Every third day in Square One is a lighter one, and Day 3 is the first of them. The set scheme drops slightly - Level I 3 sets, Level II 4 sets, Level III 5 sets - and the work shifts to the trunk and the way you move: 10 side bends, 10 torso twists, 5 shrugs, 10 knee raises and a 10-count stretch, all done standing, no chair needed. Rest stays at 2 minutes between sets. This is the rhythm the whole program will keep: two days of building, then a day of loosening.
Side bends and torso twists take the spine through the two directions the first two days did not touch - leaning sideways and turning - with hands on the hips so the movement comes from the waist and not the arms. Shrugs lift the shoulders straight up toward the ears and drop them, five slow times, undoing the tension yesterday's holds put into the traps. Knee raises bring the legs back in: one knee lifted toward hip height, lowered, then the other, alternating for 10. The stretch closes it out: one leg forward with the heel on the floor and toes pulled up, hands stacked on the front thigh, hips pushed back and the torso hinged forward until the back of the front leg lets you know it is there. Hold 5 counts, then swap legs for the other 5.
Bend directly to the side, not forward - imagine sliding between two panes of glass - and twist from the middle with the hips facing front. Let the shrugs go all the way up and all the way down; the drop is the relaxing part. On knee raises, stand tall and lift the knee with the hip flexor rather than leaning back. In the stretch, keep the front knee straight but not locked and hinge from the hips - the stretch should live behind the knee and up the hamstring, not in the lower back.
Building for two days earned a day of moving - the light days are on the program too, and they are doing quiet work.
Make it Harder: Reach every side bend and torso twist to its full end range and pause there for a one-count before returning to centre.
Make it Easier: Five knee raises instead of 10, and hands on the hips for the stretch instead of hinging as far.
