An hour a day... Turning training tips for beginners: Getting your time up

Turning practice is difficult, and to follow Yin Style Baguazhang's demanding schedule for maximum development, it is a goal of all serious Yin Style practitioners to turn for an hour a day on every day that their schedule permits (particularly if there's a seminar or intensive coming up!). If you've ever turned, particularly the way we turn in Yin Style, then you know that an hour is a long time to turn.

Based upon studying a few charts designed to get people up to race-quality for longer distance road races (running) and my own experience, here's a chart to help you as a beginner to start striding toward that goal. Of course, this isn't necessarily the best way to train, but it will get your time on-circle up in a hurry if you follow it. Also, you must listen to your body when training and balance pushing yourself with keeping yourself from injury.

The following protocol uses standing strengthening and turning (presumably in the same posture) on alternating days to build up to better turning. In my personal experience, training standing strengthening vigorously really can increase your turning time since standing strengthening is so much more physically demanding. This protocol also ignores other aspects of training, which you should still be incorporating, and kind of serves as a set of minima: if your body is willing to do more, then you can do more. It's designed to go from "never turned before" to "turning for an hour a day a few times in a week" over about six weeks. Once again, if your body rejects this training, let go of ego and spread it out a little further. Throw in some (more) rest days, if you need to, and bump things on your calendar.

One more note: The stated turning times are meant to be "without putting your hands down." You may (typically) switch sides as many times as you need to accomplish this goal. In my experience, turning time only improves by suffering through it when you think you can't do it any longer. If you really must put your hands down before the given time, make it a very short shake-out and get your hands back up. Remember the Yin Style training maxim: "Training is training; resting is resting." It's highly encouraged to meet the following requirements, even if it means turning longer than given:

1. Turn each direction until you can't at least three times before even considering putting your hands down. This should fill the time at the beginning when the total turning requirement is shorter.
2. Try to hold each side as long as you can before switching. Increasing the total time you can turn on a single side is also a training goal of turning practice.
3. Change sides any time you cannot hold the posture correctly any longer due to strain.

Furthermore, you're strongly encouraged to go beyond the given time if your body can take it. One way you can accomplish that goal, even if your body cannot take it, is to achieve the stated time, continue turning with your hands down or in a neutral position (like the lower posture), and put your hands back up again for some extra time on-circle. Using this method, technically, most people could easily clear 30, 45, or even 60 minutes of turning within the first week or two, though much of it won't be in the training posture. The numbers below the labeled weeks in the chart below represent the days, 1-7, however you choose to number them.

Week 1:

1. Turn for at least 10 minutes. Switch sides as many times as you need to.
2. Stand strengthening rather intensely (in the same posture). Try to get at least three sets of twice to each side. Put in effort.
3. Turn for at least 10 minutes. Try to switch sides infrequently.
4. Stand strengthening again, as on Day 2.
5. Turn for at least 15 minutes, but shoot for 20.
6. Stand strengthening again, as on Day 2.
7. Rest or try to do a short turning session. It's highly encouraged to train your stepping if your arms need a rest and to walk the circle focusing on footwork in that case.

Week 2:

1. Turn for at least 15 minutes.
   
2. Stand strengthening rather intensely (in the same posture). Try to get at least three sets of twice to each side. Put in effort.
3. Turn for at least 20 minutes. Switch sides as needed.
4. Stand strengthening again, as on Day 2. Add a short turning session within your limits, at least 10 minutes.
   
5. Turn for at least 20 minutes, but shoot for 25-30. Try to switch sides infrequently.
   
6. Stand strengthening again, as on Day 2. Add a short turning session, at least 10 minutes.
   
7. Rest or try to do a short turning session. It's highly encouraged again to train your stepping if your arms need a rest and to walk the circle focusing on footwork in that case.

Week 3:

1. Turn for at least 25 minutes. Switch sides as often as needed. Stand strengthening at least one set of twice on each side.
   
