Sciatica mode active. All runs removed. Broad jump, clap push-up,
Nordic curl, and single-leg hip hinge suspended. Piriformis and hip
external rotator work added to Mon and Fri. Monitor leg raises, hollow
hold, flutter kicks, and dragon flag for symptom reproduction — drop
individually if needed and substitute dead bug.
Apply daily
Run first. Strength next. Intent stays clean.Strength first. No running until cleared. Intent stays
clean.
Execution Order
Run first
Walk 2 to 3 min
Tue only: Power block immediately after walk, before
Strength
Start strength ~5 min post-run
Begin sessions directly with strength — no run, no walk
Warm-up sets: 1 set at ~50% effort before each compound
movement — not counted toward working sets
Grip warm-up → dead hang → step off bar 10–20 sec → front
lever progression
Order Strength → Straight-Arm Block → Core
No added sets
No added exercises
Intensity
All working sets at RIR 1 — one rep in reserve
Stop at the first sign of form degradation
No grinding reps
Running
Never increase long run distance and strength difficulty
in the same week
If run performance drops for 2 consecutive weeks, reduce
strength intensity for 1 week
If HR at a fixed pace rises more than 5% over 2
consecutive weeks on the same route and conditions, treat
as equivalent to a pace drop
Sciatica Protocol
No running until pain-free walking at normal pace for 48
hrs minimum
Broad jump, clap push-up, Nordic curl, and single-leg hip
hinge suspended
If leg raises, hollow hold, flutter kicks, or dragon flag
reproduce sciatic symptoms — drop individually and
substitute dead bug 2 sets, 8–10 reps per side
Piriformis and hip external rotator work added to Mon and
Fri
Joints
If irritation appears, reduce leverage 1 step for 7 days
Maintain frequency
Pull · Push Balance
If horizontal push sets exceed horizontal pull sets in any
week, cut 1 push set — not 1 pull set
Non-Negotiables
No failure training
No ego progression
Velocity earns progression — both sets at top rep range,
clean form, 2 consecutive weeks. See Progression for full
criteria
Tempo integrity stays mandatory — tempo expressed as
eccentric / pause / concentric / pause in seconds
Every 6–8 weeks: planned deload week — reduce strength
intensity 15–20% for 1 week. See Progression for full
criteria
Saturday strength is intentionally minimal — protect the
long run, not the lift
Morning · decompress and activate
Do before any training or prolonged sitting.
Supine knee-to-chest · 30 sec each side
Releases lumbar and SI joint compression from sleep position
Supine figure-4 stretch · 45 to 60 sec each side
Piriformis and hip external rotators
Cat-cow · 10 slow cycles
Tempo 3 sec into flexion, 3 sec into extensionLumbar mobility restoration, not stretching. Full range, no forcing
Bird dog · 2 × 8 to 10 per side
Tempo 2 sec extend, 2 sec hold at parallel, 2 sec returnActivates deep lumbar stabilizers without loading the nerve
Dead bug · 2 × 8 to 10 per side
Tempo 2 sec extend, 2 sec hold, 2 sec returnSame principle as bird dog but supine. The most important exercises on this list
Rest + Mobility
Downward Dog · 60 sec
Horse Stance · 60 sec
Resting Squat · 60 sec
Crab Position · 45–60 sec
Lunge · 45 sec each side
Hang · 30–60 sec
Rest between positions · 15–30 sec
― Sciatica additions ―
Pigeon pose · 60 sec each side
Supine figure-4 stretch · 60 sec each side
Side-lying hip external rotation · 2 × 15 each side
Dead hang with shoulder engagement · 2 × 45–60 sec
Rest 90 sec
Front lever tuck hold · 2 × 12–20 sec
Rest 150 sec
Core B
Dragon flag progression · 2 × 3–5
Tempo 5 sec down, controlled uprest 120 sec
Monitor for sciatic symptoms. Drop if pain reproduces
— substitute dead bug 2 sets, 8–10 reps per side
L-sit (or progression) · 2 × 25–40 sec
Rest 90 sec
Hanging around the world · 2 × 5–6 each direction
Controlled arc, brief top pause, no swingrest 90 sec
Side plank raises - 1 set, 10–15 reps each side
Tempo 1 sec down, 1 sec up
Evening · release and extend
Do after the day's training or sitting load.
