Foundation 1 vs. Foundation 2

Hi guys

I've been following the Foundation 1 program for 7 months now. I'm 28. Before starting F1 I lifted weights (Body Building/Fitness/Cross Fit-hybrid style) for about 10 years. I'd say I'm pretty athletic with good balance and coordination.

As many have probably also experienced, I feel that some of the progressions are easier than others to master. For me it's mostly the pressing/peck exercises that come easy - Hollow back Press and Straddle planche - whereas the front lever (insanely hard), Manna (lack of flexibility) and single leg squats (I have a torn miniscus) are harder for me to master.

So, I'm almost done with the Hollow Back Presses and Straddle Planches, and therefore I purchased the F2 program, just to have some extra motivation to finish up.

As I browsed through the exercises in F2 it struck me that the elements don't seem as hard to master as for F1 (both strength coordination) and the volume in F2 is a lot lower than in F1. Why is this? What I'm saying is that F2 seems easier to complete than F1. Do you agree? if so, why is that?

For example:

HBP PE 3 (Pseudo Planche Push Ups): 5 sets of 10 --> Tough! Whereas HBP PE 13 (Ring Dips): 5 sets of 5 reps --> Easy?! Some of the other preparatory elements between HBP 3 and HBP are also (IMO) a lot easier than HBP 3.

RC PE 1 (Hinge Rows): 5 sets of 15 reps (!!!) --> really hard to master. Took me about 4 months! Whereas RC PE 8 (Pull Ups): 5 sets of 5 reps --> Easy?!

I Could go on. I'm sure there is some kind of reasoning behind it, however, it just seems strange to me.

Can you explain it?

/Alex

Well, depends where you are at and your background. One I've noticed is that women with a gymnastic background generally sleep through F1, maybe experiencing some trouble with sPL and RC dtuff en route but definitely not any of the core, leg or pressing elements, then slow down a lot in F2. For most people, especially men coming to GST as adults it tends to be the other way around; struggling as you mentioned with mobility and the efficiency required to perform higher volume sets, then hit their stride as it gets lower volume and more strength focused. As a rule i see most people pass through F2 at around the same level, regardless of which of those extremes they fall more towards. Basic mobility has been covered and things are starting to get more specific and complex. Things streamline to an extent.

Personally i found F1 not so hard due to a (high rep bodyweight) martial arts background and good flexibility; most of f2 not so bad, but the degree of difference between my progressions has turned out to be quite extreme and there are activation/mobility imbalances and decicits that have taken a long time to identify, let alone address. Along the way despite my relative weakness in GST terms I've attained an efficiency and physical prep that one day suddenly started smoking people i train with. I have no idea how or when but suddenly people think I'm an athlete or something, which can get to your head until you train with Coach, he picks your weaknesses from 50m and smokes you in front of everyone in about five minutes

It comes down to, as I'm sure you know, the F1 elements must be well under control before you can stack strength on them. Foundation culminates in exceptional strength by most standards, but i find it both humbling and motivating to remember that F level work is all 'just' establishing a frame to put real strength training on

Hope that little stream of consciousness is useful

Wise stream. "Just" establishing a skeleton so we can get to the "real" strength work, lol. Word. Few things can beat feeling like a baby in an adult body. Thank you GB and the crew behind it!

On 2/26/2016 at 7:46 PM, Jon Douglas said:

one day suddenly started smoking people i train with. I have no idea how or when but suddenly people think I'm an athlete or something, which can get to your head until you train with Coach, he picks your weaknesses from 50m and smokes you in front of everyone in about five minutes

This, so much! You just suddenly realise you're better conditioned than most people but you go to a seminar and Coach is like 'what the hell are you doing?' I remember Orench telling me at the Stroud seminar that every time Coach comes, he finds something to correct. What I took from this story is that Coach will kick our asses for a long time.  But that's fantastic, always something to learn and high standards throughout the process.

As far as I know, the high volume in F1 is to give the body a chance to adapt to it's imposed demands, so your tendons, ligaments and other connective tissue gets a chance to catch up and you are prepared for more stress (more intense) excursuses. That's why in F2 the volume drops slightly but the amount of raw strength you need increases.

Btw.: funny to hear at which exercises you are struggling, it's the other way round for me,... the MN and FL progressions in F1 and F2 are like a walk in the park, as on the other side sPL hits me directly in the face (literally) 

I found F1 harder than the F2 exercises as most of my training was strength orientated. Although I have made the mistake of looking through the exercises and thinking they will be easy and when I do them I get humbled. 

I like to think of Foundation like building a house. It seems like nothing is getting done for a long time and once the foundations are layed the house pops up really quick. F1 can be like that. It seems like nothing is happening and then the body just takes off. You are laying the foundation for later progressions. If you rush the building of the foundation the house, it will fall apart in a mild storm. This happens with the body and when the foundation is not built you get injured.

Thanks for your replies and for sharing your personal experiences. Very informative. 

I realize that Foundation 1 is very much about strengthening the tendons and ligaments more than building raw strength since that should be secondary to having a strong foundation. I think (some of) the raw strength that I gained during my years in an ordinary gym is simply coming in handy in Foundation 2, but now that I have to focus on getting my foundation fixed first. 

It's funny how the Foundation 1 program also fixes a lot of areas indirectly. Like, i) I've always had this clicking sound in my left ankle (probably from twisting and spraining it 1000 times playing basket ball) - that's gone, ii) I've become more in touch with my body in a way that my limbs work better together in general when I move - I'm move more "dynamically" and freely, iii) my girlfriend just told me the other day that the way I walk has become more "dynamic"/flowing, which probably has to do with the fact that I have become aware of my tight psoas and illiacus (thanks for posting treads on that Mark Collins, by the way!). 

Also, I really feel like things are beginning to come together. I'm beginning to feel more "free" in my own body. I'm more flexible (even though Coach Sommer would probably still call me a zombie, but even so!), my strength in asymmetric positions has increased immensely and I haven't lost any strength in the classic strength exercises such as bench press, pull ups, dead lift etc. (I lifted weights for the first time 1 month ago, just to make a 6 month check up). 

Therefore, thank you Coach Sommer and to all you other moderators and users who really do provide great coaching. 

On 2/27/2016 at 4:59 AM, Johannes Thumser said:

As far as I know, the high volume in F1 is to give the body a chance to adapt to it's imposed demands, so your tendons, ligaments and other connective tissue gets a chance to catch up and you are prepared for more stress (more intense) excursuses. That's why in F2 the volume drops slightly but the amount of raw strength you need increases.

 

Btw.: funny to hear at which exercises you are struggling, it's the other way round for me,... the MN and FL progressions in F1 and F2 are like a walk in the park, as on the other side sPL hits me directly in the face (literally) 

I've had the same problem as well lol