I bought the foundation series not only for my own benefit but hoping I could use the same progressions for my team kids I coach. Are these the same major progressions you use during your conditioning sessions coach?
Conditioning for athletes
Started by tweez94, May 18, 2015 · 21 Replies · 6,916 Views
It would depend entirely upon how conditioned your own athletes are. Obviously my athletes can perform all of the elements and mobility; they were the demonstrators in the courses.
For younger competitive athletes I use a different protocol; both stripped down and much higher in intensity. However that is with me being there personally supervising.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
So with preteam JO kids ages 5-6 the earliest progressions aren't a program outline you'd use?
- Those first progressions are designed for adults who are suffering from long term exposure to desk patrol and who must be rebuilt and rehabilitated before we can begin any serious work.
- Young athletes are under no such restrictions in terms of mobility, joint preparation or strength. For JO athletes in that age range, I will take them immediately to pullups (with a spot if necessary), dips, HLL, Lsit/Str L/MSH/tuck PL/HS, SLS and pHS (with a spot).
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
Also, I assume that they never go through a 5x60s hollow body hold, arch body hold, etc, they just do some sets of them, even if it's not close to 60 seconds or reps, as a warm up and then proceed to Body levers/ other levers? And with time, they will get stronger in these basic positions (HBH, ABH, etc) as they warm up with them more and more?
Another question would be if you also avoid hands backward for youngsters as you do for adult beginners?
Hollow Man said:Also, I assume that they never go through a 5x60s hollow body hold, arch body hold, etc, they just do some sets of them, even if it's not close to 60 seconds or reps, as a warm up and then proceed to Body levers/ other levers? And with time, they will get stronger in these basic positions (HBH, ABH, etc) as they warm up with them more and more?
You are both right and wrong.
They start off with sets of 60sec; with all of the exercises following one after the other with no rest. And yes, they perform all of the sets correctly. Or I give them the opportunity to immediately correct their error - as a group.
Sometimes many opportunities in a row. 
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
Hollow Man said:Another question would be if you also avoid hands backward for youngsters as you do for adult beginners?
At that age and developmental level, why would I focus on ring strength specific preparation? First things first.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
Coach Sommer said:You are both right and wrong.
They start off with sets of 60sec; with all of the exercises following one after the other with no rest. And yes, they perform all of the sets correctly. Or I give them the opportunity to immediately correct their error - as a group.
Sometimes many opportunities in a row.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
I'm a bit skeptic...Of course I have no experience with kids and their ability to perform Hollows and Arch holds/rock, So I'll have to accept your answer. It's amazing though how kids can do these exercises right off the bat!
Coach Sommer said:At that age and developmental level, why would I focus on ring strength specific preparation? First things first.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
Of course, of course.. My bad.. I was at first reffering only to a hands backward placement, like in a regular plank, or even a tuck planche.
Not rings work. But I'm guessing now that hands backwards is ring specific prep and is not used even amongst the common plank/planche/reverse plank or perhaps even the crease of the elbows isn't allowed to look forward during exercises desite forward/sideward hands position.
Hollow Man said:I'm a bit skeptic...Of course I have no experience with kids and their ability to perform Hollows and Arch holds/rock, So I'll have to accept your answer. It's amazing though how kids can do these exercises right off the bat!
It's more amazing how many adults can't IMO.
Hollow Man said:I'm a bit skeptic...Of course I have no experience with kids and their ability to perform Hollows and Arch holds/rock, So I'll have to accept your answer. It's amazing though how kids can do these exercises right off the bat!
Be as skeptical as you want. While you are being skeptical, you might want to consider that it was my athletes who demonstrated all of the exercises and mobility in the courses. And that they didn't get that good by accident.
And if you really want to drive yourself crazy, consider that they usually filmed an entire course in a single day. Meaning that they did all of those elements back to back to back all day long and didn't really notice them.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
whoa. respect.
Why didn't I start as a child, in Arizona...
I happened to in the gym on a day when this filming was taken place and I must add that the filming started after their normal 4 hour morning session!!! (They did have a short lunch break)Coach Sommer said:Be as skeptical as you want. While you are being skeptical, you might want to consider that it was my athletes who demonstrated all of the exercises and mobility in the courses. And that they didn't get that good by accident.
And if you really want to drive yourself crazy, consider that they usually filmed an entire course in a single day. Meaning that they did all of those elements back to back to back all day long and didn't really notice them.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
Every new comment about those athletes is more amazing than the last one LOL ! They are really amazing.
chuchodani said:Every new comment about those athletes is more amazing than the last one LOL ! They are really amazing.
search for Coaches comments on Gregory. xD
Keilani Gutierrez said:search for Coaches comments on Gregory. xD
If you're talking about JJ Gregory, I've read plenty of them 
. For example his 30s full planche, 18 straddle L presses, his reverse planche, 400lbs deadlift, etc.
Coach Sommer said:Be as skeptical as you want. While you are being skeptical, you might want to consider that it was my athletes who demonstrated all of the exercises and mobility in the courses. And that they didn't get that good by accident.
And if you really want to drive yourself crazy, consider that they usually filmed an entire course in a single day. Meaning that they did all of those elements back to back to back all day long and didn't really notice them.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
wooooow.... makes me feel I don't even exist !
Coach Sommer said:Be as skeptical as you want. While you are being skeptical, you might want to consider that it was my athletes who demonstrated all of the exercises and mobility in the courses. And that they didn't get that good by accident.
And if you really want to drive yourself crazy, consider that they usually filmed an entire course in a single day. Meaning that they did all of those elements back to back to back all day long and didn't really notice them.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer
Did they perform mastery sets? I only see couple reps and a couple seconds. I only saw 1 set of L-sit that lasted 26 sec and at that point his legs dropped.
(Please note, I'm not against foundation or this community. I have bought all the Foundation, Handstand and rings courses while I, like anyone else, could easily get them in other ways. )
It's hard to express how easy these guys make it look until you see them in person. I was absolutely blown away at the seminar I attended; they are seriously machines.
So after they can hold one static position for a minute as a group without breaks in form you move them on to the next static position? I always do hollow and arch rocks in warmup but as most coaches do that is more for shaping purposes than the actual strengthening process
tweez94 said:So after they can hold one static position for a minute as a group without breaks in form you move them on to the next static position? I always do hollow and arch rocks in warmup but as most coaches do that is more for shaping purposes than the actual strengthening process
Whether it is for strengthening or shaping will depend entirely upon the level of athetes you are working with.
Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer