SIngle Leg Squat questions

Hi all:

I just started F1 and, when it comes to programming my Single Leg Squat, I am a little confused. Is the purpose of the SLS progression to eventually get to a pistol? I can already perform more than 5 reps of pistol squats per leg. The Hawaiian squats are a little tough because of the folded leg, but not unmanageable. Any advice on how to program SLS into my weekly template?

You must post in the private forum when asking specifically for something in the course material.

Thanks, will do.

Yes, that is the goal but as with everything on this website the ability to say 'you can do x' is predicated on whether you have tested for mastery on everything prior to that point and have passed in the eyes of the numerous professionals that moderate these websites. I believe SLS porgression 8 or so is the single leg squat, however, that's merely the luck of the draw. The aim is to have full range of motion in the knees and hips SLS/PE2 and PE3, the glutes SLS/PE5, the ankles SLS/PE1 and PE4, and then the strength within the ROM of a pistol to drop into and rise out of the end positions without trouble. It's not so much about the pistol squat as it is about how fool-proof and injury-proof legs. The same logic goes for every other progression (HBP injury-proofs the chest, shoulders, and triceps; RC and FL injury-proof your back; SL injury proofs your obliques; and MN injury proofs your shoulders, again, your abdominals, and your hips).

If you have mastered prior elemenst on SLS it shouldn't take much time to recognize that given a form check and then you can move on to later progressions and/or increase your strength with the pistol squat.

Yes and no. The goal is to get to single leg squats yes, but the goal is not JUST to be able to do them. It's to correct any and all strength and mobility deficits on the way to absolutely mastering them. Same applies to all other elements.

Which means, in the words of Coach Sommer:

Coach Sommer said:

You start from the beginning; working both PE1 and the PE1>iM.  And not moving forward until mastery has been demonstrated on both.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Nah. The purpose of the SLS progressions are to establish fundamental leg strength and mobility. Once you are past the SLS themselves, they should rapidly become a mobility element-- everyone here working F3 or above should be performing 10 SLS each leg in warmup. I do that 2x a week as warmup for my weighted leg and Movement sessions. The F2 'mobility' progressions developing hamstring strength and the F1 knee prep ims are possibly the single best things in the series (performed consistently). You might as well say that the point of the RC progression to climb the rope--- it *is,* but that's the tip of the iceberg-- it is developing basic pulling strength, lat mobility, and joint prep required to train on the rings. Rope climbs /SLS are just single points on the line.

The objective of this material is to attack you weaknesses. So I would recommend you to take the time to explore the progressions for both strength and mobility and find your weaknesses. 

Jon Douglas said:

the F1 knee prep ims are possibly the single best things in the series (performed consistently). 

A thousand times this. If this was the only thing I got from the entire F1 program, it would have been worth the cost. I used to get wicked tendonitis in my knees after running even just 2. After clearing the F1 SLS progressions (even well before the pistol) this was a non-issue. I can now go for a 3-5 mile run whenever I want without any problems - trails, pavement, treadmill, track, doesn't matter. 

Pistols are certainly a great exercise, but in retrospect it's the early PEs and iMs that are worth their (or rather my body) weight in gold. 

Stoicdad said:

Hi all:

 

I just started F1 and, when it comes to programming my Single Leg Squat, I am a little confused. Is the purpose of the SLS progression to eventually get to a pistol? I can already perform more than 5 reps of pistol squats per leg. The Hawaiian squats are a little tough because of the folded leg, but not unmanageable. Any advice on how to program SLS into my weekly template?

Most of us erroneously believed that to be the case when we signed up for GST. Testing the strength exercise for mastery, some people would just skip the mobility if it proved to be too much of a challenge.

Big mistake.

Like Jon and others have extensively explained, you can pretty much see Foundation 1-4 as simply being foundational for more taxing elements later on in your GST journey and not as ends in and of themselves.

And when you reorient your thinking along these lines it beings to make a lot of sense for us spend as much time as possible on a PE or a mobility exercise that you're finding quite difficult because it means you have an imbalance there that you need to correct. Most of the "imbalances" tend to be oriented towards connective tissue issues (i.e., your tendons, fascia, ligaments, etc.), either because of previous injuries, or because of lifestyle issues, etc.

Some of us have ankles that are stiffer than a metal rod. Others have tight shoulders. Many cannot do swivel hips (sPL/PE1>iM) at their first attempt.

I strongly encourage you to pay attention to any imbalances you may have and thank the specific PE or mobility — as opposed to cursing it — that exposed those imbalances to you.