WOD - 081222

WOD

Embedded BL (1-2 reps) + Curl variation (3-5 reps)

Perform 5 giant sets

notes

Select an embedded BL entry and BL variation that is appropriate for your current level of strength.

Hold for the BL for half of your current calculated max.

Choose a curl variation that will be challenging for you when performed for 3-5 reps.

The curl variation reps should directly follow the embedded BL rep(s); this constitutes one giant set.

Rest as needed between giant sets.

Coach,

Many thanks for posting this. It has certainly cleared up a few uncertainties for me personally.

May I ask a few questions: I'm guessing this is the pulling portion of the workout and is part of a full body workout (the rest of the body follows a similar structure). Secondly is there a reason why it is formatted slightly differently to the book? It's just that in the book you recommend 2-3 sets whereas this is 5 sets.

Thankyou.

Maybe this is 5 sets instead of the RXd 2-3 because there is no pressing?

Just a thought,

George.

It may help to remember that these initial GB WODs will be soley concerned with developing basic strength and for the time being will not be addressing any of other training components. As such, I have adjusted the structure of the daily training for the time being. If you find that the volume of 5 sets is personally too high, it is of course fine to reduce the sets to 2-3.

The WOD FAQ is an excellent resource for understanding the current design of the GB WODs.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Where I am still confused is that it only includes the pulling segment and none of the pressing, core, or leg movements that many have been recommending be included in the workout design. I am presuming that those other movements will be handled on the other training days, but that seems to go against what many are posting in regards to routine building where the FSP and a different FBE is done each training day for each of the categories (pull,press,core,legs).

I read the FAQ but it doesn't seem to address this aspect. I can understand that the routines are adjusted as they lack the things which are in books that haven't been released, but it seems as though the WOD is incomplete.

So, are the workout design clarifications that have been posted by members incorrect, or are these WOD's scaled back to not inlcude those other aspects for some other reason right now?

It seems like we have been beating this horse to death, but I know I at least feel like I haven't really gotten a clear answer. What I thought was clear from other members' posts is now a bit muddled.

- Chris

The entirety of the planes of movement will be adequately addressed during the complete WOD training cycle.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Coach, thanks for taking the time to post and discuss the WODs. They will be an invaluable addition to the site.

Coach,

I think the only confusion that myself and others are having is that it's just that in the book it says that you wil be engaging in a whole body workout (pull, press, core, legs) each training day and then the WOD which I take it is one training day displays only pulling.

Thanks.

Yes, that is true. However these intial GB WODs are soley designed to progressively build basic strength on a four day training schedule and will not be addressing any of the other training components. This frees up a substantial amount of time in the training schedule which is currently being used to solidify the mastery of the FSP and FBE. The GB WODS as posted on the main page will go through several evolutions prior to having all of the basic strength elements trained within the same workout.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Thanks for the clarification. Good to know these are just scaled back for now.

One follow up question though: since this does free up a significant amount of training time, what would you recommend filling it in with for those of us following the WOD's?

- Chris

Hello Coach, there is no joint preparation & co work in the WOD. Is is not necessary in the beginning? I remember you posting that the books are released in a specific order, so I'd assume you can start with out it. On the other hand you said your athletes start with it (and with handstand work) right from the first training day.

Thanks for the WOD Coach. And thanks for the great book. I´m looking forward to when the other books will be released. Which one will release next?

In a perfect world, yes. And I certainly spent a great deal of time considering whether or not to begin posting the GB WODs in their final format immediately.

However, it quickly became clear that it would be impossible to adequately describe WODs which contain unexplained components until the relevant texts have been released.

I am sure that this will continue to be an issue which will rise again and again; however I will not be posting GB WODs which contain strength training components which have not been thoroughly discussed and presented in both book and DVD form.

I certainly understand and empathize with your desire to begin the final GB WODs immediately, however as you cannot all be under my direct personal supervision, my personal preference is for the posted GB WODs to proceed in a more orderly, structured fashion.

