Newbie...can I undertake this?....and other questions.

Hi all,

I'm brand new here after hearing Coach Sommer interviewed on Robb Wolf's podcast.  I was definitely intrigued by the concepts they discussed and am considering embarking on the Foundations 1 course, but have a few questions / concerns:

I'm 44 years old.  Decent athlete for 44 I suppose....I do strength and conditioning work about 5 days a week.  

I'm 6'0", 210 lbs with about 17% BF.   I've never felt like I had the ideal body type for gymnastics and even when I was a kid was always weak at rope climbing, pullups, and the gymnastics unit I was forced to go thru in Jr. high.  Poor strength-to-bodyweight ratios, etc.

I'm intrigued by the "get in the best shape of your life" slogan here, and feel like I could probably accomplish a lot of my strength, mobility, body comp,  and general health goals by taking this on. 

I'm just wondering if there are some basic pre-reqs for F1 that I should be able to cross off before I even bother ordering this.  ie "be able to do 10 strict pullups", etc....something I cannot currently do.  In a nutshell, is there a "pre F1" protocol I should be considering?

Access to Equipment.  My YMCA has a pullup bar, dip bars, but no rings, no stall bars, etc.  I'd like to see what all equipment is required for F1 so I can decide if I want to try and join a gymnastics gym, etc to do the program.

Also, I see there is a package discount for getting F1 and Handstand 1.....assuming I'm up to the challenge of doing F1, how long does it take to be able to progress to Handstand 1?  Or are they done together in tandem?

Thanks for the help.

Best,

art_vandelay 

art_vandelay said:

art_vandelay 

Huh, I seem to remember us already having an art vandelay around here.....

Uhm, anyway, no, there's no prerequisites for F1.  It's designed to work with you from the ground up.  Pullups don't even feature in it, they don't come up until F2.

F1 and H1 can and should be worked at the same time.  There's a lot of great wrist prep and shoulder mobility work in H1 that it would be a shame to miss out on.  F1 is a strength based workout, but H1 is more for developing skill in the handstand, so they're independent programs (but you should get both of them!)

Rings are definitely a must for F1, you'll be using them from day one.  Someone around here was using a towel at first, which will work for a while, but....  Rings are just so much fun!  Get some as soon as you can.

Stall bars are pretty irreplaceable.  I'm saving up to get some built out of kee klamps, but there's a few DIY threads around here.  They shouldn't set you back too much.  You can get away with not having them at first, but the further you get in the curriculum the more necessary they are.

Anyway best of luck with the program!  We're a great community around here, I can honestly say I've never found a forum like this on the entire internet.

Trust me, after you get the program, it will re-define what you think of as strength.

Wow, thanks for quick response!  Is there a full list of required and recommended equipment for F1 and H1?

Ideally you'd work F1 & H1 together. In terms of prerequisites... start stretching now! 

Granted, I am using the Building the Gymnastic Body book by Coach Sommer to help me along the way to the end goal. The only equipment I have bought, to date, is a pair of rings. For other things like stall bars, I use the local playground equipment or a wooden support beam in my back yard.

Id like to be doing the Hand Stand and Foundation 1 series 3x a week. How do I figure out a schedule for that?

Tom Denton said:

Id like to be doing the Hand Stand and Foundation 1 series 3x a week. How do I figure out a schedule for that?

The courses come with many suggested schedules. If you don't find one that you like, you could post in the H1 forum asking for advice on making your own schedule. 

Welcome! Regarding equipment, I'd say I'm probably half way through F1 now (I really need to train more often!) and the only crucial equipment for me so far has been rings, although at the earlier levels any strap with handles from a pull-up bar will do (think bodyweight rows more than iron crosses to start with eh?). Stall bars will become essential at later levels but the earlier things that call for them you can easily substitute with a vertical bar or doorway. You will need a bench of a suitable height that you can Lie on face down and raise your legs. I have been able to do all my workouts outdoor at the local park with some playground equipment plus my rings. For weights, I have an old broom handle and a set of 2 kg and 1 kg ankle weights. That has been enough weight for the exercises that require it in F1 and H1.

You won't have to join a gymnastics gym if that's too inconvenient, I'd say go for it. I have found no better program for identifying and rectifying my areas of weakness. The program comes with a 30 day money back guarantee, so you've nothing to lose by trying it for a month. The forums offer great support too and if you find that any of the preliminary exercises are too much for your current level of strength or mobility, then there are always a lot of knowledgeable members of this community ready to offer alternatives / what has worked for them.