Getting started

Hello,

Let me know if my thread is ill placed. Otherwise,

I just recently started the program and am following the general recommended scheduled routines on the program, i.e. Monday: Core, Tuesday: Middle Split, etc.

I have a few questions as a beginner.

1. How do I go about getting my form checked? Do I simply create a thread for video review? Where should I post such threads?

2. Besides following the program, how can I maximize my progress? Can I add other videos? How can I know what I should add or focus on?

thank you again in advanced

Matt

Hey Matt,

1. Each course (Foundation One, Front Split Stretch, etc.) has its own section of the forum. When you click into one of those sections you'll see a form check subsection. Please upload videos to YouTube, adjust the privacy settings to unlisted, and post the link in a new thread there. 

2. Add in extra content based on the areas that need the most improvement. Start with the form checks, identify your major weaknesses, and then we can help you add in extra work. 

OMG I am sooooooo lost too. I bought Foundation a year or two ago but never did it...now I log back in and there's GymTV and all of these new videos. And then I find Foundation but there are all of these terms like "FL/PE1 Exercise Video" ... what the hell does that mean? I saw a PDF on the front page that mentions the blank slate, etc. categories but now I have to buy a subscription just to see what those videos are.... but I still don't know what "FL/PE1" means. Is there a video somewhere that lays all of this out? Or someone I could have a Skype call with? I am lost in space and scared I'll just head back to Beachbody videos.

Hi Michael 

PE means Preparatory Element

IM means integrated mobility

while FL means front lever, sPL straddle planche, SL side lever, HBP hollowback press, MN manna, SLS single leg squat, RC rope climbing and HS means handstand.

Awesome thanks for the input guys! It's time to start working on the habit of doing this stuff daily! 

Hi,

I'm also a newbie, freshly signed up and excited to get started.

I'm loving the fact that there's a recommended schedule to follow that's automatically populated for me. I assume the default recommendation from Coach is based on addressing all of the key areas (core, lower, upper body; strength and mobility?)

Would you say this is the very best way to get started for an absolute beginner: to simply go with Coach's recommended schedule? Or should everybody be looking to customize this? My preference is to follow a recommended program, as I have to admit, I'm finding the vast array of courses to be a bit overwhelming and it's difficult to understand how to make suitable selections for my level (understanding the difference between the Foundation, Fundamentals, Elements... or where the various 6-week programs should come into play, etc). 

I can see that my levels are also pre-set to the very lowest settings, which is perfect for where I want to begin. But can you tell me: 1) do these directly determine what appears in my default recommended schedule from Coach every week? And 2) do these levels - and my schedule recommended by Coach - update automatically depending on how easy/difficult I report the exercises as being, when I take and complete them in a workout? In other words, is Coach's recommended schedule designed to automatically adjust with me as I progress, without me needing to manually update or customize my workout program?

To be clear, this is my very first attempt at any gymnastic strength training - but I'm not coming at it from 'couch potato' level (I'm a reasonably accomplished marathon runner, and can manage respectable levels of orthodox bodyweight exercises like pushups and bodyweight squats).

Thanks - really looking forward to getting started!

Ian

5 hours ago, Ian Cook 353813 said:

1) do these directly determine what appears in my default recommended schedule from Coach every week? And 2) do these levels - and my schedule recommended by Coach - update automatically depending on how easy/difficult I report the exercises as being, when I take and complete them in a workout? In other words, is Coach's recommended schedule designed to automatically adjust with me as I progress, without me needing to manually update or customize my workout program?

 To be clear, this is my very first attempt at any gymnastic strength training - but I'm not coming at it from 'couch potato' level (I'm a reasonably accomplished marathon runner, and can manage respectable levels of orthodox bodyweight exercises like pushups and bodyweight squats).

Thanks - really looking forward to getting started!

Ian

 

l have the same questions.  I find it very odd that the two PDF guides I was offered after signing up do not explain any of this.  Are there any reference materials that explain in detail what happens behind the scenes in terms of programming content (how and why certain workouts are scheduled chosen for specific days?) and difficulty?  Does difficulty increase automatically?  If so, at what rate?  Or does difficulty only increase in response to our ratings of each exercise?

Another question:  If we simply follow the recommended program in our schedules, will we eventually progress through all of the material in the course library?  Or do we need to visit those materials separately, in addition to following the program in the calendar?  I see some of the content in the course library is available as reference materials for exercises that appear on our schedules.  Some of the material is exactly the same as what shows up in the daily workouts.  But how do we distinguish, what, if any of the content doesn't/won't ever appear in our schedule?  I hope that question makes sense. 

