Can i skip f1?

Hey!

im strongly considering buying foundation after reading a few posts around the forum, but since it cost some cash and im a student i can't really afford to buy everything, so i was wandering what would be the recomended  starting point. I am new to gymnastic training but, not new to training, and do not wan't to start at a lower level then what i'm currently at, so im thinking of atleast skipping f1.

Il list my current levels, and hopefully some of you can give me some pointers!

I'm about 75 kilo at 187cm with a 2.2%BF.

50 Pushups (clean)

22 Pullups (clean)

5 muscleups (bad form - no transition strength, rely fully on high pullup)

15 sec tuck planche (good form first 5 sec, shoulders fall down little by little)

15 sec adv tuck frontlever (clean)

10 sec adv tuck backlever (clean)

25 sec L-sit (clean)

10 Pistols each leg (clean)

Mobility (very bad)

about a 45% max side split

can't straigthen out arms properly over head, if i try a handstand against a wall i amunable to push through the shoulders and on quickly colapsing unless i arch my back a lot (like a lot)

All help will be galdly welcoming!

Hi Openeye, welcome to the forums.

I would strongly advise starting at F1, just for the sake of being thorough.  The point of Foundation is to uncover and fix weak points that even the very strong can have.  Also, F1 requires that you master both strength and mobility simultaneously.

Openeye said:

 

Mobility (very bad)

 

This alone makes starting at F1 worthwhile.

The Foundation course also has a 30-day money-back guarantee (at least I think it still does). If you purchase it, test all the elements  in order -- and I mean actually do them, not just look at them and think "sure, I can do that") -- and then if you find it's too low a starting level, get a refund so you can start at F2.

the problem is that there are strength elements paired with mobility elements.  so you can't pass out of progression one until you pass both the strength and mobility element.  you sound pretty strong, but if you want to follow everything exactly according to the letter, you definitely wouldn't be able to pass out of f1.

i'm personally finding it challenging to do the mobility stuff.

irregardless of whether you buy f1 or not, it would be a great idea to start on a hardcore stretching routine.  you're young, and it's gonna be harder to get more flexible when you get older

Foundations isn't really about learning how to do a few impressive holds or movements. You do end-up getting there, but you could probably achieve some of those moves a lot faster (albeit with less than perfect form and control) if you weren't following Foundation. I was a few months away from a full front lever, had a 15 sec advanced tuck planche, a 30 second L-sit, and could easily do pistols for reps. Despite that, I'm still slowly plodding through F1 after 12 months, and am completely stalled on some elements that are challenging me to take the time to fix strength imbalances and mobility issues that I've unwittingly ignored for so long.

One example is that I could never figure out why despite my being a former university rower, and then competing in flatwater kayaking, I would always get into trouble when surfing, getting completely killed by the paddling component (I was a competitive paddler!). What I found out doing the Foundation program, is that despite many stengths, I probably have the weakest thoracic mobility and upper back/posterior shoulder endurance of any physically active person on here. Because of that, I am still stuck on the first level of a specific exercise, and will be there for at least another 6 months if not longer (I've actually had to make the exercise easier to make any progress). Although many of the uninitiated may see this as a problem with the Foundation program, I see it as its major strength, in that I would have never addressed these problem had it not been for my using this course (and I really do want to be a stronger surf paddler ).  

The strength of the program therefore lies in its ability to identify your weaknesses, whether in strength, endurance, or mobility, and then keeping you there for as long as it takes to fix those issues, so that by the time you're done with the program, not only will you be able to do those impressive moves, but you'll also have rebuilt your body into a state where you have strength with mobility, and are substantially less injury prone than before.

So I would suggest getting the program for the 30-day money back guarantee, trying to see if you can truly achieve mastery on every element (you won't), and then decide if you're ready to take a long-term view or not. If you are, keep the program and start chipping away, if you're not, send it back, but don't even think of getting F2 or anything above it.

Hope this helps.

-MR said:

 If you are, keep the program and start chipping away, if you're not, send it back, but don't even think of getting F2 or anything above it.

