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Hi there, I'm convinced I've been overtraining my shoulders for some time now. I recently took 2 weeks off one arm handstands and planches only to come back with the same issues I was having before. I've decided I'm going to take a full month off any intensive shoulder work and just focus on stretching and on my other body areas + cardio. I was curious as to whether I would come back a lot weaker than before. I'm aware that that I will barely lose muscle mass over the month (I'm a 19 year old male so my hormones will help here), but I was curious about my neuromuscular efficiency and also proprioception - do these deteriorate at the same rate as muscle mass? Thanks in advance!

Hi there, I'm really curious as to what you guys would define as overtraining. See, when I was younger, I thought overtraining was simply when one sort of trained a muscle group too frequently and/or at too high of an intensity for an extended period of time: not giving them enough time to recover between workouts. However, what we're learning at university now (exercise physiology degree) is that overtraining can be described with General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) which looks at how the body responds to a stressor. There are 3 phases: Alarm (release of cortisol, adrenalin etc.), Resistance and Exhaustion. In the latter two stages, when the stressor isn't overcome and when the stressor is long term, hormones get depleted and one's immune system fails. What we're learning in my degree is that overtraining falls under the resistance and exhaustion phases - a seemingly more holistic view of overtraining that looks at the body as a whole. They further go on to say that recovery can take weeks, even months. I find this quite confusing, because what's commonly thrown around on the internet nowadays is similar to my initial definition of overtraining, which looked more at muscle groups being overworked and not being given the time to recover, e.g. : "I've been overtraining shoulders lately so I'm going to take a couple of weeks off training them and just keep training all my other body parts". If anyone could shed some light on this, that would be great. I'm interested in your opinions.

My son is 12 yo and is a level 6 gymnast. He has only been doing the sport for about 18 months. He is training only 12 hours a week. But he is a very intense gymnast. Since December his appetite has decreased dramatically. I can not get him to eat much. I am worried. Any help would be nice. Thank you.

I'm looking for the part of the forum where we get to give thanks to Coach Sommer and the amazing gift of his knowledge! I have always been into training. (I've lifted weights, done martial arts, yoga, climbed rock and trees. When I was a teenager I followed the Canadian Airforce exercise program. Which is laughable compared to Foundation 1) I always followed a boom and bust cycle in my training - I'd go super hard for a week, then be hopelessly overtrained and need a week or three to recover my appetite for more. I couldn't maintain progress without overtraining or injuring myself. When I got the Building the Gymnastic Body book a couple of years ago, I tried to follow the steady state training method, but didn't know what holds to train, or where to start and it all felt a bit random. That said, I went from only tuck front lever to brief front lever holds in only a few months and was really pleased. I'm four months in to Foundation One (and Handstand One) and I am SO pleased with the results! For the first time in my life I am training regularly and consistently. I have a structure to follow that makes so much sense, and has so much experience behind it. I have yet to miss a training day, and I look forward to each one. At 32 years old I have never felt so strong, so mobile and so happy in my body. (I've even started at the local gymnastics gym learning basic tricking skills) It's having other ripple effects - I'm finding I want to stretch, just because it feels good, I'm getting regular cardio because I can feel how much my body needs to 'keep the juices flowing' in the recovery days following a workout. In other words, my body is HAPPY. I just really wanted to let you guys at Gymnastic Bodies, and especially Coach Sommer, know that your training program has made a real difference to my life. I can only imagine how many others feel the same way. My cup floweth over with gratitude - F1 and HS1 are rocking my world! I'm looking forward to training in the system for the rest of my life. My commitment is to going slow and steady, reaching mastery and immaculate form at each level before I move on. I started at the beginning for each exercise, because I wanted the maximum time for each mobility component to do its work. And it feels so GOOD! You rock, Coach Sommer! Through your dedication to excellence, and to sharing the fruits of your quest for knowledge, you are bringing a whole new level of awareness, quality and effectiveness to the training of bodies around the world. My body thanks you - and so do I :c) (And I really look forward to attending a seminar next time you guys are in Australia)