To rephrase:  If I do only the daily workouts that appear automatically in my schedule, rating the difficulty of each exercise appropriately, will I eventually work through all of the exercises that appear in the New Releases, 6+ Week Programs, Multi-Class Series, and Single Classes?

Thank you!

15 hours ago, Ian Cook 353813 said:

Hi,

I'm also a newbie, freshly signed up and excited to get started.

I'm loving the fact that there's a recommended schedule to follow that's automatically populated for me. I assume the default recommendation from Coach is based on addressing all of the key areas (core, lower, upper body; strength and mobility?)

Would you say this is the very best way to get started for an absolute beginner: to simply go with Coach's recommended schedule? Or should everybody be looking to customize this? My preference is to follow a recommended program, as I have to admit, I'm finding the vast array of courses to be a bit overwhelming and it's difficult to understand how to make suitable selections for my level (understanding the difference between the Foundation, Fundamentals, Elements... or where the various 6-week programs should come into play, etc). 

I can see that my levels are also pre-set to the very lowest settings, which is perfect for where I want to begin. But can you tell me: 1) do these directly determine what appears in my default recommended schedule from Coach every week? And 2) do these levels - and my schedule recommended by Coach - update automatically depending on how easy/difficult I report the exercises as being, when I take and complete them in a workout? In other words, is Coach's recommended schedule designed to automatically adjust with me as I progress, without me needing to manually update or customize my workout program?

To be clear, this is my very first attempt at any gymnastic strength training - but I'm not coming at it from 'couch potato' level (I'm a reasonably accomplished marathon runner, and can manage respectable levels of orthodox bodyweight exercises like pushups and bodyweight squats).

Thanks - really looking forward to getting started!

Ian

Hey,

When you finish your workout you can rate it from too easy to too hard and then the program will move you up or down on the progression. Take in mind that in gymnastics strength training you need time to develop your connectivity tissues too, so don't rush, just be sincere and if it's too easy rate it too easy but take special care on your body position so you are doing it with perfect form and not cheating or compensating because you will pay for it as you progress later on the program.

That being said, you can do extra work if you can deal with it. For example, if you are used to do pull ups every week, you will find that the front lever program is very easy at the beginning, so you can do the program and after that some pull ups, that's the way I do it. If you find that some exercises are too hard or you can't do them at all, specially the mobility related ones, coaches in the forum have recommended me to do some extra mobility work the off days (again, as long as the work is not too hard, you don't want to do the splits every day).

30 minutes ago, Eloy Bote said:

 

 

Hey,

When you finish your workout you can rate it from too easy to too hard and then the program will move you up or down on the progression. Take in mind that in gymnastics strength training you need time to develop your connectivity tissues too, so don't rush, just be sincere and if it's too easy rate it too easy but take special care on your body position so you are doing it with perfect form and not cheating or compensating because you will pay for it as you progress later on the program.

That being said, you can do extra work if you can deal with it. For example, if you are used to do pull ups every week, you will find that the front lever program is very easy at the beginning, so you can do the program and after that some pull ups, that's the way I do it. If you find that some exercises are too hard or you can't do them at all, specially the mobility related ones, coaches in the forum have recommended me to do some extra mobility work the off days (again, as long as the work is not too hard, you don't want to do the splits every day).

Thank you very much Eloy, this is exactly the clarification I was looking for.

Ian

I just started GB this week—excited!  A couple questions:

1) Could somebody tell me where it is that I rate a class ‘too easy’ or ‘too hard?’  I saw it at one point, but now I can’t find where that is.  

2) I purchased the monthly membership, with access to all course matierial.  I noticed in “My Schedule” that at first, there was a link/option to choose “coach’s plan,” or something like that.  This week, a new workout plan populated, but rather than “coach’s plan” link next to it, the link said “choose a plan.”  I clicked on “choose a plan”  and I changed the schedule to “Intro, week 1.”   I wanted to compare this “Intro, week 1” plan to the previous default plan, but I can’t seem to get back to the initial default plan.  How do I get back to the default plan?  And what happened to the “coach’s plan” option?

Hey Marian, the Easy and hard is related to course where mastery is required like foundations, handstand, movement etc. on other courses like stretch there is no rate.