Pigeon pose · 60 to 90 sec each side
Or supine figure-4 if pigeon is too aggressive. Felt in the glute, not lower back or down the leg
Prone press-up (McKenzie extension) · 2 × 8 to 10
Tempo 1 sec up, 10 sec hold at top, 2 sec downPress upper body up; pelvis stays on floor. Skip if it increases leg pain
Glute bridge · 2 × 15
Tempo 1 sec up, 2 sec hold at top, 2 sec downRhythmic contraction, not a sustained hold. Glute medius and posterior chain
Side-lying clamshell · 2 × 15 each side
Tempo 2 sec up, 1 sec hold, 2 sec downBand optional. Hip external rotation strength. Addresses piriformis-mediated sciatica
90-90 hip stretch · 60 sec per side
Combined hip internal and external rotation restriction
Earn progression
Strength
When both sets hit the top rep range cleanly for 2 consecutive
weeks, increase difficulty 1 step
Difficulty increases through leverage, elevation, or stricter
tempo
Keep reps inside the programmed ranges
Holds
Add 5 sec weekly until the top range
Stable for 2 consecutive weeks, move to the next lever
variation
Straight-Arm
Progress front lever only when scapular control remains stable
Never increase hold time and leverage in the same week
Front lever milestone sequence: tuck hold → advanced tuck
(hips at 90°, knees less bent) → straddle or one-leg
Advanced tuck exit criteria: 20 sec stable hold with locked
scapular position for 2 consecutive weeks
Log hold quality per set. If set 2 drops more than 3 sec from
set 1, rest was insufficient — add 30 sec next session
Running
Long run increases every 3 to 4 weeks by +1 km per event, max
10% of total weekly mileage
Cap Sat at 15K until Tue and Thu strength performance shows no
degradation across 2 consecutive deload cycles
Every 6 to 8 weeks, reduce mileage ~15% for a recovery week
Vertical Pull Pathway
Full pull-up (clean chin over bar, controlled descent) →
weighted pull-up → archer pull-up
Weighted: add load in 2.5–5 kg increments — both sets at top
rep range cleanly for 2 consecutive weeks before adding weight
Archer: use a band on the extended arm until the full
unassisted archer is stable for 2 consecutive weeks
Do not advance to archer until weighted pull-up is at +10 kg
for 2 sets of 5 reps clean
Deload
Every 6 to 8 weeks, reduce strength intensity 15 to 20% for 1
week
Sciatica mode active. All runs removed. Nordic curl and single-leg
hip thrust suspended. Monitor dragon flag and hanging leg raise for
symptom reproduction — drop individually if needed and substitute
dead bug 2 sets, 8–10 reps per side.
Apply daily
Move Sharp · Build Force · Hold Form
Execution Order
Warm-up: 1 easy set per compound before working sets —
not counted
Grip warm-up → dead hang → step off bar 10–20 sec →
front lever progression
Order Strength → Straight-Arm Block → Core
No added sets
No added exercises
Intensity
All working sets at RIR 1 — one rep in reserve
Stop at the first sign of form degradation
No grinding reps
Tempo
Tempo = eccentric / pause / concentric / pause —
expressed in seconds per phase
Do not rush tempo to hit a rep number — reduce reps
before reducing tempo
Isometric Holds
Front lever and L-sit are prescribed in seconds, not reps
Hold with full-body tension — the moment form breaks, the
set is over
Rest the same as a strength set
Running
Runs protect strength, not the other way around
Wednesday run is strictly easy — conversational pace, no
exceptions
Saturday long run is strictly easy — if legs are heavy
from Friday, slow down rather than skip
Never increase long run distance and strength difficulty
in the same week
If run performance drops for 2 consecutive weeks, check
recovery — do not add a 3rd run
Sciatica Protocol
No running until pain-free walking at normal pace for 48
hrs minimum
Nordic curl and single-leg hip thrust suspended
If dragon flag or hanging leg raise reproduce sciatic
symptoms — drop individually and substitute dead bug 2
sets, 8–10 reps per side
Joints
If irritation appears, regress to an easier variation for
7 days
Maintain frequency
Do not skip the day — reduce the demand
Push · Pull Balance
If horizontal push sets exceed horizontal pull sets in
any week, cut 1 push set
Non-Negotiables
No failure training
No ego progression
Hard cap: 2 working sets per exercise — progress through
intensity, not volume
Earn progression — both sets at top rep range, clean
form, clean tempo, 2 consecutive weeks
Every 4th week: planned deload — 1 set per exercise at
same intensity, or 2 sets at bottom of rep range
Morning · decompress and activate
Do before any training or prolonged sitting.
