STS 2.0: Active Recovery + Total Body Stretch

Active Recovery + Total Body Stretch are part of Cathe Friedrich‘s STS 2.0 program which contains 26 workouts. The subtitle for the STS 2.0 program is Muscle and Recovery. These workouts are part of the Recovery. I am doing the 12 week STS 2.0 rotation. Today I finish up the first week. On the rotation calendar she only has you doing Active Recovery and nothing else, which seems super weird to me. Active Recovery is only 12 minutes. Plus, why not cool you down and stretch you out afterward? It seems so short and abrupt. Total Body Stretch is right there, on the same DVD. So that is what I did. I did Active Recovery followed by Total Body Stretch. They are also combined in the premixes, so Active Recovery flows right into Total Body Stretch. And since Active Recovery is so short, if you want a little more there is also a premix that gives you double Active Recovery before you flow into Total Body Stretch.

This is a very nice recovery workout combo. Active Recovery gives you some body weight strength (nothing intense), low impact moves to elevate your heart rate and warm you up, some mobility work and even a little bit of dynamic stretching. It is short so it feels like it is over before it even starts. Which makes it PERFECT to combine with Total Body Stretch. Total Body Stretch is exactly what the title promises. Cathe stretches out your entire body. You start with standing stretches then you move to the mat. It feels wonderful. You do not hold any stretches for a long time. You frequently flow in and out of a stretch or you hold them briefly.

Active Recovery is 12:28 minutes. Equipment: fitness mat.

1. Inchworm walk outs (start standing at edge of mat, hinge forward and walk hands out to plank then walk hands back into feet and stand)
2. Plank with rotation (in straight arm plank, bring one foot forward into a runners lunge then rotate torso toward front leg while reaching arm to ceiling, hold briefly then step foot back to plank and repeat on other side of body)
3. Start standing on mat, step one leg back and lower knee to mat so you are in kneeling lunge, step other leg back so you are in double high kneeling then reverse the motion returning to standing then step out to side into sumo squat, repeat this combo starting with other lead leg and squatting to other side)
4. Partial push ups (get on hands and knees, lift one bent leg then lower upper body into a partial push up, alternate legs with each push up)
5. Cossack squat triple slide (step out into side lunge, rotate foot of straight leg so heel is on floor and toe points to ceiling, staying low, shift side to side 3x into an alternating stationary cossack squat, then straighten body so you are standing upright but with legs wide)
6. Bird dog slide (get on hands and knees, extend one arm straight in front of you and opposite leg straight behind you so you are in bird dog pose, bring elbow to opposite knee under body then extend them both out to start, rotate arm and leg out to side of body into awkward airplane pose)
7. Animal flow (start standing with legs wider than hip width, place hands on floor to the outside of one leg then laterally jump feet to other side of hands, do this 2x in one direction then repeat in the opposite direction)
8. Bridge knee taps (also sometimes call Bridge Marches; lay on back with knees bent and feet on mat near glutes, raise hips and keep them raised isometrically, bring one knee into chest and cup it with hands, alternate legs)
9. Side lunge elbow to knee (stand with hands clasped together, lower into side lunge tapping same side elbow to knee, when you raise out of lunge, raise knee bringing opposite elbow to tap knee)
10. Planks around the clock (walking planks but turning in a circle, opposite hand and leg step out at the same time)

Total Body Stretch is 24:08 minutes. Equipment: fitness mat.

1. Stand with arms at sides (mountain pose) and take deep breaths; inhale while raising arms in front of you to overhead then exhale while lowering arms
2. Shoulder rolls
3. Place finger tips on shoulders, bring elbows together in front of body then open elbows out wide
4. Cross body shoulder stretches
5. Interlace fingers behind you to open/stretch chest and shoulders
6. Reach one arm down toward foot (arm is at side of body) while reaching and stretching other arm overhead
7. Side bend stretch, arms are extended overhead and one hand holds the wrist of the other hand
8. Standing spine twist (twist torso to side, looking over shoulder and wrapping arms around you, hips remain facing forward)
9. Overhead tricep stretch
10. Standing spine rolls
11. Forward fold with hands on floor and knees bent; straight knees; cup elbows with opposite hands; sway arms side to side slowly
12. Standing shoulder rolls
13. Roll forward into forward fold then roll back up to start and roll shoulders, roll back down into forward fold and hold
14. Cat/cow
15. Extended child’s pose (arms are stretched in front of you on mat); walk hands over to one side and continue stretching arm away from you
16. Cobra pose then push hips back into child’s pose, flow back and forth between these two poses
17. Downward facing dog; pedal the feet; bend knees into hover/bear pose then straighten legs
18. Sit on mat with legs extended straight in front of you, reach one arm toward opposite foot then reach the other arm toward opposite foot, when reaching for foot, the other arm reaches behind you so you are stretching the spine
19. Seated forward fold (flow in and out of forward fold, holding pose briefly each time)
20. Lay on side, bend top knee and grasp top of foot in same side hand, pull heel into glutes to stretch the quad
21. Seated forward fold
22. Repeat #20 on other leg
23. Repeat #21
24. Seated spine twist
25. Repeat #21
26. Lay on back, one knee is bent with foot on mat and other leg is extended straight to ceiling to stretch hamstring, hold calf with hands and pull gently
27. Figure 4 stretch/reclining pigeon
28. Still laying on back, cross legs so thighs are together while holding top of a foot in each hand, pull feet down to deep stretch
29. Repeat #26-28 on other side of body
30. Sit cross-leg on mat, hands are holding shins, do torso rolls, shifting torso to one side then rounding spine as you lean back, shift torso to the other side then back to start
31. Still sitting cross-leg, do neck rolls/stretches
32. Still sitting cross-leg, do wrist stretches
33. Still sitting cross-leg, place palms on mat behind hips, fingers facing away from you and lean back, opening chest/shoulders while also stretching wrists
34. Still sitting cross-leg, spinal twists
35. Still sitting cross-leg, place hands on knees and take deep breaths

Premixes:

Active Recovery + Total Body Stretch 35:15

Double Active Recovery + Total Body Stretch 46:49