Properly following the program

I just posted and the problem indicated there was a problem.  This post will be very short in case it's a duplicate.

I purchased F1/H1 quite a while ago, spent time to understand the programming and quit.  Shortly there after I purchased the Stretch routine.  

Decided to start again and noticed significant a upgrade to interface.  

I don't understand what routines are applicable for a given day.  I want to follow the program as designed.  

If I choose, then F1/H1 concurrently two days on, rest, train two days and repeat the following week.  Not sure how to fit stretch into program.  Possibly 1 or two days per week on days when not training F1/H1.

Any thoughts, direction or comments are welcome and appreciated.

If it matters, I have been free weight training for decades and have developed significant structural imbalances and immobility...

jim

Hello Jim,

You can see a post by Coach Sommer here about the new interface:

Jim, that is because people's workout ability varies greatly. Some people have more time to workout then others, some have better recovery then others etc ... You mentioned you quit once already ...

General recommendation is to complete each workout at least once per week. But my question for you is - can you do that consistently? So my recommendation to you is - pick workouts based on your priorities and do them consistently. Set up fix days/hours to train and stick to the schedule. For example, I'll do Foundation workouts no matter what. I'll do my best to do at least two stretch workouts each week. Do that consistently for 3 months and then step up your game, if you see you can handle it.

11 hours ago, Luke Searra said:

Hello Jim,

You can see a post by Coach Sommer here about the new interface:

 

Thanks Luke, I will incorporate your thoughts on stretch.

I'm not quite clear on F1/H1.  The old system had recommendations on programming based on the number of days per week committed to training.  I believe it also had recommended optimal training days per week.  I don't see that with the update.  For example, when I login the page is split in 2 sections "My Available Workouts" and "My Course Library".  I have 3 stretch (you covered those), core, lower and upper as well as handstand.  

1.  Do the available workout cover all of the purchased programs?

2.  Training days per week should be tailored to individual recovery capacity.  Do I decide how many days per week to train or is there a recommended schedule (assuming time is available)?

3.  Do I decide what to train on each training day or is this automated?  In a periodized weight training model I may train lower on M, Thurs and Upper Tues, Fri (please note that I am not attempting to convert this to something I know, rather I am trying to understand this process).  On each lower day I would complete all of the periodized movements, record and repeat on Thurs.  I don't know what to do when with this system.  If I pick it will look like a weight training regimen and that may not be appropriate.  Are we attempting to train each of the elements (core, lower, upper and handstand) twice per week?  I assume handstand is always trained with upper.  

Monday/Thursday - Upper, Handstand

Tuesday/Friday - Core, Lower

On each training day complete all of the exercises for each element?

Thank you spending a few moments replying.

Jim

Hi Jim,

Good questions! Thanks for reaching out. 

1. Yes, the availble workouts section covers programming for all of your purchased courses.

2. Yes, you decide how many times you complete each available workout per week. I suggest beginning with completing each once per week. As you become more familiar with the training and get to know your recovery abilities better, you can consider adding in more sessions for any workouts EXCEPT the stretch workouts. Spend AT LEAST one month on a given weekly schedule before adding more volume. 

3. As long as you complete each workout once per week, you are just fine for now. This Saturday, we are scheduled to have a planning tool coming out that will allow you to organize your week. You will be able to default to Coach Sommer's recommended weekly schedule or create your own. 

Please let us know if you have any other questions. 

Is it recommended that the muscle groups with 3 exercises (Core & Upper Body) are completed together during one workout or should / can we split up the exercises in the muscle group. This was an option in the older version.

Thanks for all the hard work guys! Can't stop talking about your program!!! 

Hi Aaron  

If you click on 'Set My Schedule' on your Dashboard, you can click on 'Use Coach Sommer's recommend' workout. You'll see that the exercises are split into different muscle groups here (core, upper body and lower body) 

Hi Pauline,

Sorry for not making myself clear, but what I meant is the individual exercises within the muscle groups.

