Skiing/Climbing - what stretch courses to get first?

[Daniel Findley]

Hi all, I recently found GST and Coach Sommer through Tim Ferris' podcast. I went through Fundamentals and am working through Foundations 1, and I have a few questions.

I'm 28, 5'10" and about 185-190 (carrying around about 20 pounds extra on my frame), and my main priorities are skiing well and climbing well, and overall health. I was doing Stronglifts for a couple of months and was really happy with it, but I was sore all the time and worried that my form wasn't quite good enough as the weight increased. Foundations 1 seems a bit slow but I'm sure it'll pick up; what I'm more curious about is what stretch courses will be most beneficial for someone who likes to rock climb and (alpine) ski. I work full time and am in grad school in the evenings, so I'm not made out of time. I'm thinking of picking up handstand 1, but would movement or one of the other stretch courses complement my pursuits better than others?

I guess I'm also curious about progressing more quickly in areas where I'm stronger. I could squat 5x5x200 when I was doing Stronglifts and I think I had good form, so doing the PE1 leg work on Foundations 1 feels like a massive step backward, considering it's still two-legged squats. Is there a way to do that with the program? It seems pretty locked into a rigid sort of progression, and doesn't allow for bigger jumps if you have strength in a particular area.

Thanks!

[Coach Sommer]

Hi Daniel,

At this point in your training I am far more concerned about your mastering the hip & knee mobility elements in F1/F2 than I am your max leg strength.  Time enough to pursue more leg strength later.  Right now our primary focus should be on repairing mobility deficits.

Follow your leg strength workouts as outlined, focusing on the iMs are your guidelines for whether or not you are ready to move forward.  

Feel free to put a few maintenance sets of squats in here and there at the end of workouts.  Remember though that these are 'maintenance' sets, not training sets.  

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer