Stretch series necessary to complete Foundations?

- How far can I go through the Foundation series, before it becomes necessary to add the Stretch series?

I'm new to all this mobility, but I'm guessing something like Manna requires extreme mobility.

..or is the necessary mobility work built into Foundations?

That’s a quertij I wish I had answered for me when I started! It took me 18 months to realize that I should’ve been doing it Day 1 right Akon cause F1. Coach Sommer says in the stretch series that you’re not gonna make progress into advanced movements if you’re not able to be mobile. If F1 is the only goal you have I guess you don’t need it but the stretch series has changed not only my F1 into F2 training but kept me from injury in Judo, which I started two years ago at age 45... going strong with 20-something’s now, so for me it’s a no brained. 

You may just want to consider the annual purchase ($240) or the $30 a month option. Worth it to have it all at your fingertips. 

Appreciate your input Leon, I almost feel sorry for those twenty-somethings!

I have the Unlimited program, and have been playing around with all workouts except movement, to get a feel for it all.

- I'm just wondering if I really need to put the time into Stretch as a beginner, or if the necessary mobility work is a part of Foundations..?

I mean, no doubt that Stretch is awesome, I'm just not sure whether or not it's worth the effort for me at this point.. I have no sport specific need for being very mobile, and if there's no clear benefit, why spend the time, right?

10 hours ago, Isak Tougaard said:

Appreciate your input Leon, I almost feel sorry for those twenty-somethings!

I have the Unlimited program, and have been playing around with all workouts except movement, to get a feel for it all.

- I'm just wondering if I really need to put the time into Stretch as a beginner, or if the necessary mobility work is a part of Foundations..?

I mean, no doubt that Stretch is awesome, I'm just not sure whether or not it's worth the effort for me at this point.. I have no sport specific need for being very mobile, and if there's no clear benefit, why spend the time, right?

I should have started the stretch series like 5 years before starting Foundation, starting the same day was too late... 

If you keep training GST, after a few months you ll laugh at your last phrase. "I have no sport specific need for being very mobile" is like saying i have no sport specific need to eat healthy or sleep enough so I shouldn t pay any attention to it.  Don t say that again here or Coach will get angry, sssshhh 

Start stretching right now. Enjoy!

2 hours ago, Antonio Alías Montoya said:

"I have no sport specific need for being very mobile" is like saying i have no sport specific need to eat healthy or sleep enough so I shouldn t pay any attention to it.  Don t say that again here or Coach will get angry, sssshhh 

Oh snap

Maybe I did ask a dumb question.. But then again, I am dumb when it comes to stretching and mobility, I'll admit it. I have no prior experience, except for being forced to occasionally do it after running in gym class. In my mind, I only know it to make you more of a noodle, and less sore after exercise.

So I'm curious, what other benefits do you guys get from it, when stretching GST style?

Could I maybe release some of those stubborn muscle knots I can't seem to uproot with foam rolling?

Apologies if these questions are like asking birds why they fly, but I would rather learn from you smart people in this forum, than google around and guess at this.

How much benefit you get out of the stretch series depends on the mobility you come to table with at first. I would guess that the absolute majority of us adults REALLY need the stretch series because our lifestyle has made us extremely tight.

In F1 the focus is on developing work capacity and connective tissue, this takes a fair bit of time, I remember hearing Coach mention that we should spend at least 6-8 months with it. Many people spend longer time with it. 

Strength generally goes quite fast to develop, I think I have heard Coach mention that it only takes 90 days for muscle cells to get replaced, while for connective tissue it is 270.

Mobility is for most people the biggest variable in how long it takes to work trough the Foundation series. For example if you do not have a fairly good passive pike flexibility, you will very soon slam in to a brick wall with progressions that require pike flexibility. The strength, work capacity and connective tissue will go fairly quick to develop (months) but since you lack adequate flexibility you can not even get in the the correct position to do the exercise and you end up having to spend years with stretching before you can perform the exercise with good range of motion.

Therefore I would highly suggest that you start with the stretch series as soon as possible if you do not have a good flexibility already now.

For adults I think that generally the Front split series are most beneficial to start with, followed by the thoracic bridge and then middle split. Keep in mind though that this is just what I heard is most common for adults, it does not necessary have to be you.   

John, what you said is exactly right, at least for me. I have spent three years in on F1. I found however that middle split in front split my two best series to begin, and the thoracic the most challenging.

On 21/7/2018 at 7:41 PM, Isak Tougaard said:

- How far can I go through the Foundation series, before it becomes necessary to add the Stretch series?

I'm new to all this mobility, but I'm guessing something like Manna requires extreme mobility.

..or is the necessary mobility work built into Foundations?

 

I highly recommend to add them in order to balance muscles tension first then make some range of motion easier to be managed.

On July 21, 2018 at 3:12 PM, Isak Tougaard said:

Appreciate your input Leon, I almost feel sorry for those twenty-somethings!

I have the Unlimited program, and have been playing around with all workouts except movement, to get a feel for it all.

- I'm just wondering if I really need to put the time into Stretch as a beginner, or if the necessary mobility work is a part of Foundations..?

I mean, no doubt that Stretch is awesome, I'm just not sure whether or not it's worth the effort for me at this point.. I have no sport specific need for being very mobile, and if there's no clear benefit, why spend the time, right?

After 7 months of focused, unwavering discipline to do each stretch series once per week, I have come to the conclusion that they may be even more important and life changing then the 7 foundation 1 modules. Monday--front split, Wednesday middle split and Friday thoracic. I build in my foundation workouts around them and hit each one 1-2 times per week. The stretch series almost have priority now. At the very least I see them as equal and absolutely are accelerating my progress in foundation.

It depends on how tight you are.  For me, the more I workout and the further I progress in Foundation/Handstand, the more I come to realize how important stretching is.  I do more stretching/mobility than I do strength work and sometimes I feel like I still don’t stretch enough.