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"Street workout" and GST


Jesse Kim
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There are a lot of people on Youtube who are spreading the hype of body-weight training/GST (Adam Raw, Barstarzz, Kavadlo Brothers, Fitness FAQ's), just to name a few. But can you consider what they do GST? In your opinion, would you guys consider the people stated and others not stated above true practitioners of GST? How would you compare their form and workout scheme in comparison to those who, for example, follow the Foundation/Handstand series, and even, true gymnasts?  How would you critique their "skills" for what we would consider the "basics"? Are they following proper form and mobility? 

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Daniel Taylor-Shaut

Crossfit is to Olympic lifting, what street workout is to Gymnastic Strength Training™.

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@Dainel Taylor-Shaut I sort of agree because I feel that the point of street workout is to create GST look more appealing, but because of that, it loses it's "appeal" or meaning, I don't know how to put it in words. I also think they skip some progressions to skills that are fundamentals or basics in GST. The only exception I can think of is Al and Danny Kavadlo. 

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Aaro Helander

Street workout is mainstream when compared to gymnastics. It's not mainstream compared to crossfit or bodypump, but it is still mainstream in the context of GST. In order to have good mainstream "product", you need to have huge margins to attract the most customers. To have huge margins you have to make your product a piece of sh*t. Think about most mainstream music. Gymnastics will never be mainstream, because it requires getting rid of the instant gratification mindset most people have been building for their entire lives, and breaking that structure down can be as slow as getting through Foundation 1 mobility is.

 

We can assume that most if not all people doing "pure street workout" get injured multiple times during a year due to this instant gratification mindset, but since there are a lot of people who did appear to get away with it (the non-gymnast street workout superstars on youtube), it is enough justification for others to think they can do the same. Also, many of the best do have a gymnastics background, but people don't realize the importance of the work they did before coming to street workout.

 

Also, the gymnastics array of required skills is a lot more profound when compared to street workout - we can't really, really even compare the two in many cases. This gives no room for skipping progressions. Also people have a different view of aesthetics, and some people simply can't perceive the gymnastics form in the same way we do. Many do, but many can't. Some people can't even differentiate a lower note from a higher note when played one after another. That's one of the reasons why complex melodies don't appeal to most people.

 

Combine this with the instant gratification mindset and the mindset of "just wanting to learn some moves to build muscle and attract chicks", it's easy to understand why GST will never be mainstream, although Coach and his affiliates are doing a great job bringing GST to the masses, which is awesome.

BTW, i'm attending the Finnish Street Workout championships next month. Not many guys with gymnastics aura in my weight class (+200 lbs). I'm a bit excited, a lot of tough guys competing in the lower weight classes.

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@Helander Yup. Definitely. If GST was somehow brought out in a better light, there would be a clearer appreciation for it. Btgb is what got me interested in GST, and yes, because it's more of a guideline, I want to get Foundation and learn about what flaws I have and how I can improve myself not body-wise, but mind-wise as well; kind of like the ying-yang, mind body and spirit concept. It's my new way of "meditation" now.

 

The FInnish Street Workout Championships? Lucky, you! I always wanted to attend a competition and compare them between that and an actual gymnastics competition. They are skilled, but not as skilled as gymnasts who practice true GST. Good luck, sir, and I hope you kick ass. Show them what it's all about! :D  

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There are a lot of people on Youtube who are spreading the hype of body-weight training/GST (Adam Raw, Barstarzz, Kavadlo Brothers, Fitness FAQ's), just to name a few. But can you consider what they do GST? In your opinion, would you guys consider the people stated and others not stated above true practitioners of GST? How would you compare their form and workout scheme in comparison to those who, for example, follow the Foundation/Handstand series, and even, true gymnasts?  How would you critique their "skills" for what we would consider the "basics"? Are they following proper form and mobility? 

Yes, many of the street workout practitioners practice or incorporate GST.

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Daniel Taylor-Shaut

Also, you say the Kavadlo brothers practice some GST and incorporate it. But I don't know if I would ever follow a routine from guys who smile that much. lol

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@Daniel Taylor-Shaut But their trade mark is their smile how can nobody dislike a smile like that? :( But seriously, yeah most guys like the Kavadlo's practice GST or some form of GST. In their defense, at least they are having fun with and try their best to better the skills they have, even if their progressions are kind of rushed. 

 

I apologize if I sounded incompetent, but I'm just curious, that's all.

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@Heladner, great post my friend. Good luck at the contest, where is it being held?

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Edoardo Roberto Cagnola

@Daniel Taylor-Shaut But their trade mark is their smile how can nobody dislike a smile like that? :( But seriously, yeah most guys like the Kavadlo's practice GST or some form of GST. In their defense, at least they are having fun with and try their best to better the skills they have, even if their progressions are kind of rushed.

I apologize if I sounded incompetent, but I'm just curious, that's all.

They do practice GST but IMO they keep it to a moderately simple level. They rarely incorporate rings work, they consider levers advanced (which is true for the average guy, but not by the standards of this forum) and they have stopped their leg training at SLS. They are quite an athletic couple, and a smiley one, but nothing really impressive (no disrespect indented, I'm just trying to put out some food for thought :) ).
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Mouclier Victor

Comparing Kavaldlo brothers and the barstarzz to Gymnastics is ... :lol:

Check out the russians street workout athlètes there are way closer to gymnasts than the US calisthenics Athlètes you mentioned

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That's often because they were gymnasts. Russia doesn't have recreational gymnastics, so if you don't make the team, you're out of the gym and off to street workout.

