Why Italians(Calisthenics, Self-taught,GST)athletes are stronger ?

[Jesus Rojas]

Hi GB community ! I'm really wondering why Italians athletes have a higher standard of quality in body lines, technique, strength, etc. I think is not a secret that some quality work is coming from Italy. Is it something in their food ? (just kidding), support between athletes ? Genetics ? I really don't know the answer, but I know that they really focus on the basics and are to my eyes really hard workers. Thanks !

[Christopher Schwab]

Focusing on the basics isn't genetic, it's attitude.

But yeah, 2014-2015 the athletes and teams coming from them have been incredible. Especially Giuliano Stroe, the kid is a monster.

[Blairbob]

Except the Stroe's are back in Romania now. And it seems that the only videos that tend to be uploaded these days are old stuff or random stuff.

[Coach Sommer]

It's because one of the top GB students is there taking them to school.  

 

Seriously though the answer is simple; Italian women like sports cars and ring strength.  

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Marios Roussos]

 I think is not a secret that some quality work is coming from Italy. 

 

 

 

This is definitely not something I've noticed or heard of. I'm not disagreeing with you (because I truly don't know), but where are did you get this notion?

[Brian Li]

Which particular Italian athletes are you talking about and compared to who else?

[Colin Macdonald]

This is definitely not something I've noticed or heard of. I'm not disagreeing with you (because I truly don't know), but where are did you get this notion?

 

Coach said it.

 

I think an aspect of it is the general perception towards gymnastics. It's usually understood here that gymnastics is a serious strength sport. In other countries there might be still more the perception that gymnastics is about jumping about in skin tight outfits.

 

Yuri Chechi also had a big cultural impact when he was winning, he's still a household name. Kids who watched him dominate the rings competition twenty years ago are now all grown up. Someone who idolized Yuri as a kids is probably more likely to take up gymnastics and calisthenics as an adult as opposed to hitting the weights at the gym.

 

I don't think you can generalize attitudes or genetic traits across a country. I know hard working Italians, and I know lazy Italians no different then the people I knew in Canada.

[Jesus Rojas]

Which particular Italian athletes are you talking about and compared to who else?

I'm talking mostly about :

-Alessandro Mainente

-Alessio Puggioni

-Riccardo Mandorino

-Michel Casoria 

-Matteo Spinazzola

-Francesco Farris

-Andrea Larosa

-Erik Neri

-Francesco Antonucci

-Gaggi Yatarov

-Mattia Palmiero

-Alessio Proietti

-Claudio Negro

Compare them to for example the average American self-taught street workout athlete, Barstarzz, Bar brothers, etc.

[Coach Sommer]

True story.

 

Somewhere around 2000 or 2001, the U.S. Olympic Coach was overseas with some U.S. athletes participating in a World Cup series.  Basically the athletes competed on several weekends in a row and then trained together on the week days in between competitions.

 

All of the other teams would go thru a normal warmup and begin their equipment rotations of 45 minutes or so.  The Italians would follow a very different schedule which included approx 2+ hours per day of ring strength.  Their entire program centered around strength on rings.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

 

p.s.  This could explain why their other events are not so good.  

[Jesus Rojas]

This is definitely not something I've noticed or heard of. I'm not disagreeing with you (because I truly don't know), but where are did you get this notion?

I get this notion by watching videos on the network through the years, and when Coach said it, I realized that I'm not the only one who is aware of it.

 

[–]3xperience 14 points

21 days ago 

When you look around the field of bodyweight fitness gurus and programs, who impresses YOU as doing worthy, valuable work?

• permalink

 

 

[–]CoachSommerActually Coach Sommer[S] 9 points

20 days ago * 

When responding to a question like this, it is important to remember that for the last 40 years I have spent most of my time developing, working with and being surrounded by some of the finest coaches and athletes on the planet. As a consequence of this, I must admit that unless you are an Olympic level athlete or coach and performing at a world class level, the chances of your impressing me are rather slim.

That being said I have been seeing some nice quality work coming out of Italy lately. Very nice.

[Seif Alislam Nahr]

What about Russian athletes ? Haa :v

You need to see : Anton abasov - Dmitry kuznetsov - Ruslan minachov - Ruslan fugol ! - Mikhail grekov

[Jesus Rojas]

I've watched a lot of videos of them, I just like Abasov and Kuznetsov.

[Léo Aïtoulha]

What about Russian athletes ? Haa :v

You need to see : Anton abasov - Dmitry kuznetsov - Ruslan minachov - Ruslan fugol ! - Mikhail grekov

And Valera Kishenko !

His One Arm Planche is amazing : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyWnbyrXY-M

[Seif Alislam Nahr]

True Valera is also awesome !!!

But you need to see some videos of Ruslan minachov =) He's also strong

Edited February 25, 2015 by Seif Alislam Nahr

[Léo Aïtoulha]

Supinated grip Iron Cross by Matteo Spinazzola. Incredible !

 

[Jesus Rojas]

What is the difference in difficult compared with the normal ? I mean something like Iron Cross = 7/10 IC-SG= 9/10 ?

[Colin Macdonald]

Supinated grip Iron Cross by Matteo Spinazzola. Incredible !

 

 

Looking at his bent arm cross and elbow braces, I'm guessing he has a really nasty injury coming his way.

[Léo Aïtoulha]

Don't confuse bent arms with hyperextended elbows Elbows are clearly locked.

[Brian Li]

Looking at his bent arm cross and elbow braces, I'm guessing he has a really nasty injury coming his way.

How would those indicate a nasty injury coming up?

[Brian Li]

Don't confuse bent arms with hyperextended elbows

Hyperextended elbows don't necessarily mean prone to injury either.

[Colin Macdonald]

Don't confuse bent arms with hyperextended elbows Elbows are clearly locked.

 

With the modified grip, his biceps are pointing up, which means the bend clearly isn't from hyper-extension. If he was locked and hyper-extended with the biceps in that position, the curve of his arms would be reversed. He's just not locking his arms.

[Ivan Pavlovic]

Coach you should definitely organise seminar in Italy, i bet a lot of people would come.

[Coach Sommer]

Sorry, no Italy this year.  My only European seminar this year will be in the U.K. and it is already nearly sold out.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Alessandro Mainente]

I've shared a lot and a lot the idea and perspective of C. Sommer in Italy, btw  instead of think that is the correct preparation, they prefer to think that calisthenic  is not GST and if you perform a cross in this context the preparation does not need to follow the same steps as GST. a bad closed mind  approach that is the perfect explanation of the numerous braces on the elbows. Coincidence is that my clients do not have elbows support. I saved a post of facebook with the injuries that people got while during self-approach with GST. you have no idea.

during the last 3 years where i've shared his idea, I've meet only one italian at the seminars and he was not following the calisthenic approach (he is "thecolin").

[Colin Macdonald]

I've meet only one italian at the seminars and he was not following the calisthenic approach (he is "thecolin").

 

Though I'm only a pretend Italian.