Thank you coach Sommer!

I touched my toes today in my 3rd week of doing Jefferson curls. This is a big deal. I'm 47 and I've tried every stretching routine you can think of- I stretch at work, I stretch while working out, I'm always stretching and I'm constantly struggling. This problem goes back to high school, so I'm not blaming it on age. Bur today, without even realizing what was happening, I touched my knuckles to the floor (I didn't bother wth the platform, guess I might have to now!).

I could go on for days about all the other benefits, but I'm sure they been discussed extensively.... Elimination of low back pain, great for golf mobility, better posture, quality of life! Yada yada yada..... But I really just wanted to say thanks!

You are most welcome, my friend. Keep up the good work!

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Michael. This is encouraging information to hear.  I am 41 and have very bad mobility also.  I heard coach Sommer on a pod cast and bought Foundation 1 and handstand.  Like you I have tried about every stretching protocol there is with little success.  Most PT's dont care about mobility if your not "hurt". I am only 2 weeks into Foundation 1 and handstand.  I am curious to hear if you just followed the program exactly or if you did other mobility work outside of what is perscribed in the plan.  I feel that my mobility is bad enough that I need to do more, but I am not sure about deviating from the plan..

Michael H, I pretty much followed the program.  Although, as I was going through the progressions I found that I couldn't obtain the perfect form that you see in the foundation 1 videos, I would move on but continue to do the mobility movements from the previous level.  Most of this involved lower body stuff.  I've been doing the traditional hamstring stretches for years and never saw a change.  I viewed all the You Tube videos and PT websites I could and never found anything that helped.   If you listen to Coach Sommer on the pod cast ( I first heard him on Robb Wolf's ), he talks about the benefits of weighted stretching.  After a couples sessions the Jefferson Curls I was shocked that my knuckles were on the floor.  I was using a weighted bar, I think 15 or 20 pounds.  

 

If I could give you any advise it would be to be patient.  I've been doing foundation since Feb 2014 and I'm still on SLS PE1.  My hip mobility was so bad that as soon as I tried to rotate up my legs would cross like I was sitting Indian style.  I could not get me knees anywhere near my chest so I had to rotate them inward, making my feet cross.  After nearly a year of working on it I'm very close- I'm hoping by Christmas! 

 

I could write a book about all the other benefits, like that fact that I haven't touched my dumbbells since started F1 and have gained muscle mass, the fact that I can make a full turn in my golf swing with not pain or discomfort, the fact that I have no lower back pain even though I've had 2 disc yanked out......   

Well done, Michael and well deserved.

 

You are an excellent example of the benefits of calm, persistent training.  Far too many people focus on short term intensity rather than long term consistency.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer