What would be a good goal, and where would it fit?

[James Orr]

Sorry for the super vague thread title!  I finished listening to Coach Sommer's second podcast with Tim Ferris yesterday, and really want to work through a Gymnastic Bodies program.  I've followed you guys for years on social media and jumped in with the Front Split series last night.  

I'm more of a recreational strength trainer than anything, but I try be well rounded.  I currently follow the program copied below.  I'm not really interested in levers or manna, but a press to handstand would be ridiculously cool.  I've wanted to do a muscle up, but don't know if that would really enhance my life or just be a cool party trick.  Do you think Handstand 1 would be a good course to follow right off the bat, and would it fit in with what I'm already doing?  I can share anything else that would be helpful.    

Mon - Back squat, snatch, dip

Tues - 20 minute row, 20-30 pull-ups

Wed - Turkish getups, deadlift, military press

Thurs - Stretch

Fri - 20 min of KB snatch or row, 20-30 pull-ups 

Sat - Front squat, clean and jerk, dip

Sun - Rest

[Alessandro Mainente]

To have a clear view you need to look over the roadmap suggested here:

and I can you move specifics correlations:

-press to hs it is covered in H2, without a proper hs in H1 it is difficult to be achieved

-mu is covered in R1-R2 that requires a solid elbow preparation from foundations (F1-2-3-4).

[James Orr]

Thanks Alessandro.  I finished up Coach Sommer's first podcast with Tim this morning and heard what he said about elbows and muscle-ups.  I think my elbows are decently conditioned after years of hardstyle kettlebell work and weightlifting, and I can do very deep dips, but I don't want to be "that guy," either   I really appreciate the "practice" approach to training that I've picked up from the StrongFirst community, and see a lot of it in the approach here.    

It looks like H1 and H2 are best done simultaneously.  How far can someone really get in H2 if they don't have a handstand yet?  I read somewhere else that H2 helps develop the pancake.  If that's something I'm already working on, could I hold off on H2, or is there more to it that helps them work synergistically?

[Alessandro Mainente]

If you do not have a decent free handstand your journey will finish around the half of H2 considering that it has 27 elements.

H2 works specifically on active pancake work with  deep and hard stallbar stretch variations.

Unfortunately the stress imposed by rings it is completely different from the stress you can feel on KB or Dips or something else because it is specific. your body tends to adapts specifically on something. for this reason your elbows need to be progressively prepared.

[James Orr]

Thanks, Alessandro.  I really do appreciate it.  

[Suzanna McGee]

@James Orr I started the Gymnastic Bodies almost a month ago, before the Tim Ferris podcast. I wanted to learn to do a proper handstand for my new adventure—pole fitness…  Like you, I go to the gym 5 days a week and I do intense workouts (used to do bodybuilding, so I still want to shape my body how I want it),  I swing and flip kettlebells, I stretch, I play tennis… I find myself very athletic… until this pole fitness and gymnastic bodies training. I realized, how "non athletic" I am according to @Coach Sommer whom I respect deeply (since the Tim Ferris podcast, I googled and listened to all Coach Sommer's podcasts!).  I love his philosophy on training, building a solid foundation and make the body super mobile… and strive for perfection in every action we do… so, what I want to say is... that I started with the H1 program… I LOVE it. Two weeks later, I purchased the Thoracic Bridge program, I love it (even though I hate it while doing those painful pesky exercises, hee hee) and now, I am actually about to buy the Foundation One. I am going to do it later tonight. I did not plan to get this deeply into it, but realizing how amazing the whole program is, I just cannot stop myself. I may never want to be a ring queen (but who knows?), but all the foundation building for the rings will help with everything in my fitness endeavors. Don't jump into H2 without going through H1. You'd be surprised how much value you will get from those "boring" wrist exercises and building your hands and fingers and wrists and shoulders and all that foundation. Trust me. I got very humbled. As fit as I thought I was, there's so much in these programs, and everything is going to be good for your overall fitness and health. 

[James Orr]

That's awesome, Suzanna.  The philosophy really appeals to me, too.  I'm going to grab to middle split course and H1.