New guy seeking advice

Ok so I recently discovered this site by reading some YouTube comments and so far its been interesting. Iv always been into physical fitness and staying active and always looking for new and exiting things to try. I have no background in gymnastics and don't really plan to in the future but defiantly wouldnt mind working on some of the routines Iv seen in the digital coaching section just for pure enjoyment. So Iv been reading and I'm having a real hard time figuring out what the names of most if not all of the names of these moves are called. Is there a gymnast dictionary I can look at? Lol I am in decent shape and do all bodyweight exercises except when my son desides he want to lay on my back during push-ups or hang on my legs during pull-ups. Haha. So what I'm really asking is can a average 25 year old dad manage to pull some of the basic moves off with a little practice? Where should I start? Sorry for the newb post but I'm curious. If you need anymore background on me just ask away. Thanks!

You can absolutely accomplish quite a bit. We have people with much fuller plates making excellent progress!

If you're looking for an exercise encyclopedia, the BtGB book is excellent, but if you actually want to make progress then I think you will want the Foundation series. There are many ways to skin a cat, but using a sharp knife beats using a wooden stake (or rings, for a little gymnastic humor ).

With that analogy, you can consider the Foundation series to be the finest specialized cat-skinning knife in history

Yeah iv seen alot of good things said about the foundation series but not really looking to spend wads of cash on some instructional videos/books. I know that sounds stupid but I can't justify spending that much money on something that I most likely will not pursue any further than a few basic moves. But I will continue to read and browse the forums for info. If anybody is feeling generous then feel free to tell me some different beginner moves and their abbreviations and ill look them up so you don't have to explain them to me. Lol

It is most certainly possible to learn some basic moves with a little practice. Working out 2-4 hours a week can get you very far, especially if you stick with it for a long time. Your age is certainly no limitation; here is a 50-year old doing a cross pull: 

For an introduction to the sorts of moves that are common in Gymnastics Strength Training, a good start would be to watch the videos on the gymnastic bodies channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/GymnasticBodies/videos?view=0 This should help you become more familiar with various movements and terminology. I would also recommend reading all of the stickied posts on this forum: they have a lot of good information. 

If you want a more comprehensive reference, I would recommend taking a look at either 'Overcoming Gravity' by Steven Low, or "Building the Gymnastic Body" by Coach Christopher Sommer (who happens to run this particular forum). Both books will introduce you to a variety of bodyweight movements across a wide range of difficulty, with accompanying pictures (BTGB) or illustrations (OG). 

In terms of starting your training, you could begin by trying out the killroy70 template: https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/1532-killroy-70-beginner-template/ This is a reasonable program for a beginner to train with. There's a little bit of DIY involved, but many forum members experienced good success using this method. Two notable deficits of the killroy template are mobility/flexibility work and joint preparation, so you'll have to figure that part out on your own. 

The Foundation series is a more comprehensive program, designed by Coach Sommer, which is designed to guide you step-by-step through the process of developing strength, mobility and strong joints all at the same time. There are many great things I could say about the Foundation series, but the most salient differences are that it comes with complete programming instructions (you'll always know exactly what you're supposed to do for every workout), and it explicitly includes mobility and joint preparation work, which is so often excluded from bodyweight strength training programs. The downside is that you have to pay for it (Foundation 1 costs $75 dollars, though it includes roughly 18 months worth of programming). Each workout takes on the order of 20-45 minutes (including warming up).

My recommendation would be to play around with a cycle or two of the killroy template, and see if you're enjoy yourself. After you've played around with some gymnastics-style strength training for a while, ask yourself If you think you want to keep it up for the long term. If you do, buy Foundation 1 and follow it. It's worth every penny. 

Also, if you're son is excited when you work out, get him to join in! It's never to early to get them exercising. If you're married, ask your partner if they want to join you, too!

Hari_Seldon said:

It is most certainly possible to learn some basic moves with a little practice. Working out 2-4 hours a week can get you very far, especially if you stick with it for a long time. Your age is certainly no limitation; here is a 50-year old doing a cross pull:

In the spirit of full disclosure, it should be kept in mind that this guy was a competitive collegiate gymnast when he was younger.

Rysterlee said:

 So what I'm really asking is can a average 25 year old dad manage to pull some of the basic moves off with a little practice? Where should I start? Sorry for the newb post but I'm curious. If you need anymore background on me just ask away. Thanks!

I'm a 40 year old dad and i tell you yes it is possible if you realy want. do it 3-4 times a week for one hour and you will be surprised what is possible

haui said:

weak

I thought this word was not allowed on these forums? How did it get through the filter?

Ok so I checked out killroy70 routine and I'm still having trouble figuring out what most of these abbreviations are. Lol maybe I'm dumb but some of them are just ridiculous. Someone please enlighten me on a few of these. I'd really like to be able to accomplish a few of them. Keep in mind I'm a beginner.

english speakers love to use abbreviations lol, check this thread

https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/9386-wod-acronyms/

ZRX38 said:

english speakers love to use abbreviations lol, check this thread

 

https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/9386-wod-acronyms/

That's more like it. Thanks a lot. Now I can go back and figure out a simple routine. Maybe ill try to get some video to post so you guys can see what I'm working with. Lol

Just so you know, user Killroy70 has now moved on to Foundation work...

We'll I can atleast play around with a few workouts and see if its for me. Thanks for all your replies