For instance, doing all three upper body exercises in a row would deplete my upper body strength quite a bit by the time I get to the 3rd set of exercises (for instance, maybe rope climbs). So I may indicate this workout as "hard", but really is was hard because I did two upper body workouts right before the rope climb workout.

Also coach Sommers' recommendations includes a bunch of courses that I haven't purchased: handstand, splits, etc.

If you are in the  foundations 1, the only 2 exercises which uses strongly the arms are HBP and RC. PLanche begins to be challenging only at the end of F1, while front lever does not require arms completely until F2.

Hi Alessandro,

Thanks for chiming in.

I'm actually at the end of F1 and the same issue would apply for core workouts as well.

I'm looking for a more systemic, solution than "tough it out", unless that's what GST formally recommends. However, as I mentioned, the previous version of GST varied to workouts and didn't group the muscle group exercises into one sitting.

Hi Aaron,

Actually 'tough it out' is exactly what I am going to tell you.

Later it gets even tougher as an F7 style warmup comprises the prestrength warmup for advanced level GST work.  For example, the pulling portion of the warmup on a 7m rope is a triple, a double and another double - all performed and completed within approximately 5 minutes.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

*Trying to resist going all fanboy after Coach Sommers directly telling me to "tough it out".

Thank you everyone!

Just to be crystal clear: It's recommended to group upper body exercises, back-to-back, in one setting. For example, Monday = upper body; Tuesday = Core; Wednesday = upper body. Take perhaps only 2 minutes transitioning from RC to HBP.

Something I've always struggled with is understanding the spectrum of recommended intensity per week for F1 and beyond.

11 minutes ago, Aaron Altamura said:

Take perhaps only 2 minutes transitioning from RC to HBP.

Take even less if you can! Transitioning immediately from one to another is ideal. 

4 hours ago, Aaron Altamura said:

*Trying to resist going all fanboy after Coach Sommers directly telling me to "tough it out".

Thank you everyone!

Just to be crystal clear: It's recommended to group upper body exercises, back-to-back, in one setting. For example, Monday = upper body; Tuesday = Core; Wednesday = upper body. Take perhaps only 2 minutes transitioning from RC to HBP.

Something I've always struggled with is understanding the spectrum of recommended intensity per week for F1 and beyond.

Hi Aaron,

No, I recommend starting with one core, one lower body and one upper body per week.  Intersperse the strength days with stretch days.  Ride this cycle for a minimum of three weeks and then evaluate how your body is tolerating the workload.

Yes, the transition from exercise to exercise should only take as long as it takes to get over to the next station.  Besides RC and HBP use completely different muscle groups.  What you are dealing with is a feeling of overall systemic fatigue - not muscular failure.

You are most definitely not alone in this.  Outside of mobility, one of the other largest deficits most adults have is a lack of work capacity.  This is not something however that can be corrected immediately - it will take some time.  Time measured in months; not days or weeks.

Later, on advanced ring strength days, the rest periods will be substantial.  But for now, it is time to rebuild the engine.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

9 minutes ago, Coach Sommer said:

Hi Aaron,

No, I recommend starting with one core, one lower body and one upper body per week.  Intersperse the strength days with stretch days.  Ride this cycle for a minimum of three weeks and then evaluate how your body is tolerating the workload.

Yes, the transition from exercise to exercise should only take as long as it takes to get over to the next station.  Besides RC and HBP use completely different muscle groups.  What you are dealing with is a feeling of overall systemic fatigue - not muscular failure.

You are most definitely not alone in this.  Outside of mobility, one of the other largest deficits most adults have is a lack of work capacity.  This is not something however that can be corrected immediately - it will take some time.  Time measured in months; not days or weeks.

Later, on advanced ring strength days, the rest periods will be substantial.  But for now, it is time to rebuild the engine.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

One minor point. Work capacity can be dramatically increased over the short term (a month or two) with high intensity interval training..

