Need Help Setting Long-Term Goals

Howdy!  I've been using Foundation 1 and Handstand 1 for a little while now and I'm starting to develop a long-term training forecast using Gymnastic Bodies.  Basically, I'm trying to figure out how long the Foundation series will take (which I will expound on in a second).

Background: 36 year old male, Serious-ish martial artist (Kajukenbo if it matters), long history with kettlebells (I can use 40kg on most lifts with little trouble; Vse grad Pavel Tsatsouline).

Training: I'm doing a three-day split (upper body Monday, core Wednesday, Legs and Handstand on Friday), with the stretch series (eventually) on Tuesday/Thursday.  I'm here primarily for the soft-tissue aspect of training so I'm going very slowly.  Even if I can blow through a progression, I do each level for at least a week (yep, took 9 weeks to go through the push-up level 1).  I'm currently sitting at around levels 3 and 4 on most exercises without much struggle and progressing consistently week in, week out.

My goal (aside from rehabing unhappy ligaments) is to ultimately get to the final levels described in BtGB (planche push-up, front lever row, etc).  Ring work doesn't appeal to me too much but it's on my radar.  A free handstand push-up would be awesome but a one-arm handstand is about as appealing as the ring work.

Back to the actual question:

I am trying to figure out if all progress remains consistent (hahahahah!), will I reach the end of the Foundation series by close-of-business 2020?  I've been unable to find how many progressions there are.  I found one place that says there are 25.  If so, if there are 9 steps per progression, would mean 225 workouts.  If I maintain a steady progression of one step per workout, that would take four and a half years from the start.  Does that math hold up?  If so, that would put me in the ballpark of reaching my goals by the end of the decade, so long as my progress remains consistent (hahahahaha!).

What do y'all think?

Hey Robert,

The answer to this question is impossible to predict, but it becomes easier to make an educated guess the further along you get. A few elements will certainly be completed more quickly than others. For example, you may finish SLS, SL, and RC far earlier than the remaining four. You would then put those on maintenance, allowing you to put more energy into your deficits. 

For now, I say don't worry about exactly how long it will take and simply enjoy the ride. You have the right attitude, so completion by 2020 could very well be possible. 

There are no possible maths with GST! I ve been stuck on certain progressions for 6 months and on certain steps for many weeks. GST adress absolutely every deficiency your body might have. So sooner or later you ll reach one of this deficiencies or imbalances and it will hold you there for some time. Certainly you can already be quite flexible and balanced, which means you ll progress faster. I d say is better to focus on the direction, rather than the destination. Focus on the present step, nature will take care of the results.

Thank you both for your responses.  I have no problem being patient and just focusing on what's ahead of me, but without a clear idea as to not just my destination but also my objective, it can make me feel aimless.  That said, the consensus seems to be there's no way to predict, so we'll just have to see.  Thank you again for the responses.

Robert, individual recovery and strength and mobility gain will also vary which is one of the reasons why you might gain some elements faster than others, in addition to other elements progressing at individual levels. be patient and see the end goal of the 7 elements and Handstand courses.

I have been considering this lately as well. I am in the other camp when it comes to progress. I'm 47 and believe in milking every step along the way. I mean I don't think about progressing a step until every rep in every set is not a struggle. Then I stick with that step for at least a month, looking for any possible way to improve the form. Then I look at my schedule to make sure that if I step up, I can be consistent on the new step for at least a month. Eg I don't progress if I know I have a vacation or work trip coming up in a couple of weeks. I also try to bring each element up evenly, so when each element of my F3 work out is not a struggle I bring up the lowest element. The other side of this is that I sometimes wonder if I am simply hanging out in a 'comfort zone' and should be pushing harder. I do upper 2x a week, Core 2x a week and lower every workout (4x a week).

I would love to be able to do the skills at the end of Foundations and will continue to work towards that goal, upgrading to each course along the way. If I hit 65 and am 'only' at the end of Foundations 1, doing F7 3 times a week then that's ok too, and much better than I can do now, or could do 10 years ago.

Good luck with your journey!

Wayne I'm impressed with anyone who can do F7 in a single session. I usually do an F3 in the morning and an F4 in the afternoon/evening if I do F7 at all. Respect to you!

Hi Robert, you do very well not rushing through progressions, but one week per step may be taking it more slowly than you need - a coach-revised video check of your form could help you determining that. If your form is in place I see no reason to spend a week per step if you can move faster.

In fact until some time ago the prescribed procedure was to start an element attempting it a step 9, and based on the results decide the appropriate step at which to start. Too many of us however rushed ahead with form not in place, so now one for F1 the advised procedure is to start at step 1. Note also that you can progress faster in between steps hitting the very easy (or too easy - I don't remember as I hardly ever use it!) smiley.