Prior to the release of the relevant texts, another opportunity where I will be engaging in an in depth discussion of all of the training components will be the Gymnastic Bodies Seminars (the first one will be in May, 2009), where the hands on nature of the presentation will allow me to introduce all of the remaining training components in a safe progressive manner.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

P.S. Liquid Steel™ and The Handstand Chronicles are the next two volumes that I will be releasing. Principal photography is currently ongoing for both volumes.

I'm still a little bit confused about the same thing others have been.

For the time being there is only going to be one plane of motion used in each WOD but, there will be more content in each workout in the coming weeks. Is this correct? Will the other planes of motion only be added after Liquid Steel™ and The Handstand Chronicles are release?

Perhaps just waiting for the next few WODs will clear things up.

Thanks for the WOD today though Coach.

I will be doing it as RX'd, but will also be adding(using the same format) tuck planche and dips.

Hey coach. Thanks for the WOD even though I don't understand it and it's significance to all the questions people have in program design from your book. I'm a noob and i've been spending a considerable amount of time trying to figure out this whole gymnastic thing (program design, what works for me, etc). Since there is some aspects of your book that are left unexplained I am going to take the minimalist approach like the guy in Appendix B and report back to u.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I interpreted your most recent post in this topic as saying "I understand that there are some things that need more I'm depth explaining but in order to explain all of your questions I would have to give you information that is found in my other 4 books which will be released when the time is right."

Don't mean to be insulting or anything.

Pcs

With the book & DVDs now available, you currently have all that you need to correctly perform the first level of GB WODs that have been posted.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Lowered into a Flat tuck BL, 12 sec hold,

4x i-chinups

3 complete sets... my bi's are swolen.

Amazing how so little time got spent doing this, and how it can be so effective at making you feel weak.

Just do the workout and report back with your experience.

does BL stand for back lever?

Did the WOD when I got home this evening ...

5-6 seconds Hold Tuck BL x 2

Inverted Chins (XR) x 5

Was able to get 5 supersets. Few things came up for me doing the exercises ... any thoughts are appreciated.

1. In order to have enough left in the bank to pull myself back over in the BL I needed to cut what I could do the hold for by quite a bit (I have never maxed on it, but just started conservative today). I presume this is the correct way to do the holds - if I were to drop off directly out of the hold then I could go for longer, but that didn't seem correct to me.

2. In between each hold I would let go of the rings and shake out for a few seconds. Should I just be returning to upside down, and then immediately back down instead?

3. For the Inverted Chins I couldn't get to 90 degrees, so I just did partials. Glancing through the book I didn't see any easier progressions, hope the partials are a suitable choice.

My forearms are smoked, biceps feel it a bit - aside from the lactic acid I feel quite good with the workout ... not tired at all. I think adding more exercises when the time comes would be no problem, but at the same time the super abbreviated routine would be nice as well presuming one could make progress training each plane of movement only once per week.

- Chris

puppetmaster said:

does BL stand for back lever?

Yes, that was the way I read it.

- Chris

At first I thought it meant body lever, but back lever made more sense especially after GymRob confirmed it.

Did the WOD yesterday evening,

5x

Embedded BL variation (Lower to inverted hang, pull up to back lever (adv tuck) hold for 6 seconds, pull back up to inverted hang)

5x Inverted Pull-Ups (made a booboo here, didn't notice in the book that it was Chins :<)

Embedded BL variation (same as the first one)

Felt pretty good, the BL variation felt really solid and was easy to hold, struggling to get full ROM on the pullups every 5th rep.

Followed up with ->

3x

Adv Tuck Plance Hold (4s) -> 3x HeSPU negative

3x

Adv Tuck FL (6s) -> 3x Natural Leg Curl -> Low Straddle L on rings (10s , lack of other equipment) -> 3x Half HLL

Think it was an awesome workout overall ^^