Training Strengthening Postures for Yin Style Saber

Due to saber length and the variety of exercises, Yin Style saber requires and bestows an unusual sort of strength. While this strength can be trained and developed in many different ways, one of the methods I have been working on recently is holding standing postures with the saber. I have gone about this in a number of ways, but presently, my favorite method is as follows:

Picking the right postures: while practicing a relatively easy posture won't hurt, it will take away time that could be used to practice a harder or more awkward posture that would provide greater development. As such, more difficult postures should be selected. At present, my favorite two to hold are the lion turning posture and the bear turning posture (with the legs in horse stance for both). The lion posture offers development that corresponds very nicely to many opening strikes Yin Style Bagua employs. Holding it for a long period makes one sore in the core as well as the shoulder and it works the bottom of the wrist. The bear posture, by contrast, requires a very awkward use of the arm, affecting the top of the wrist, but especially burning out muscles in the forearm.

The training method:
Pick a posture and start to hold it with your weaker hand. Time yourself and hold the posture for as long as you can without compromising form (if you start to burn out and can no longer maintain the proper position of the shoulder, the full extension of the arm or the angle of the saber, stop). When you can no longer hold it, put it down, give yourself a 15 to 25 second break (preferably also timed) and then hold the posture again with the same arm and try to get at least half (though preferably more than) the original time. When finished, time another break and then again hold the same posture on the same side for at least half of the length of the last attempt. Generally, three holds with this method and minimal breaks will fry the arm and one can then switch to target the other arm. For example, I held lion yesterday first for 2 minutes and 20 seconds, then a minute ten, and finally about 40 seconds for the last hold. I did this with both hands and with 15-25 second breaks in between.

Why 15-25 second breaks?
My reasoning here is pretty simple:
As each hold ends with failure, one cannot immediately start the next hold and expect to perform; one would just fail in a handful of seconds. Alternatively, if one takes too long of a break between holds or switches hands every time, one can just keep spitting out extra reps, not only wasting a lot more time, but also getting less of a result. If you doubt this logic or are just curious to play around with your own rest times, try it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Alternative postures: while any posture from the form could be done in this way, the most interesting/beneficial would be those that taxed either the wrist, arm, core and/or legs. For example, one could hold a secret march or hold the stab behind the back.

If anyone finds any other holding methods or postures they find particularly valuable for development, please tell me about them.

- Eric