Help For Newbies On How Progression Works (Laymen Edition)

For all the people new to the Foundation series, if you look at what is the required goal for mastery ([rep/sec] example Planche Lean sPL mastery is 5 sets for 30 seconds with perfect form, which just so happens to be Week 11's requirements), that is rep/sec scheme you should be going with.
 

• If you couldn't do that exercise WITH perfect form (like the example with planche being completely straight armed), then regress to a month back end mastery goal on Week 7's requirement before deloading which is 5 sets and 18 seconds with perfect form. And so on and so forth.

• If you couldn't even do the exercise WITH perfect form + associated mobility requirement, regress to the exercise required for the movement you could not do previously before and test out yet again where you fall in that 3 month cycle.

• If done correctly, you should progress by only 4 exercise/mobility movements every year until you need more time or reps for specific basic exercises so that you can improve in advanced harder movements for more reps.

Example: Static holds like hollow body rocks for more time to improve stability in Malteses once you are able to perform them.

Hopefully that helped you if you were clueless on how you should proceed forward.

Train safe and hard

Stay yucky

Peace

Erm, no offense, but I think Coach's explanation is a lot more coherent. Especially for laymen.

Judging from your signature, you've yourself progressed much faster than just 4 exercises/year?

I agree with Ravn. I found that a little confusing, and I understand the correct progression already.

Also, there is no requirement to start at week 1 for a new exercise, so it is possible to move more quickly than four per year.

Kind regards,

George.

Ravn said:

Erm, no offense, but I think Coach's explanation is a lot more coherent. Especially for laymen.

Judging from your signature, you've yourself progressed much faster than just 4 exercises/year?

No when I tested out my progressions, I could clearly do and see visually that I could perform the movements, just not as long or for more reps as I would've thought previously before training GST.

Ravn said:

Erm, no offense, but I think Coach's explanation is a lot more coherent. Especially for laymen.

Judging from your signature, you've yourself progressed much faster than just 4 exercises/year?

Pretty much this.

I'm in favour of a sticky FAQ as a lot of questions are being re-asked, but this part of things is already in the course.

I also wouldn't sell 'Progress 4 elements/year' to people who are new to GST, it will turn a LOT of people off. Given time, people will understand what that progression actually means and learn patience, but for people used to adding weight or reps every week or so, this is not going to appeal.

strongyetagile said:

No when I tested out my progressions, I could clearly do and see visually that I could perform the movements, just not as long or for more reps as I would've thought previously before training GST.

Just curious - how did you determine where you should start?  What you're describing above - testing at a high level and then back peddling until you can perform an exercise - isn't how the program should work.  You have to start at PE1's across the board and prove that you can complete that exercise at mastery level before moving on to the next exercise.

For example - say someone new picks up Foundation 1.  On their first day of the program they would try to perform 5x60s FL/PE1 with 30s FL/PE1>iM between sets as their only rest.  Then they would attempt the mastery levels on the other PE1s for that day.

For any exercises that they had passed BOTH the PE and the iM, on their next exercise session they would attempt the next PE and iM level (so move onto FL/PE2 mastery).

For any exercises that they did not pass both the PE and the iM, they would start at either week 1, week 5, or week 9 of that exercise depending on how close they were to mastery.

It sounds like you might have started at PE6 and worked back to the first exercise that you could perform successfully - which is NOT correct and will very likely leave holes in "the foundation" of your Gymnastic Strength Training™.  If this is the case then you should swallow your pride and start testing from the beginning.

Cannister said:

Just curious - how did you determine where you should start?  What you're describing above - testing at a high level and then back peddling until you can perform an exercise - isn't how the program should work.  You have to start at PE1's across the board and prove that you can complete that exercise at mastery level before moving on to the next exercise.

 

For example - say someone new picks up Foundation 1.  On their first day of the program they would try to perform 5x60s FL/PE1 with 30s FL/PE1>iM between sets as their only rest.  Then they would attempt the mastery levels on the other PE1s for that day.

 

For any exercises that they had passed BOTH the PE and the iM, on their next exercise session they would attempt the next PE and iM level (so move onto FL/PE2 mastery).

