Train only straight arm strength

It's ok to train only straight arm strength(front lever,back lever,planche,handstand)?

I would start a strength training program with this in mind(it will be SSC for the levers and planhe). I think that i can have better results (and less injury) if i don't put in too much exercises,i wanna make the program simple and focus on few things .

Would this lead me to muscle imbalances in the long term?

Not a good idea.

For best results you need to be proficient at BOTH bent arm and straight arm strength.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Your plan will lead to injuries and muscle imbalances for many reasons :

- Back lever should not be performed before having completed all the Foundation elements since it is very stressful for the biceps tendon

- Side Lever and Manna cannot be skipped in straight arm GST

- "Why is bent arm work recommended as a method to develop straight arm work? Bent arm work allows the muscles themselves to be strengthened. Some muscles don't get worked enough to do their job in straight arm motions when they are only worked in straight arm movements. So, you use bent arm movements to make the muscles strong enough to do their job in straight arm movements. Bent arm will not build tendon strength to the degree required for straight arm movements, which is why to succeed you must do both bent AND straight arm work." - Joshua Naterman

- Even if legs are not a priority, don't skip them

The best choice you can make is to get both Foundation One and Handstand One

Mattia, per Prima cosa benvenuto nel forum!

Non so quale sia il tuo livello e capacità, e non conosco i tuoi obbiettivi, ma se hai soldi/ tempo da investire in te stesso, consiglio vivamente di considerare Foundation come tuo programma di allenamento. Date le skills che hai citato immagino tu stia già allenandoti nella ginnastica da qualche tempo, e pertanto ti sembrerà che ricominciare da capo sia una perdita di tempo (ti capisco, pensavo le stesse cose). Ma quando inizi a lavorare con gli esercizi di F1 capisci come esercizi che sulla carta appaiono facili siano in realtà.. Beh non così facili, e che seguire un allenatore come Coach Sommer fa davvero la differenza.

Finita questa piccola parentesi, non posso far altro che dirti di ascoltare ciò che ha detto il Coach! Spero di esserti stato di aiuto

Mattia, first thing first, welcome to the forum! I don't know what your fitness level is, neither what your goals are, but if you have some money/time to invest on yourself, I reallly suggest that you buy Foundation. Considering the skills that you've asked about, I assume that you've been training GST for a while, so you could think that start from the scratch again is not a great idea (I understand this, I was feeling the same way), but when you'll start workin on the progressions of F1 you'll realise quickly that the exercises that looks easy on paper are not that easy at all, and what a hell of a difference is to train under Coach Sommer.

With that being said, I can only suggest you listen to what Coach said in the comment above. Hope this helps

Thank you guys for all the useful replies!

I've to admit that i alredy bought F1 but failed to follow the program. I'm not a complete beginner in bodyweight training and i mastered some PEs on the first try but i lack the focus/perseverance to continue the program, one of the causes is because i didn't enjoy the time spent on F1. However this is my largest weakness, i lack the focus to follow a long program. I've to find the right motivation to not jump from program to program and not changing my goals every two weeks or so.

It maybe sound like a confession but i've to tell it to someone

Sorry for the OT

Mattia Picoco said:

Thank you guys for all the useful replies!

I've to admit that i alredy bought F1 but failed to follow the program. I'm not a complete beginner in bodyweight training and i mastered some PEs on the first try but i lack the focus/perseverance to continue the program, one of the causes is because i didn't enjoy the time spent on F1. However this is my largest weakness, i lack the focus to follow a long program. I've to find the right motivation to not jump from program to program and not changing my goals every two weeks or so.

It maybe sound like a confession but i've to tell it to someone

Sorry for the OT

I know this feeling about training. I tried to view my workouts as mandatory before being able to do all the fun stuff. The result is that I sometimes hate to get started but I always feel good after the session because I beat my mind. Also I see the program works (cured my back problems almost after 1 month). An idea would be to see every finished workout as an achievement in itself. With this mentality your workouts just transforms into a simply task that you must do, you just do it, not giving it much of a thought. It is just getting into the habit.

In short it is all about leaving your ego behind and see one day at a time. I hope you learn this quickly; strength training should not neccessarily be fun. It is best not to be fun in the beginning since that will learn you a thing or too about persistence. Best of luck.

if you are not ready to invest your time while having a tool to obtain your goal then you either waste time on non proficient workouts or get injured or both
srlsly if i found GB several years ago i'd be happily doing some fronts and backs and planches... damn
reevaluate your goals