Quick (Initial) Review Of Foundations 1

[u3er]

Hi all,

 

First off, I will say that I was very hesitant to purchase the new Foundations 1 course.  Seeing that it was only the first of a 4 part "foundations" program (and thus the most elementary of an already "beginner" curriculum), I was not convinced that it would be of much benefit to me.  Well I was definitely wrong...

 

Long-story-short, I highly endorse the new Foundations 1 course.  End point!  If you care to find out why, keep on reading:

 

To begin, I by no means consider myself to have reached a high level of GST.  I am not training to become a gymnast - I do it just for fun.  That said, I can already do some things that fall beyond the scope of this program such as wide-grip muscle ups, ring handstands, press HS from straddle sit, 1-arm chinups, etc.  I achieved most of these elements with relative ease simply because I enjoy training them.  Other skills such as levers and planche however, I have seriously lagged behind on.  The main reason for this has been my general disdain and lack of knowledge on how to properly train my (weak) core isometric strength.  Here's where Foundations 1 comes in for me.

 

As I quickly found out, Foundations 1 will crush your ego if you are lagging behind in any area.  Having just completed my first round of testing tonight, I'll report that I failed miserably on even the most basic stages of Hollow and Arch (though I was mostly anticipating this), failed on other elements which I expected to pass with a fair degree of ease (plank shrugs and tuck-ups), and passed only with a good deal of effort on the pushing/pulling/leg elements that I initially laughed at.  And this experience was all at only STEP 1 OF 6 in the FIRST OF 4 "beginner" books!  Yikes...  Turns out it's not just my core that needs some building!  Given the high number of reps and time, the required slow tempo of movements, and the very short (but active) rest that is programmed between each set, the level of muscular conditioning that is required to meet the "mastery" standards set by Coach is no joke.  They may be easy for an 8 year old well-trained gymnast, but they weren't for me!

 

There is no doubt in my mind that following this program will make me much stronger in all areas of my practice (even in those which fall beyond the "limits" of this book).  In my opinion, the best part of this program is that it FORCES you to tackle your weak links, but in a way that is very manageable given the brilliant programming.  The book itself is slick and the videos and photos are clear and helpful.  The programming is very easy to implement and to tailor to one's particular needs/level, and each workout is totally set out for you.  No guess work required.

 

If you hate working on your weak links (and thus have no desire to actually improve yourself) you will probably also hate this program.  There are simply no short cuts in it.  It will certainly require a lot of dedication to commit to - I can now see how it could presumably take years to progress through all 4 of the upcoming books.  After all, the elite-level gymnasts that we see and admire so greatly once started off with years of these same "baby" steps, so why should we expect any differently of ourselves?  Always remember, excellence is a journey, not a destination...

 

I should also point out that I am in no way affiliated with Coach Sommer or Gymnastic Bodies and am not one to automatically buy into all the hype.  You'll just have to decide on the merits of the product for yourself!

 

Thanks Coach for your dedication to the sport and willingness to share your life's knowledge.

 

Train hard and stay healthy 

 

 

[SuperMan]

I, as a SuperMan failed to meet the mastery even in the first exercises in each category.

I see that coach's athletes even surpassed me, surpassed SuperMan!

[Tristan Curtis]

^ found his kryptonite.