 

For any exercises that they did not pass both the PE and the iM, they would start at either week 1, week 5, or week 9 of that exercise depending on how close they were to mastery.

 

 

It sounds like you might have started at PE6 and worked back to the first exercise that you could perform successfully - which is NOT correct and will very likely leave holes in "the foundation" of your Gymnastic Strength Training™.  If this is the case then you should swallow your pride and start testing from the beginning.

Just to add, that's why it's 'progression,' not 'regression.'

Nice summary Cannister

Though not worded as clearly as the OP thought. As I read, he was trying to say the same thing as you Cannister.

Cannister said:

Just curious - how did you determine where you should start?  What you're describing above - testing at a high level and then back peddling until you can perform an exercise - isn't how the program should work.  You have to start at PE1's across the board and prove that you can complete that exercise at mastery level before moving on to the next exercise.

 

For example - say someone new picks up Foundation 1.  On their first day of the program they would try to perform 5x60s FL/PE1 with 30s FL/PE1>iM between sets as their only rest.  Then they would attempt the mastery levels on the other PE1s for that day.

 

For any exercises that they had passed BOTH the PE and the iM, on their next exercise session they would attempt the next PE and iM level (so move onto FL/PE2 mastery).

 

For any exercises that they did not pass both the PE and the iM, they would start at either week 1, week 5, or week 9 of that exercise depending on how close they were to mastery.

 

 

It sounds like you might have started at PE6 and worked back to the first exercise that you could perform successfully - which is NOT correct and will very likely leave holes in "the foundation" of your Gymnastic Strength Training™.  If this is the case then you should swallow your pride and start testing from the beginning.

Nope, I started in the beginning and went forward like everyone else.

I did find that I needed to start very much so in the more advanced progressions as when I did perform the easier ones, I had no issues keeping up the tempo/rep count/time, no shakes from the nervous system, or balance issues. It only happened once I reached PE6/PE5 I started to see that this is where I needed to be and needed to start some where near the beginning.

I'm highly aware of my body's limit as I noticed when my form is off, I either need to back off in the time/rep or regress in a movement altogether possibly. Plus coach DID say if you have some fitness training under your belt, you may use a more accelerated for your GB foundation training.

(*Note: I also need to update the movements I'm working on in my signature box as some of those moves I decided a few weeks back they needed much work due to form being off form every time after closely examining.)

strongyetagile said:

 Plus coach DID say if you have some fitness training under your belt, you may use a more accelerated for your GB foundation training.

 

 

From the "getting started" section, Coach Summers says someone with fitness experience can start out by trying the week 12 programming, and if they manage it then they can try week 12 of the next progression during their next workout, moving up each workout until they hit a progression they can't do week 12 for in which case they then start from week one of that progression.

One thing I notice is that week 12 is a deloading week, which is ~half the the mastery level  in volume (week 11 matches the mastery level). Am I reading that correctly?

I may still focus on the larger week 11 values, particularly for the mobility exercises, because I want to make sure I'm getting this right and minimizing injury risk, unless starting out with the deloading week 12 was picked specifically to avoid the risk of overtraining. 

- That was a typo (now corrected). Week 11 sets and reps plus iM should be tested.

Hence, you could attempt PE1 and PE1>iM week 11. If successful, next workout attempt PE2 and PE2>iM week 11.

- Also be aware that unless it was both videoed and evaluated by GB online coaching staff it has no official status here on the forum. Most people are less proficient than they think they are. Actually far less. Out of 12 beasts who attempted testing at the last seminar, only four managed to pass F1 L.5.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Just out of curiosity Coach, was there an element that consistently eliminated the applicants more than the other elements and was it by any chance SL PE1/2 ?

Coach Sommer said:

Most people are less proficient than they think they are. Actually far less.

Oh dear, I already think I'm pretty terrible at most things, this does not bode well. 

dritar said:

Just out of curiosity Coach, was there an element that consistently eliminated the applicants more than the other?

Yes. Me.     

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Coach Sommer said:

 Most people are less proficient than they think they are. Actually far less. Out of 12 beasts who attempted testing at the last seminar, only four managed to pass F1 L.5.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Thank you. Going slower is fine with me. Thorough prehab is my priority. I want to move at a pace that will help me still be moving well in 40+ years.