Foundation and training is getting too intense....

Hello!

I have a question and I hope you can help me.

As some of you might know, I am also in gymnastics training.

I train 3 hours a day/6days a week.

The first 45 minutes is warm-up (running, jumping, a little conditioning to get the muscles ready and of course, stretching.)

Then the next 2 hours is skill work, so basic skills like standing tucks, power hurdles etc and then we work on our routines.

The last 15 minutes are free and I use them to do all sorts of Handstand Presses.

After that, I usually stay in the gym for another hour, doing either strength work or active flexibility (split jumps etc) alternating days, so 3 days strength and 3 days flexibility and posture per week.

Now here is the problem. I am doing and LOVING Foundation since about 4 months and strength gains have been incredible (my gym doens't really do any strength).

But the Volume actually feels a little intense together with that training because always added other exercises to Foundation, specifically for gymnastics skills. I did chin-levers, chin-up pullovers, rope climbs, additional ab work and jumps with ankle weights.

So I have actually not really any goals anymore, besides a good V-Sit to pike Handstand on p-bars (So pretty much finishing Handstand 2!)

That's why I somehow changed Foundation a little to suit better in my training schedule!

Here is my strength I would work

on 3 days a week:

Arms:

10 Cast Handstands

10 Chin-Levers

10 Chin-Up Pullovers

20ft rope climb reverse

20 ft rope climb in V

20 ft rope climb in Pike

20ft rope climb in Straddle

15 Dips

5 Handstand Push-Ups

max. Tricep Push-Ups (usually 35 or so)

100 Handstand Wall Runs

Abs:

2x10 L to L Leg Lifts (perfect form, fully locked knees!)

2x15 Full Leg Lifts

2x20 Stalder Leg Lifts

15 minute ab Circuit with ankle weights

Legs:

3x5 Single Leg Squats

3x15 Squat Jumps with ankle weights

5 Minute Butt+Glute Circuit

Back:

3x15 Reverse Leg Lifts with ankle weights

3x15 Reverse Sit-Ups with wrist weights

Handstand Presses are done every training day as I wrote above.

What do you think about that?

Do you think this is too less, because I am only doing 1 set of dips/push/ups/pullovers etc?

Should I still do tuck planches? They helped a lot with my cast handstands, but as I am

daily doing pike and straddle presses I don't know if I should still do them?

Well, I guess it is obvious that I am

clueless and I would appreciate your input!

First off, your volume and strength is very impressive for a female.

I have never seen a woman perform free HeSPUs before, congrats on that...

Well, my advice would be to first remove Dips, push ups and all Bicep work except rope climbs of course to reduce volume, as these exercises should only be warm up at your level. I would put in some Planche work.

And let me get this straight, you are doing the described strength workout + Foundation or is this your "adapted" Foundation programm... If so then why change something that has worked very well for you? I take it you have not completed the program entirely. Just reducing volume a little if you notice that you are overtraining is probably better overall.

I hope I understood your question correctly^^

Are you from Germany actually? I ask because of the name.

You could do foundation in the mornings. Split it up.

I am from Austria

Thanks, but the actual training is a lot harder - especially bars!

This is my "updated" training, so no additional Foundation to that.

Well, planches are not really needed in women's gymnastics and I would like to keep conditioning as skill-orientated as possible! For example, straight cast to handstands also require kind of a planche position, because you really need to lean forward that's why I am doing those and I think that the handstand presses also help with that lean!

I actually have always changed Foundation a little to suit gymnastics traning better and because my coach asked us that we should do 90 degree push-ups, stalder leg lifts, handstand wall runs and some other stuff. So I did just 3 sets of the Foundation exercises but added other stuff.

I am pretty fine with legs and abs but I am not sure about arms...

I want to have pulling as well as pushing strength and I want to target shoulders and triceps.

So I thought I would go for just one set of those exercises. After training, my arms are usually already tired, so 3 sets of all those exercises seem a lot...!

Thanks for your input!!!

Mats Trane said:

You could do foundation in the mornings. Split it up.

well, unfortunately I am

not a full time gymnast

I have decreased my Foundation exercises to once a week and H1 twice a week as I am doing Crossfit 5 days a week. I am making faster progress with Foundation exercises once a week. I think it is easy to underestimate how intense these exercises are. If your current schedule is too much reduce. Also sure you have your nutrition dialled in for your current schedule.

I'm also making better progress with fewer training days but with high volume each session.

Try just doing F7 once a week and see how your progress is. If you feel you can handle it, throw in a few additional elements you want to focus on improving in your normal gymnastics warm up.

That sounds like a massive amount of volume.  My body would fall apart.  Of course I'm 45.  

I practice circus arts and have reduced my foundation workouts.  I've also focused more on the strength elements than the endurance elements which is not following the program exactly.    But it's helped me.    

My suggestion is to think about goals and make sure you are progressing.   3x5 dips 3x/week is plenty if you are sufficiently challenged.  Rope climb is good, but if you are already there, you don't need 3x/week to maintain.  How are you progressing?  

I personally would add some planche-like work.  I agree with Foundation that straight arm strength is worth developing on it's own even if you don't want a planche.  

Good luck.  You are, ma'am,  a beast.