 

 

this is so true. I've played around with some progressions from time to time, doing a few muscle ups, trying out a FL, bridges, everything in F1 starts getting fairly intense if you're at PE2-4(in terms of the combination of strength, endurance and mobility) and once you start hitting the border of F2 and the transition, is when workouts start getting pretty interesting.

if you cannot perform F1 with quality, F2 and beyond is really beyond your reach. 

to give you an idea of what we mean by that, doing sprints and perhaps stretching is something an athlete could pretty quickly adjust to. (do your program and then stretch.) but imagine taking that program and making into sprinting for 5 sets of 20seconds of maximum effort, stop, do a 30-45 second(reasonably taxing) mobility element and sprint again, all 5 sets, without stopping. (and that's only the first progression in the ocean of that programming.)

you just took something really elementary and just blew it up into something diabolical. that's what F1 looks like at first. everything seems fairly simple and doable, but it's when you really get down and do it that you see where our deficits are within the world of GST.

From my experience I can tell that I had pretty much your numbers when I started and after a year I'm still stuck on couple of the earliest progressions on F1, you seriously can't skip it.

There was a guy on here with a Maltese who struggled with some of f1 at first. I had a 4 second front lever and could easily climb a rope in straddle position when I started and f1 is much harder than it seems, assuming you don't cheat on the exercises and keep proper form with no rest. Mobility will be the biggest gain most probably at least it has been for me. The mobility elements have really opened my eyes to what a persons body can do and feel like. I a,ways felt strong but my rom was so limited right now I feel like I'm becoming indestructible. Like everyone else says though buy f1 if you master ( be strict on this) everything then move on to the next level but don't assume you can master something you need to prove to yourself you can.

P.s h1 is also freaking amazing. Never in my life have my shoulders and wrists felt so good and I'm still very early stages.

Allright, really appriciate all of your thoughts! I understand it is not a wise move to skip foundation then, and make sure i'm on top of all levels before pasing on to the next step. I was thinking though, that il simultaniosly keep some of my old routine, to make sure i don't lose push and pull gains.

will be very excited to try this stuff out, for sure. 

you can do 1 set of the exercises you dont want to lose strength of after the warmup and before F1 routine. you will maintain the strength (in my opinion, at least this worked for me), but also you will focus on F1 properly

Feel free to train your maximum strength work after your Foundation workout, but keep it to 1-2 sets of maintenance work, rather than pushing yourself.

Over time, they should get easier anyway, which lets you know you're on the right track.

Your first priority in training should be the assigned Foundation 1 and Handstand 1 work.  Afterwards you may add some maintainence sets of other skills or play with more advanced variations.  However this should only occur after the day's assignment has been completed.  You should require yourself to earn your right to 'play'.

Almost certainly you will have major deficits in terms of mobility which are best addressed now rather than later.  Waiting will only make the deficit larger.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Not the focus of the topic, I know, but I think you are mistaken about having 2.2% bodyfat. I don't think you realize what sub 5% actually looks like.

Either way, I can vouch for the Foundation series. Plus if you do it at a non-gymnastics gym, people sometimes stop and stare in awe because even stuff in F2 is far beyond what your average gym goer can do.

Nice one TW! I did raise my eyebrows at that 2.2% too, but your picture is brilliant. 2.2% is hard to 'fat'hom 

No skipping ahead, you must suffer and learn to hate arch body holds like the rest of us

Haha, funny you should say that. I am in fact 2.2 % bodyfat, i work as a fitness instructor, so i basically have 6+ workouts of running/biking per week at my gym, so its hard for me to gain any fat. We have a machine (google inbody) that scans your body and tells you stuff about muscle composition, fat percentage among other things. And yes i have probsbly more vains visible then thst guy, maby not as much muscle though..

Btw, thanks for all input. decided tostart with my weakest link and get h1! just got my copy up and running. Figuring flexibility and shoulder strength will also take me a lot closer to that planche. Will have to get foundstion later when i have the money for it, and will start a core+mobillity in between !