Just Starting-Introduction

Hi,

    i've been lurking around the forum for a while considering when to purchase F1 and H1. Unfortunately, pericarditis put pay to this early on this year.

 

I've been playing around with bodyweight/ GST for a few years, but nothing structured. 

 

I'm currently a Fire fighter in the UK. I have been a semi pro rugby players many years ago and now mainly train in Judo(Brown belt). I supplement this with olympic/powerlifting, bouldering, swimming, mountain biking and hill walking. 

 

As I have just got back into training (about a month) I was contemplating whether to start heavy lifting after the illness as that has been my biggest concern, along with interval training. I am currently 37, 189cm and 86Kgs (normally ~90kg). So I've decided to just focus on GST for strength work to see what happens.

 

Anyway, I have just purchased F1 and H1 at the weekend and will be playing around with over the next couple of weeks to see how to structure it into my daily life.

 

My shifts are on a two week rotation so will mainly be plaining around that type of cycle, as that works better for me I have found.

 

I won't bore you any more.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

 

 

 

Hi Firefit, welcome!

 

I think foundation will fit right in with your current training and work. However looking at your list of activities unless you've been doing a fair bit of flexibility work in your judo you may very well have tight shoulders (as do I) and I'd recommend getting started on improving your shoulder extension. Along with my poor pike ability I've found this to be my biggest stumbling block so far.

 

Enjoy!

Thanks for the tips. I've been working on my flexibility a lot more as I've got old(er). A few shoulder and knee injuries hinder me at times, but I persist.

Gareth

Welcome! Hopefully you'll find the mobility work helpful in avoiding future injuries. 

Welcome Gareth,

 

Where abouts in the UK are you based? I am in Stroud Gloucesterhire.

 

Do you have any idea as to the cause of the pericarditis? Was it out of the blue or not?

 

Wise decision to avoid lifting heavy, it will only serve in making you stiffer. From your background in Rugby, Judo & Power lifting I would hazard a guess that your mobility is rather lacking. I say this as I am an Osteopath and the bodies that I see with similar backgrounds tend to fit a similar picture. Apologies if I am wrong but that's a very educated guess :-D

 

Getting to grips with all the new shapes will probably be the most challenging aspect of the GST, scapulae protraction, posterior pelvic tilt etc. but this is huge. The brain will have to learn some new motor patterns and it takes time, the benefits you will gain in efficiency of movement and control will be huge also. Perfect for what you do a s a fireman.

 

Best wishes,

 

Wesley

Hi Wesley,

                 I live in Warrington, North Cheshire. I see you run sessions, I may come down for a visit if a ll pans out well with GST for some advice and/or to 'crack' my back!!!!

 

The pericardits came on very sudden in March this year. I was just finishing a shift and thought it was indigestion. 12 hours in a and e to rule out a heart attack. Its a viral infection that I could do nothing about. I'd just came back from snowboarding in France, so I may have been run down a bit. I always have over-trained over the years, with heavy lifting, hard judo sessions, shift work leading to frequent nights of insomnia. So the last six months low intensity/volume of training has been a pleasure. I was considering starting to lift again, but decided I don't need to any more. I also have started back at Judo tentatively. 

 

My mobility is not that bad. I'm a lot smaller than when I used to play rugby and have always worked on my mobility. But nothing compared to you guys. For example I can touch past my toes and perform scapular wall slide/wall angels and overhead reaches with ease - from Eric Cressey. Shoulder dislocation with a broom handle too - Not narrow enough yet. So i'm looking forward to the improvement.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

Well I played around with exercises and looked through the F1 forum at bit over the week and decided to test all of F1 PE1/im on Saturday after a days rest. I performed all the exercises and paired mobility one after the other, no rest with about 1 mins rest in between foundations.

 

Just some notes/observations questions on each PE1/iM

 

FL

PE1: Bent Hollow Body Hold – 5 x 60 – No Problem

 

PE1/iM: Cat-Cow – 5 x 5 – No Problem

 

SPL

PE1: Scapular Shrug 5 x 15 – No Problem, but will continue with these as...

 

PE1/iM: Swivel Hips 5 x 5/5 Hips come slightly off the ground and a sharp pain in the left groin during internal rotation. These will be good for Judo.

 

SL

PE1: Russian Twists (3kg Medicine Ball) – 5 x 30 (15/15) These along with Tuck ups I haven't performed for a few years. 1) Because a lower back injury from Snow Boarding and 2) as I have listen to advice from a Chiropractic Doctor and read work from Stuart McGill, Craig Liebenson etc. and eliminated all flexion and rotational work from my core training in favour of planks, side planks, bird-dogs, pallof press, roll outs etc. I also perform that much resited movement during judo that want to spare by lower back......?

 

PE1/iM: Standing Hip Circles 10/10 – No Problem

 

MN

PE1: Tuck Ups – 5 x 15 – Completed but not perfect, see notes on SL

 

PE1/iM: Windmills (4kg DB) No Problem as been pefoming these for a bit with 16kg KB.

 

HBP

 

PE1: Incline Press Ups – 5 x 15 – No Problem

 

PE1/iM: German Arm Swing – 5 x 10/10 – No Problem

 

RC

 

PE1: Hinge Rows – 5 x 15,12,8,8,6,6. I feel I've got the movement right just need more work on improving my work a capacity on these. Rotator cuff work has obviously been neglected.

 

PE1/iM: OA Upright Lat Lean – 5 x 30/30s – No Problem

 

SLS

 

PE1: Deck Squats - I Performed '0' reps properly. Very frustrating. I tried with my feet off a 1 inch mat and could perform a few reps but nothing of quality. These I will work on a more regular basis and use as part of my warm up at Judo. I don't think it's a mobility/anthropometric problem as I can perform these from a forwards roll at judo no problem.

 

PE1/iM: Skiers – 5 x 10 – Easy enough, just need to get lower with each rep.

 

I have not tested the H1 just performed 3 easy sessions of it. Wrist stretch are helping and good for me as I have mild Dupuytren's contractures in both hands.

 

Now time to plan next weeks training..

 

Gareth