2. Stand strengthening rather intensely (in the same posture). Try to get at least three sets of twice to each side. Put in effort. Do a short turning session.
   
3. Turn for at least 25 minutes. Switch sides infrequently. Stand strengthening at least one set.
   
4. Stand strengthening again, as on Day 2. Turn for around 15 minutes, switching sides as needed.
   
5. Turn for at least 30 minutes, and aim for 35-40. Try to switch sides infrequently. Stand strengthening at least one set.
   
6. Stand strengthening again, as on Day 2. Turn for around 15-20 minutes, switching sides as needed.
   
7. Rest or try to do a 15-20-minute turning session. Try not to focus only on footwork unless you really need the rest. At this point, getting your hands up every day of the week while walking the circle is becoming a real goal, though.

Week 4:

1. Turn for at least 35 minutes. Switch sides as often as needed. Stand strengthening at least one set of twice on each side.
   
2. Stand strengthening rather intensely (in the same posture). Try to get at least three or four sets of twice to each side. Put in effort. Turn for at least 15 minutes.
   
3. Turn for at least 35 minutes. Switch sides infrequently. Stand strengthening at least one set.
   
4. Stand strengthening again, as on Day 2. Turn for around 15 minutes, switching sides as needed.
   
5. Turn for at least 40 minutes, and aim for 45-50. Try to switch sides infrequently. Stand strengthening at least one set.
   
6. Stand strengthening again, as on Day 2. Turn for at least 20 minutes, switching sides as needed.
   
7. Rest or try to do at least a 20-minute turning session. Do your best to keep your hands up the whole time if you turn.

Week 5:

1. Turn for at least 45 minutes. Switch sides as often as needed. Stand strengthening at least one set of twice on each side.
   
2. Stand strengthening rather intensely (in the same posture). Try to get at least three or four sets of twice to each side. Put in effort. Turn for at least 15 minutes.
   
3. Turn for at least 45 minutes. Switch sides infrequently. Stand strengthening at least one set.
   
4. Stand strengthening again, as on Day 2. Turn for around 15 minutes, switching sides as needed.
   
5. Turn for at least 50 minutes, and aim for the hour. Try to switch sides infrequently. Stand strengthening at least one set.
   
6. Stand strengthening again, as on Day 2. Turn for at least 20 minutes, switching sides as needed.
   
7. Try to do at least a 20-minute turning session. Do your best to keep your hands up the whole time.

Week 6:

1. Turn for at least 50 minutes. Switch sides as often as needed. Stand strengthening at least one set of twice on each side.
   
2. Stand strengthening rather intensely (in the same posture). Try to get at least three or four sets of twice to each side. Put in effort. Turn for at least 20 minutes.
   
3. Turn for an hour. Stand strengthening at least one set.
   
4. Stand strengthening again, as on Day 2. Turn for around 15 minutes, switching sides as needed.
   
5. Turn for an hour and try to push it a bit past that. Try to switch sides infrequently. Stand strengthening at least one set.
   
6. Stand strengthening again, as on Day 2. Turn for at least 20-30 minutes, switching sides as needed.
   
7. Try to do at least a 20-30-minute turning session. Do your best to keep your hands up the whole time.

From that point on, you can progressively work toward the coveted hour per day, if your schedule permits by creeping up the turning on the even-numbered days of the week. You may find it more beneficial to back off on your standing strengthening on those days at that point. Personally, I feel that unless you have achieved the development required to turn an hour every day and stand strengthening vigorously at least three days a week, then you should probably continue along the lines of Week 6, above, to balance those two aspects of training.

An alternative method that works for some is to set the timer for an hour (or near it at first) and turn the entire time, putting your hands down as needed and back up again when you can. Over time, try to put your hands down less and less often. Try this method, if you like, and see how it works for you too.

Once again, these methods ignore other training: standing strengthening in other postures, strike and forms drilling, applications, footwork/kicking drilling, and saber (and sword) work. You have to find the right balance for you and do what your schedule and physique allow.