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Hi Everyone, This inquiry follows off of the back of a recent post. I'm still in the early days of Foundation One (started June 2021). Currently, I have quite a bit of ongoing mobility limitations - and I work in offices so reducing the extent of desk atrophy is a constant battle. I am working through these with the Stretch & Mobility series, so I am prioritising those. In the mean time, however, I am progressing through the various modules and levels of the Foundation series. Out of curiosity, I cast my eyes at the higher levels in the foundation series to see what I was being steered towards (over the course of the next several years of course - I am in no rush). Whilst there are some modules I would like to see through to the end (Manna series, for example), there are others where I don't know how far I am interested in progressing - or even how far I will be able to progress due to barriers to accessing the correct equipment (cost, space, location...). Can I ask for peoples' thoughts and personal experiences on progressions and stopping at a certain point in a series progression? For example, in the Foundation Core Side Lever progression series, if I had no access to stall bars or an equivalent that would allow me to start the Side Lever Block exercises (leve 3 /level 4), is there a good place to stop? Is there a particular exercise / set of exercises that you - a fellow practitioner or moderator - would recommend alternating between until such a time as I might have access to stall bars? Thank you for your support and insight. JMB

I was reading over Building the Gymnastic Body where Coach Sommer was talking about not pushing oneself during every workout, but allowing slow adaptation. He specifically suggested what he deemed in the book to be the best routine that he has created through his experience, the Steady State cycle. In this cycle, one does approximately half of their maximum hold time in a given static position for a set, and works up to a minute's time, or half of the maximum repetitions for a given strength exercise (non-static), and does up 5x5 working sets. The idea is that during the cycle, which lasts 8-12 weeks, neither the sets or reps should be changed so that maximum adaptation occurs before new maximum hold times or repetitions are established for the given exercises. Does anyone still use this method? If so, how has it worked for you? I ask because it does differentiate itself from the strict structure of what is now GymnasticBodies.

I’ve been working through Fundamentals and So far I’m liking the way I feel after the routines. I am wondering though if it is required that I am achieve mastery of all of the movements and fundamentals before moving into foundations or his fundamentals more just to get familiarity with the movements and foundations will build them up?

Hi guys, I'm aiming to be very good on the rings. One of my favourite skills is full planche and some time ago (January) I was able to hold a full planche on paralettes without perfect form, but quite good tho. Although, I decided to do some steps back and approach it a lot better and with perfect form (full protraction and ppt). As for the planification of the training, I'm following the method proposed in BtGB. BUT, as I want to be able to perform the full planche on rings rather than on floor or p-bars, I don't know if it would be wiser to train all the progressions on the rings, or train them on the floor and once I have a very decent 10sec full planche, go for it on the rings... What do you guys think? Thanks in advance, Oscar

Hey GB, So I'm working on Headstand Pushups freestanding. I can do them all day "against a wall" in the bastardized Crossfit fashion - in fact can crank out over 20 strict, so strength isn't the issue, it's balance. I'm still working on handstands, now am just working on good alignment against the wall, wall runs, etc - i can nail a 10-15s freestanding handstand every now and then (i know, nothing to write home about). That being said, are my attempts at a freestanding HeSPU in vain? or can someone give me some pointers? What i'm concentrating on at the bottom is to maintain that slight lean, PPT, squeeze glutes, then start to cant vertically and press out. I can get to the top, but I either fall out of position at the top, or when I'm lowering. Anybody else have similar issues? Fixes or drills that worked? Thanks!

Hey Everyone, I was searching the boards and coming up empty - i think I saw Coach comment either on FB or it might have been in a podcast, but I can't remember which, but regarding a bridge up - he put different elements into order of importance - IE which to work on first to last. I'm jumbling it up, but i think it was thoracic extension --> straight arms --> straight legs. Or something to that effect, the point being you want to work on arm extension before leg extension - but like I said, I may have gotten that jumbled up. I've been working on bridge ups, my thoracic mobility is pretty good, but I was wondering which i should work more on, getting my arms straight, or legs, or something i'm completely missing? Please let me know. Thanks everyone.

I´m 19 years old and started doing gymnastics 2 years ago. I made good progressions in terms of strength and balance but my bad flexibility keeps me from moving to new skills. My main goal now is to achieve the Press to Handstand. Therefore i am trying to improve my Pancake stretch because i think its the main reason that i can´t get the HSP yet. I can only go to the gym 2x a week, so that have to stretch alone the other times. I would like to hear some progressions to finally get the chest on the floor with legs spread apart which i can try at home and without a partner. Cheers

Greetings all. I've perused GB on and off for a couple years and started rudimentary gymnastic training in that time. This is my first post. I'm hoping to get some trouble-shooting advice regarding BL progressions. Specifically, sometimes when I do BL work the meaty part of my palms - the part connected to my thumb - hurts. It's not a good hurt, either. What might be causing this, and what can I do about it? Some background information on me... - I work on bars, not rings. - I can do a 60s German hang without pain. I am working on a flat tuck BL. - I'm not sure how to describe my palm position. I use what I think a regular fitness person would call a standard pullup grip. I do not have a false grip. If necessary I can provide a picture or video. Thanks guys. As Coach Sommer says: Yours in fitness, - Henry C.