Hey Jim,

The amount of work capacity developed by the end of F4 absolutely crushes any other H.I.I.T program I've seen. Proper physical preparation is not a short game and the adapatations developed during Foundations translate into more advanced training. This advanced training includes a warmup that someone who'd been performing arbitrary H.I.I.T would be altogether stumped by. 

Please also remember that correcting mobility deficits is highest in priority and can not be improved upon quickly. Progressing both mobility, exercise difficulty, and work capacity slowly, over many months and years safely and patiently builds one heck of a physical tool.

Hi Everett,

This is a very interesting point and something that I didn't know.   After decades of routine weight training the immobility I have developed is limiting my progress.  The strength requirements of H1 F1 seem easily achievable.  The mobility is a problem.   On several occasions I have started the program, completed a few days of training, realize mobility is limiting progress, I become anxious thinking I'm under training on the strength side, drop the program go back to free weights, reaseaech a bit more and try this program again. 

I am very familiar with developing periodized routines, loading parameters for the various strength paradigms (relative vs functional strength for example) and the approximate time to reach an objective    

The more I understand about the program Sommers has developed the more impressed I am. He is one of the few coaches that appreciates tempo.  This is just one example of many.   

1. Do you believe that the advanced courses cover all the necessary cardiovascular training (without actually doing something like h.i.i.t.)? 

2.  It would help me to drive through the immobility piece if I knew approximately how much time I will need to invest to reach to reach the more advanced training programs.  Let's say I have slightly less nobility than the average guy that has weight trained for 32 years, I am just starting H1, F1 Stretch and Nutrition and will train 4 days per week with one additional day for stretch.  How long will it take to reach R1 assuming I'm serious and have average progress? 

My intention is to train on a routine basis until it's not possible  So, no issue with consistency and dedication.  Keep in mind that I am asking for an average.  There will obviously be those that take much longer or reach this goal quickly   Having a reliable semi-worst case time line would help me to understand my goals.

I do F7 twice a week. While sometimes I keep the order that the system gives me, sometimes the "stations" in the gyms are taken and I don't want to wait, so I mix up the order. It is actually interesting to see if I can do F7 in any order of those exercises. It feels always different, which is fun, and challenges me differently depending what is already tired in my body. Not sure if Coach recommends this, but it's a nice change and rather than waiting, I can keep it intense. 

6 hours ago, Jim Campi said:

One minor point. Work capacity can be dramatically increased over the short term (a month or two) with high intensity interval training..

Hello Jim,

Actually for beginners that is a very dangerous, very slippery slope as most beginners will quickly find themselves injured as they attempt to ride that razor's edge difference between maximum intensity and injury while simultaneously lacking the experienced judgement and physical foundation to do so safely. 

High intensity work is properly the domain of advanced and elite level athletes.  And deservedly so.  For all others, high intensity work should be treated with great caution and respect lest it turn around and bite them.

Bottomline: most training injuries are the result of impatience and attempting to cheat time.    And nothing kills progress faster than sitting on the sidelines due to unnecessary injuries and watching all those prior gains melting away.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

36 minutes ago, Coach Sommer said:

Hello Jim,

Actually for beginners that is a very dangerous, very slippery slope as most beginners will quickly find themselves injured as they attempt to ride that razor's edge difference between maximum intensity and injury while simultaneously lacking the experienced judgement and physical foundation to do so safely. 

High intensity work is properly the domain of advanced and elite level athletes.  And deservedly so.  For all others, high intensity work should be treated with great caution and respect lest it turn around and bite them.

Bottomline: most training injuries are the result of impatience and attempting to cheat time.    And nothing kills progress faster than sitting on the sidelines due to unnecessary injuries and watching all those prior gains melting away.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Yes I suppose you are correct.  Most beginners that are adults are incapable of true high intensity work if they have been sedentary for a period of time.   For example 30 seconds near max sprint followed by 10 seconds to 2 min low intensity jogging and repeat.  As far as I know Poliquin has been recommending this to his clients and the public for years however; it's always prefaced with conditioning. 

