Costumize Foundation Program

Hi Folks, 

I am very happy having signed up to foundation. I am looking forward to reach the limit of my mobility. I think I have a most of the work to do in this area. However, I took a small survey through the first progression an think I will make it through most of the initial steps of progression (testing mastery). It will be pretty f up to test mastery of progression in one session but you got to do what you got to do.

Backgroundinformation:

I am trying to fit the program in my current schedule. To give you an overview over my normal training days, I attached my schedule. There are no reps because they fluctuate. Normally, I do 10 sets of planche and front lever with 50% of my current level (e.g. I tested my Tuck Planche for 27s with good form and doing sets of 13s). Lower body is usually something like 6x4 + 4x5 + 5x5 + 3-4 sets (not per exercise). Additionally, I do a short exercise selection every 30min of the day. Mostly handstands for 10-20s, hanging work + some sort of mobility. Upper body, I do 8-12 sets per primary exercise and fewer on the others.

As you can see, my work capacity is pretty high (I build it over quite a couple of years). I can handle the volume pretty easy. I deload every fourth week (Three weeks load one week deload).

My bent arm strength is reasonably (Weighted Dips with 100kg (=BW at that time), parallel grip pull-up with 85kg around my belly) my straight arm strength is way worse (currently 27s Tuck planche (locked elbows, could more with slightly bent but I'd consider this low quality) and one legged front lever for 10s). I interpret this as a big whole in my scapula strength perhaps with some wholes in my mobility (?). 

Oh, I am 1,93m (6'4'') and weigh ca. 108kg (238 lbs) with somewhat around 8% body fat.

My Plan:

I estimate that I can handle 3-4 GST sessions per week within the context of my other training. But I am not quite sure how to integrate it. As you can see, I mainly to upper/lower body splits pairing either lower body strength with upper body gymnastics or upper body strength and lower body mobility. The GST workouts seem to be highly integrated with a bias on the upper body. 

I figured that I replace the upper body gymnastics (Mo, Thursday evening) with GST and do half (in reps or time per set) of the strength elements but full integrated mobility elements on Tuesday and Friday before I hit a medium crossfit-esque session. So I am basically do 4 full mobility sessions but only worth of three strength sessions per week. With my morning mobility (light yoga and some other stuff like that) I put the emphasis on mobility. 

My question:

Do you see any imbalances? Within the context of my past training,* is this reasonable amount of GST? I am used to way more volume (up to 4-6h of training/movement a day of martial arts, strength training and all kinds of other stuff, but not quite sure if I created some bottle necks.

* Not bragging. Just trying to remind you that I am not a coach potato aiming to be pealed by GST but rather a quite active person who can f himself up because he has next to no clue of GST.

Greetings from Germany (apology for bad english)

Sascha

Hallo Sascha!

wow at first, what a programm!

May i ask, how old are you, and what do you work, and where do you steal 6 hours a day?

Now seriously, i think you will flush through the first progressions, but be aware that the coaches here keep an eye on correct execution! That's why it is very usefull to post some formchecks early and not rush through the programm. (I for myself set the goal to do the mastery standard of a PE at least 3 times (ca. 1 week), which gives me time to perfection my shape.)

Then you will discover that many of the work you are doing now, will come up during your journey through GST.

Viel Spass!

What is your starting point about mobility? splits? pancake? bridge? pike? shoulders extension?

Did you tried the mastery of the first exercises with the coupled mobility? Personally I can say that i've seen people doing dips with BW added and pullup with 70-75% of their BW added and then fail the PE1 of the RC progression.

my suggestion for now is take one day to test all the first elements, if you can do it then show us the mastery video. have a great pov about your current situation is the primary information to adjust all the other things.

@Petra Dvorak, I am 32. Currently, I work as a personal trainer and am transitioning to a life as a writer only. But I am just willing to make sacrifices for my movement practice. I work long hours. It was usual for me to start my day at 6am and finish working at 23pm with eat&train as the only breaks inbetween. Don't ask for any extended social life outside of sport or for holidays (Now I am back down to 3-4h a day, so 6 is not usual any more and my girl friend is forcing me to do holidays  )

Danke!

@Alessandro Mainente, I hope that archer ring rows prepare me enough for incline ring rows but we will see.  The 5x60s chin up top holds f with my head a little bit and I think this could be a little speed bump. I tested it and the biggest obstacle is that I pinch my bicep quite a bit. It would be easier for me to hold half way up I believe. Is this about work capacity only? 

I will submit to the program anyhow. I am just asking for more understanding.

Yes, that's work capacity. one of the most underrated fact is that every muscles should be conditioned and prepared in function of its anatomy and physiology. if we can do pullup with BW added but we cannot perform the chin hold should raise some questions in our mind,...have we ever trained our biceps?

43 minutes ago, Sascha Fast said:

It would be easier for me to hold half way up

Here you see one of the big differences of GST: it trains your muscles in every angle position, mainly in the end range positions (compression and pre-stretch), where the muscle cannot work as easily as in middle positions. Compression often leads to cramps in the beginning, working out of pre-stretch tough feels hard and may cause "Muskelkater" (soreness is the word i think).

The work capacity is not the real problem but rather the pinching (beach muscle bicep Level 9000...) in the position. 

Didn't consider it for the biceps. I totally get that for the pike position. It integrates with press to handstand and a couple of other movements. I don't understand how bicep compression ties to the rest of the game. Can you fill that hole in my understanding?

Thx so far, the both of you!

if you can show the first exercise with 30'' rest in between sets then you have a minimum of work capacity. after you should demonstrate it with the other exercises.

what do you mean precisely with pinching?

My biceps get smushed between my forearm and my humerus. It is in the way. I can't close my elbow further than in the picture. (Biceps shot in a gymnastics forum...)

I think it is more concerned with 2 factors: tight muscle fascia + tight elbow capsule. 

but It is totally fine. I have the same range of movement of you (due to reduced capsule mobility...it is work in progress) but I have already mastered the chin hold that's not the problem.

I don't think so. If I relax my biceps I have plenty of range of motion more. When I flex it pushes away my forearm increasing the angle.

Oh, forgot to answer with my mobility. Can do German Hang, Can do bridge arms extended, legs not. Splits and Pancake not so good. Pike: Can do put my hands on the floor when I am warm only. Directly out of bed, only fists. Seated pike compression possible and not overly hard.

A little update:

I tested the first progressions. Some pretty easy as expected (deck squats), some not at mastery because of my mobility (my hips don't swivel), some not at mastery unexpected (can do hinge rows with mastery sets/reps but it doesn't feel stable enough to call that mastery). 

I changed my plan. I'll recompose my morning routine and do 1-3 rounds of all the seven progressions with doubled or sometimes tripled mobility (my hips really don't swivel.  ). In addition to that, I need to figure out how to fit the progressions in my schedule with the goal to practice the prescribed reps and sets 2 times per week. 

In order to be more precise:

-if you cannot show this bridge https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/south-african-child-doing-gymnastics-bridge-26525131.jpg then you have to work on bridge a lot, but really a lot.

-if you cannot show this german hang then you have a lot of work to do, a lot.

Looking forward to that.