Greetings and Question

Greetings,

I am a scrawny gamer in his 20s that wants to get strong but using the best method, so I purchased the book in January and have been following the forums for a while now. I have to say this community support is pretty amazing. Anyway, this semester I SSC the prerequisite statics (hollow, arch, etc) and what not. Some basic dynamics to go along with them. So far so good. But I have a question regarding the prerequisites and the SSC:

Is it necessary to do an 8-12 week SSC for them? I did 12 week SSC this semester (studying abroad and learning a new language => sleep deprivation => sick all the time, plus my diet hasn't been protein heavy... buying protein powder in China?? no way), but felt like perhaps because they are pretty basic that I should not SSC them for so long. Is this correct or should I stick with the normal SSC method?

Thanks!

It is always better to err towards spending too much time with the basics rather than too little. I find that when I think any FSP progression is easy, it is because I am not putting in the correct maximal contraction or am sloppy in technique.

For a newcomer absolutely. You need to take your time and give your body the chance to adapt to what will seem like a massive amount of work at first. Also taking your time, will give you a chance to 'figure out' what you are doing in the various exercises. Figuring out what hollowing means what it feels like, or scapular protraction vs. retraction for example.