I'm making this up but its probably close and makes my point - 90% of the adult population over age 30 could not do true interval training if you challenged them on the street.  There is no reason that with conditioning - 6 weeks low intensity following by 4-6 weeks of moderate intensity sprinting that most adults could not start hiit work.  We are now a few months in.  Agreed, it does take months.  

I absolutely agree that hiit with resistance can sideline an athlete quickly If it isn't managed by a professional.  

What caught my attention was Everett's comment that the advanced course work is more difficult than hiit.   No one that I am aware of is doing anything like your training protocols. 

Years of incorrect training left me with mediocre progress.  Poliquin helped me advance quickly over the last 8 years and reach a nice plateau.  The protocols you have developed are similarly unique and have cleared the path for new peaks.  

It's obvious you have put time (and probably many late evenings) into developing this system.  It's appreciated.  Hopefully you are getting more compliments than complaints.  I could hand out 100 dollar bills and someone would complain that it should be two $50s.  Thanks again.  

Hi Suzanna, if your avatar is your photo then you must have been training for years before starting here.  You moved through H1 quickly.  Are you interested in discussing your starting mobility level and any challenges you had overcoming obstacles?

It was one of the most interesting things for me at the seminar, watching Coach push an athlete to his limits, demanding quality work, but stopping him as soon as he reached this limit and before he started to compensate/break form. This is something that is hard to do on your own, maybe if you are advanced/elite athlete, but helps A LOT for optimal progress.

11 hours ago, Jim Campi said:

Hi Suzanna, if your avatar is your photo then you must have been training for years before starting here.  You moved through H1 quickly.  Are you interested in discussing your starting mobility level and any challenges you had overcoming obstacles?

Jim, yes, that is my photo in my avatar, and I have been training for 40 years, since 11 years old. Different things, starting with cross country skiing, then downhill, then bodybuilding, then tennis… for all my sports, I've been always doing weights. And stretching and myofascial release daily for the past 15 years, at least (before the rolling even became mainstream). My stretching, however, was just the "normal" kind, 20-30 minutes daily of everything. I have never done the GST style, focused 45-minutes on one thing, once a week… but I love it. I think my 3 stretching programs progress really well, because over the years, I've taught myself to relax into the stretches and I can feel how the tissue is letting go.

Regarding my mobility challenges... my leg internal rotation is bad, more on the left. My external hips (these seated yoga stretches that are not in our courses) are really really tight. I am now choosing to work on them daily to get them to a more normal level. My adductors are tight as well, but getting them now to a level that I feel pretty comfortable in the frog stretches (that I have been doing as limbering daily for the past few weeks). My hip-flexors are tight too. All this is relative I think, because even before I started GST, I could do "some kind of front split" (absolutely not GST quality, but just trying to show where my mobility was before)… My obliques were REALLY tight, I couldn't even bend sideways in the pancake, now I can hold my toes with the above the head arm. Like I mentioned, my tissue is letting go really well. However… this is a big HOWEVER… my spine, bending backwards, there is NOTHING. It has never been. Even the cat-cow exercise, I have almost no arch in my spine. In the cobra, the girls (and guys) are so nicely arched, I feel like a piece of plank wood. I do the TB stretch once a week too. My shoulders are getting nice and loose. The spine is still stiff like a brick. Not sure if it is because I am 51 years and over the years accumulated this tightness, if it is something structural (I don't want to have that excuse), but it is just not bending back at all. 

Also, before I started GST, I have always done high volume training in the gym. Instead of resting between sets, I was doing abs, or other exercises. I accumulated many sets and reps during my training sessions… so maybe that's why I progressed relatively fast in the beginning in the GST, but now it is slowing down. I am not used to using my body weight when doing strength moves. I am 6 feet tall, And I feel weak for my height and weight. I am patient now. I have surrendered, and even though it was fast first, now I know it will be a slow progress.