Supine knee-to-chest · 30 sec each side
Releases lumbar and SI joint compression from sleep position
Supine figure-4 stretch · 45 to 60 sec each side
Piriformis and hip external rotators
Cat-cow · 10 slow cycles
Tempo 3 sec into flexion, 3 sec into extensionLumbar mobility restoration, not stretching. Full range, no forcing
Bird dog · 2 × 8 to 10 per side
Tempo 2 sec extend, 2 sec hold at parallel, 2 sec returnActivates deep lumbar stabilizers without loading the nerve
Dead bug · 2 × 8 to 10 per side
Tempo 2 sec extend, 2 sec hold, 2 sec returnSame principle as bird dog but supine. The most important exercises on this list
Tucked dragon flag → single-leg extended → straddle → full
dragon flag
Isometric Holds
Add 2–3 sec per set per week
When you hit the top of the hold range for 2 consecutive
weeks, progress to the next variation
Tempo Progression
If stuck between variations, increase eccentric by 1 sec for
2–3 weeks before attempting the next variation
Running
Long run increases every 3–4 weeks by 1K, max 15K
Do not increase long run distance and strength difficulty in
the same week
Every 4th week (deload): drop run volume 30% alongside
strength reduction
Deload
Every 4th week: 1 set per exercise at same intensity, or 2
sets at bottom of rep range
Run volume drops 30% the same week
If joints ache, reps regress, or motivation drops — deload
early
Sciatica mode active. Nordic curl and single-leg hip thrust
suspended. Monitor dragon flag and hanging leg raise for symptom
reproduction — drop individually if needed and substitute dead
bug 2 sets, 8–10 reps per side.
Apply daily
Move Heavy · Hold Tension · Stay Sharp
Recovery
4 training days. 3 rest days. Recovery is the
program's engine.
Every session is separated by at least 1 full rest
day. This is what makes 2 sets sufficient for both
strength and hypertrophy.
Arrive at every session fresh enough to push RIR 0–1
on every set. If you cannot, you are under-recovering
— check sleep, nutrition, or deload timing.
Execution Order
Warm-up: 1 easy set per compound before working sets —
not counted
Order: compounds → isometric strength → core
No added sets
No added exercises
Intensity
Set 1: RIR 1
Set 2: RIR 0–1
If set 2 drops more than 2 reps below set 1, back off
next session
No grinding reps
No form breakdown
Tempo
Default: 4-1-1-0 — 4 sec eccentric, 1 sec pause at
stretch, 1 sec concentric, no pause at top
Do not rush tempo to hit a rep number — reduce reps
before reducing tempo
Rest Between Sets
Heavy compounds: 3:00–3:30
Moderate compounds: 2:30–3:00
Accessory / isometric holds: 2:00–2:30
Full recovery between sets is non-negotiable — you only
get 2 sets
Isometric Holds
Front lever and L-sit prescribed in seconds, not reps
Hold with full-body tension — moment form breaks, the
set is over
Sciatica Protocol
Nordic curl and single-leg hip thrust suspended
If dragon flag or hanging leg raise reproduce sciatic
symptoms — drop individually and substitute dead bug
2 sets, 8–10 reps per side
Joints
If irritation appears, regress to an easier variation
for 7 days
Maintain frequency
Push · Pull Balance
If horizontal push sets exceed horizontal pull sets in
any week, cut 1 push set
Non-Negotiables
No failure training
No ego progression
Hard cap: 2 working sets per exercise — progress
through intensity, not volume
Earn progression — both sets at top rep range, clean
form, clean tempo, 2 consecutive weeks
Every 5th week: planned deload — 1 set per exercise at
same intensity, or 2 sets at bottom of rep range
Morning · decompress and activate
Do before any training or prolonged sitting.
Supine knee-to-chest · 30 sec each side
Releases lumbar and SI joint compression from sleep position
Supine figure-4 stretch · 45 to 60 sec each side
Piriformis and hip external rotators
Cat-cow · 10 slow cycles
Tempo 3 sec into flexion, 3 sec into extensionLumbar mobility restoration, not stretching. Full range, no forcing
Bird dog · 2 × 8 to 10 per side
Tempo 2 sec extend, 2 sec hold at parallel, 2 sec returnActivates deep lumbar stabilizers without loading the nerve
Dead bug · 2 × 8 to 10 per side
Tempo 2 sec extend, 2 sec hold, 2 sec returnSame principle as bird dog but supine. The most important exercises on this list
