Getting started with Foundation One

I'm getting started on Foundation One, after going through the Fundamentals course a few times, but I'm not sure how to approach scheduling the workouts. On the Dashboard page, I have 3 of the 8 workout types available (Core, Lower Body, Upper Body). The others are samples only. After doing Core yesterday, the window has a check in it. So if I'm understanding correctly, the intention is that I should be doing one workout from each type per week. Lower Body is pretty short (at least this week), so following that model, though some of the movements are challenging for me, there doesn't seem to be much to it.

Should I be doing more workouts of each type per week? For example, the same Core workout three times per week, and Lower + Upper Body twice per week, or something along those lines?

I get the feeling there is a reason why the workouts are spaced as they are, and I'm not trying to bite off too much, but I'm also trying to convert my initial enthusiasm into a regular habit. Am I missing something? Any suggestions for an absolute beginner?

Hey Brandon,

Welcome to GB! Great question. The workouts will get much harder so you are not missing anything. Once you have the checkmark over each of the three workouts, your training is complete for the week. The next thing I suggest adding to your schedule, before more foundation workouts, are the stretch workouts. Adding those in to your schedule will help your progress more than anything else. If you have any other questions, please let us know!

When you say stretch work outs, are you talking about purchasing them like 'front splits' or is there something else?

Am I supposed to be incorporating other stretching like the daly limber works out from fundamentals before the foundation 1 workouts? 

3 minutes ago, Matt Shaw said:

When you say stretch work outs, are you talking about purchasing them like 'front splits' or is there something else?

yes we are referring to stretch courses.

2 minutes ago, Matt Shaw said:

Am I supposed to be incorporating other stretching like the daly limber works out from fundamentals before the foundation 1 workouts? 

Nope, intense stretching routines like the courses must be done after the workout or in separate days.

On 11/22/2016 at 10:37 PM, Everett Carroll said:

The next thing I suggest adding to your schedule, before more foundation workouts, are the stretch workouts. Adding those in to your schedule will help your progress more than anything else. 

Thanks for the response. I take that to mean that for now that I should be fine continuing Foundation One with its three workouts per week, then eventually add in the middle split, front split or thoracic bridge course (or all of them) before moving on to Foundation Two. That seems to make sense in my case, since my flexibility is very poor.

Since you are starting the Foundation series.

A) Watch the "New Features Tutorial."
B) Carefully read everything you have access to.  Reread it if and when you have questions regarding the presented information.
C) Watch the course related videos for details that you might have missed when you viewed the videos on previous instances. There is a lot of information that you can glean from the videos alone.
D) If you have question on your form and you wish to submit a video for review. Use the video review form that is found under the "Help" segment of the course dashboard. You will receive an answer on your form faster than if you had posted it on the forum.
E) Since Coach Sommer seemingly favors connective tissue (tendons and ligaments) development over pure muscle hypertrophy as a means to develop the physical strength our body will need to complete the tasks we give it. Do not be in a rush to develop strength gains that come from mostly muscle hypertrophy. Our tendons take about 12 weeks to adapt for the sake of longer lasting strength gains. More muscle definition is an added benefit to focusing on connective tissue development.

6 hours ago, Brandon Owings said:

then eventually add in the middle split, front split or thoracic bridge course (or all of them) before moving on to Foundation Two.

Hey Brandon,

The earlier you begin stretch, the better. You don't want to hold back your Foundation progress, however. Stick with Foundation One for now and get the stretch courses as soon as you can. If you reach the point in your Foundation training where you need F2, go ahead and continue on with that. Foundations is of the highest priority.  

On 11/24/2016 at 8:08 PM, Rayne-William Fitzgerald said:

E) Since Coach Sommer seemingly favors connective tissue (tendons and ligaments) development over pure muscle hypertrophy as a means to develop the physical strength our body will need to complete the tasks we give it. 

This was one of the main things that drew me to GB. I like the fact that the creator of the program is attuned to this side of strength, and focused on avoiding injury by making sure that the joints are ready before introducing movements that could be dangerous without proper preparation.

Regarding your other points: I found the Fitness tab on the main my.gymnasticbodies.com page, and that has a lot of information, along with the New Features Tutorial. There's clearly a great deal of useful guidance on this site. I was just expecting a more clearly linear path, frankly. I'm not complaining at all, because it's not that hard to find what I've needed so far, and based on this one post, it seems like more experienced people don't mind filling in details. I prefer this to a rigid program with no further guidance.

