel.
Au Cortado ('Cut-up Cartwheel') is a variation on the basic cartwheel, and there are many many other variations you will get exposed to later on.
The Au Cortado can be broken up into two symetrical, equal halfs - the Half Au Cortado.



Beginners to Floreio practice need to get exposed to this position first and practice it often, creating a new neural pattern in their brains.
From the Squat position push up into the Half Au Cortado, pause for a moment and push off the leg on the ground into a small hop - to feel the weight shift into your hands. The arms can be kept bent a bit, this is not gymnastics, people, we want to keep this natural expression also also use the body in a natural, flowing way.
Dont look at the ground. Try to feel the weight on your hands.
Breath out when lifting into the position, flow back to squat and repeat on the other side.


After enough practice with the Half Au Cortado, and if comfortable on your hands, you can try the full Au Cortado. Basicly, starting in the Half Au Cortado, push off the leg that is on the floor and transition to another Half Au Cortado on the other side. The more comfortable you are on your hands, the higher you can transition between the two halfs, but a low transition can be done when starting out. The objective is to do it smoothly, without holding your breath and to reach the floor without making any noise, transitioning into the Squat. The next rep can be performed to the same side for a desired number of reps before you change direction, or right and left, alternating sides.




A more advanced variation, used to build strength, control, balance and stabilization in your Floreio practice is the Au Cortado Presses.
Basicly, after being able to complete a lot of reps of the normal Au Cortado and with smoothness that signals one does not use a big jump into the motion, you can try this advanced variation.
In the Au Cortado Presses one completes the full Au Cortado, only using no momentum at all, and in slow motion. Restricting momentum is a trick used in many movement systems to increase tension and strength demands.
Start out with a big bend in your elbows, while taking the head forward towards the headstand position. This will allow you to complete the press a lot easier. After a while straighten your elbows more until you reach an almost locked out elbow position, but dont lock it completely. Again, this is not gymnstics, we want to maintain that 'organic', natural feel to our Floreio movements.



ROTATIONS INTO HIGH BRIDGE


As I have written before, in Floreio practice there is use of both low and high back bridges. Today we will practice Rotations Into High Bridge, to create a different challange for our body.
If you cannot complete the Rotations Into Low Bridge Beginner variation - go back and practice that first. The Rotations Into Low Bridge are a prerequesite for the High Bridge variations. An addition of normal high back bridge work from a lying position on your back - like in yoga will prove useful when combined here with the Rotations Into Low Bridge work.
Start in the squat, and place your hand behind you, finger pointing back. Using the same details of the Rotations Into Low Bridge from the first floreio workout post, only remaining on full flat feet the whole time, rotate into high arched back bridge.
Make sure the hand smoothly rotates on the point on the side base of the palm, as shown before, keep the elbow as bent as you need it to be, fingers sliding around the axis point on the palm base until pointed towards the feet when in the full back bridge.
The hand should be placed in line with the same side's foot, but play with the distance from it, until you find the correct placement. It depands on the amount of low back and shoulder flexibility and your tools to fight against those problems are bending your elbows enough (will help to a certain degree only) and... practicing more.



An Advanced variation is also presented, to keep everyone happy. It is the Rotations Into High Bridge Advanced. Again, you will 'handicap' yourself to one arm use only, go into the back bridge using only the first arm, reach for your ankle from around your body, grab it, and come back to the squat. Repeat on the other side for reps.





Floreio Workout Number 2 - Beginners and Intermidiates

A1 5 min of total body joint mobility (If clueless about this - educate yourself! Youtube is a great friend)
B1 Shoulder ROM and Stabilization routine X 2 sets / no rest
C1 Ido's Squat Clinic Routine X 1 set

D1 Slide Into Low Bridge X 5 reps of 5 seconds holds in position (each rep)
D2 Rotations Into Arch Using The Wall X 10 reps

or

D1 Rotations Into Low Bridge X 10 reps

D3 High Bridge hold - total time 30 sec (you can break this up into a couple of subsequent attempts, but dont continue to the next exercise until 30 seconds have been completed)

or

D3 Rotations into High Bridge X 10 reps

D4 Half Au Cortado X 14 reps
or
D4 Au Cortado X 10 reps
D5 QDR Rotational Push Ups -Beginner variation X 10 reps

Complete the whole D1-D5 circuit 3 times, without resting between exercises, but resting 90 seconds after the complete circuit.



Floreio Workout Number 2 - Advanced

A1 5 min of total body joint mobility (If clueless about this - educate yourself! Youtube is a great friend)
B1 Shoulder ROM and Stabilization routine X 2 sets / no rest
C1 Ido's Squat Clinic Routine X 1 set

D1 Rotations Into Low Bridge X 10 reps / 1 set
E1 Rotations Into High Bridge X 10 reps / 1 set

F1 Rotations Into Low Bridge Advanced X 10 reps
F2 Au Cortado / Au Cortado Presses X 10 reps
F3 Rotations Into High Bridge Advanced X 10 reps
F4 QDR Rotational Push Ups -Advanced variation X 10 reps

Complete the whole F1-F4 circuit 3 times, without resting between exercises, but resting 75 seconds after the complete circuit.

Flow away and enjoy,
Ido.