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@Bosco TRUE! :D

 

@Colle Dano Whoa I never knew that. I guess for Russians, they have more reason to do street workouts than those in the U.S. because the lack of recreational gymnast gyms

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Jesse Frigo

Also, you say the Kavadlo brothers practice some GST and incorporate it. But I don't know if I would ever follow a routine from guys who smile that much. lol

I met Al Kavadlo on my very first trip to NYC ever.  He's super chill, genuinely excited to do what he does, and happy to be who he is.  I'm more than a bit disappointed that I missed the $20 Saturday sessions (the last one was last summer, I think). 

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Looking at them, GST looks like the "older" orthodox style with the purpose of not just competing, but disciplining yourself. Street workout, to me, is the younger "brother", unorthodox style with the intention of being able to express yourself freely. I think, again, that in street workout they try to progress as quickly as possible.

 

I can't help but make the comparison that parkour to freerunning is what GST is to street workout. A lot of people, if not, everyone assumes that they are the same, but parkour's aim is to get to point A to point B as efficiently as possible. The flips you see is more associated with freerunning, which includes parkour, but, like street workout, is more about freedom of expression.

 

Honestly, before I came to GB I though there would be a crossover between street workout and GST, but after reading the forums and looking up information on own, and comparing the "skills" or "tricks" of St.workout to the "basics" of GST, I came to the conclusion that there is a more definite edge towards GST than to street workout/calisthenics, not saying street workout is bad or anything.

 

Also, rings are definetly more skill oriented than a bar from what I've seen.

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Edoardo Roberto Cagnola

Honestly I find those "fake stairs" pull ups (or whatever they're called) pretty ridiculous! I don't understand why SW do all kinds of leg dancing during pull ups, like it actually serve a purpose :)

(No offense was intended with this post! "De gustibus non est disputandum" - in matter of tastes there can be no disputes - like the Romans used to say)

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@Edoardo Cagnola Please let there be some offense because those fake stairs are FAKE. Fake like Nicki Minaj's butt (no offense to her fans). If the point is to be fancy with it like Iggy or something, then screw it; GST it is then. If it's to freely express yourself, then ok.

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Jason Dupree

Looking at them, GST looks like the "older" orthodox style with the purpose of not just competing, but disciplining yourself. Street workout, to me, is the younger "brother", unorthodox style with the intention of being able to express yourself freely. I think, again, that in street workout they try to progress as quickly as possible

I think the focus on free expression at the expense of mastering technique, basic or advanced, is absolutely ridiculous. Whether we are talking about GST, or singing, or whatever else you can express yourself with. If you cannot do something, how will you be able to express it? You will be limited by what you are able to do, like a painter who can only paint in green and blue. Maybe he could make one really good painting with those two colors, but if every painting he ever did was like that, it would get stale. In the same way with calisthenics, I see the same things over and over, and it's boring. Granted, when training GST, it can get boring, because we do do the same things over and over. But that's because it's training. It gives us the strength we need to be able to freely express ourselves. Training should be training. Practice should be practice. Art should be art.

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Coach Sommer

some of you guys should really get off their high horses

 

No high horses here.  Only a firm understanding that mastering the basics now is required for high level personal expression later.  

 

There is no exception to this rule in any field of human endeavor.

 

Anyone who says otherwise has never achieved world class levels of performance.   ;)

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

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I think the focus on free expression at the expense of mastering technique, basic or advanced, is absolutely ridiculous. Whether we are talking about GST, or singing, or whatever else you can express yourself with. If you cannot do something, how will you be able to express it? You will be limited by what you are able to do, like a painter who can only paint in green and blue. Maybe he could make one really good painting with those two colors, but if every painting he ever did was like that, it would get stale. In the same way with calisthenics, I see the same things over and over, and it's boring. Granted, when training GST, it can get boring, because we do do the same things over and over. But that's because it's training. It gives us the strength we need to be able to freely express ourselves. Training should be training. Practice should be practice. Art should be art.

Sir, I could not have said it better myself. Sure, they're flashy, but there is a limit to how long those flashy moves will last you if you try to progress too quickly; I learned this first-hand, literally. That's why I'm trying to start at the very foundation of myself before I tackle upon the GST basics, including the FBE and FSP (I think those are the abbreviations). Heck, I really want to do some ring work, but knowing my current, it is better for me to start with F1/H1, and EVEN THEN, I still won't be there yet, according to Coach's precise estimation. Start out at square one. 

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Jan Reipert

No high horses here.  Only a firm understanding that mastering the basics now is required for high level personal expression later.  

 

There is no exception to this rule in any field of human endeavor.

 

Anyone who says otherwise has never achieved world class levels of performance.   ;)

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

 

the timing of my post might have been a bit misleading. i completely agree with what jason and you wrote. i was referring to the comparison of "fake stair pull ups" to butt implants because they look fancy.

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Christian Nogueira

Street workout is still in its infancy. I think whatever gets people off their behinds and actually do something is ok in my book. It'd be better if it was better programmed and more of a focus in avoiding injury rather than flashyness. 

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