On 11/25/2016 at 0:11 AM, Everett Carroll said:

The earlier you begin stretch, the better. You don't want to hold back your Foundation progress, however. Stick with Foundation One for now and get the stretch courses as soon as you can. If you reach the point in your Foundation training where you need F2, go ahead and continue on with that. Foundations is of the highest priority.  

Understood. F1 starting off slow is probably fine for me right now. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't slacking too much. I am doing tradictional resistance training in addition to it at the moment. The stretch programs are appealing though, because I've never been very happy with my mobility.

Brandon

Take the time while the courses are easy to work on form. If you feel you need more then do them more times during the week. The new course system will move you to the next level if you hit the easy smilie face, but I would suggest staying with 1 level for a week so you can work on form. too many people move ahead too fast and strugle with form and some times have to back up. Also the mobility movements that go along with each exercise needs to be mastered and can delay your progress if you rush through the program. I am at the moment doing core, upper, lower and hanstand 3 times a week and the 3 stretches 3 times a week. The foundations courses I do for a week before I say easy even when it is so I can focus on form. so that by the time I get to where it is difficult the form has become more automatic. Because the form they are looking for is not what most people are use to, because they are more focused on reps. So what I do is watch the form checks in the Forum and learn what needs to be done to do it correctly and focus on the form while it is still easy and hopfully become more routine. I have found that even doing each exercise for a week you still move ahead rather quickly. The GB system is not only here to develop strength but too redevelop your strength with mobility so that you have a more useful strength. It also promotes bettor joint health by increasing flexibility and mobility. 

Michael

Michael - Thanks for the advice. I agree with focusing on form (certainly in theory, and hopefully in practice), and so far I've been hitting 'fine' for every exercise at least once before changing to easy. I've found a few movements (stiff leg windmill, especially) to be surprisingly difficult to do with good form, mainly due to mobility limitations, but I'm hoping that keeping at the exercises that expose my limits will help me move forward more quickly. I'm getting the impression that people find a lot of value in the stretch courses, in addition to the foundation course, so I'll be looking to add them once I feel more comfortable with Foundation One.

Brandon

I started the stretch courses at the same time as foundation and have found it has helped with foundations. My F1 mobility movement has improved because of the stretch. One of the reason I started GB was because of mobility. Other programs have stretches in them but none compare to GB stretch courses. I have found I have improved in some stretches that that I have not reached in years I LOVE IT. I love F1 also because it works on areas that other programs do not really touch.

Keep up the good work Brandon and all of a sudden you will find that wow this is getting bettor I can do it.

Michael

Michael - Which stretch program did you start with? Middle split? Front split? Thoracic bridge? All three?

Do you (or anyone else) think that one is generally a better place to start than the others?

28 minutes ago, Brandon Owings said:

Do you (or anyone else) think that one is generally a better place to start than the others?

I have found that the pike flexibility work from the front split series helps most for beginners. 

Brandon

I started all three at the same time. Front split is the easiest for me, but middle and thoracic are hard but I have made good gains since starting. I push myself alittle past the moderatly uncomfortable and the aches I first felt are gone and now I feel good stretching in the right places. I do MS monday with core and lower, TS on wednesday with core and lower and FS friday with core and lower. I do Handstand and Upper sun, tues, thurs. Each person has to look at what is there worst area of mobility to decide what would be the best to start with. do different stretches and see what area is the worst and then pick a course. My hips and shoulders were the bad areas especially the hips. I would say if you can afford it bite the bullet and get all three I do not think you will regret it.

Michael

On 11/30/2016 at 2:10 PM, Everett Carroll said:

I have found that the pike flexibility work from the front split series helps most for beginners. 

Thanks for the feedback, Everett and Michael. Front split seems like a reasonable place to start. Based on the samples, the middle split looks pretty tough for where I'm at now, and the thoracic bridge is where I have relatively decent flexibility. I'm content to take it slow and stick with foundation for the time being, to let my time and energy investment catch up to the monetary investment, and to get into a groove. But I'll be looking forward to integrating the stretch series.

Thanks again for all the valuable insight, guys.