Table Of ContentFoundation Two 1/14/2014
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Table of Contents
Cover
Introduction
Details
I. Getting Started
II.Mastery
III.Cycles
Fundamental Straight Arm Strength (FSAS)
I. Front Lever 2
II.Straddle Planche 2
III.Side Lever 2
IV.Manna 2
Fundamental Leg Strength (FLS)
I. Single Leg Squat 2
Fundamental Bent Arm Strength (FBAS)
I. Hollow Back Press 2
II.Rope Climb 2
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Introduction 1/14/2014
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GB Course Structures
All Gymnastic Bodies Courses follow the same highly successful instructional method and course
structure. If you are already familiar with another GB Course, then simply glance over the following
‘Intro’ and ‘Details’ sections to refresh your memory and become familiar with the course specifics
as they apply to Foundation training.
If however this is your first GB Course, then please read the following two sections slowly and
thoroughly as the care with which you follow and implement the course instructions will have a
great impact on your ultimate degree of Foundation training success.
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Clarity 1/14/2014
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Simplicity. Clarity. Ease of use.
The primary purpose of the GB Foundation Level 1-4 Courses is to simplify, clarify and
quantify the complexities of fundamental gymnastics strength training (GST) while
simultaneously providing a clear blueprint for mastering the seven basic exercises of
fundamental GST:
Front Lever (FL)
Straddle Planche (sPL)
Side Lever (SL)
Manna (MN)
Single Leg Squat (SLS)
Hollowback Press (HBP)
Rope Climb (RC)
Literally all that is needed to achieve success with Foundation One is for you to work your
way step by step through the course. To aid you in this journey a set of highly specific
tools has been provided to you in an easy to use format that has never before been
available anywhere in the fitness world.
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Clarity 1/14/2014
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No Brain No Gain
Gymnastics Strength Training (GST) is very potent and the proper progressions should
always be approached with patience and care as they strengthen and stretch the body in
ways that in all likelihood you have never been exposed to before.
The biggest mistake you can make is to not understand and respect the fact that just
because you are starting off strong at other athletic endeavors doesn't mean that you
don't need to start at the beginning in GST. The very beginning.
In the vast majority of cases, attempting to skip steps, or ignoring the assigned integrated
mobility, will eventually lead to unnecessary injuries. And nothing kills progress faster than
having your training continually derailed due to impatience and the subsequent injuries that
go along with it. Used wisely, time is the most potent of training supplements. So do
yourself a favor, check your ego at the door and follow the progressions as written.
In the short term it might be a little frustrating and humbling, but in the long term it will
get you right where you want to go.
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Clarity 1/14/2014
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Why These Exercises in This Order?
In order to enjoy long term success with GST, increasing strength alone is not enough; you
must also strive to increase your bodies’ ability to handle ever more neuromuscularly
complex movements.
To this end, one of the primary focuses of the GB Foundation Courses is to engage in a
constant evolution regarding your current exercise’s degree of neuromuscular activation or
the constant evolution of your strength levels in terms of neuromuscular coordination. It is
important to remember that during these fundamental GST progressions we will always be
moving forward to ever more neurologically complex exercises. For example note that
the progression of pushup variations to dip variations to HSPU variations to MPPr variations
not only represents increases in strength but also increases in the degree of
neuromuscular activation needed to correctly execute these exercises.
A long time GB student perhaps best described GB GST training as “... a method of
progressing from simple to complex exercises with ever increasing degrees of
neuromuscular activation ...”
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Clarity 1/14/2014
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FSAS, FBAS and FLS
Fundamental GST is divided into three categories; fundamental straight arm strength
(FSAS), fundamental bent arm strength (FBAS) and fundamental leg strength (FLS).
In the GB Foundation Courses, you are going to focus your FSAS efforts exclusively on the
mastery of four FSAS elements; front lever (FL), straddle planche (sPL), side lever (SL)
and manna (MN). Note that I said mastery; not introduced, not merely acquainted with,
but completely and totally mastered as measured by my requiring you to perform each
targeted exercise for a specific required number sets and reps or sets of holds for time.
During the GB Foundation Courses your FBAS work will focus on mastering rope climb (RC)
and hollow back press handstand (HBP) and your FLS will focus on the acquisition of the
single leg squat (SLS). Once again, mastery is the only acceptable standard prior to
moving on to the next exercise in each progression.
Each of these 7 fundamental exercises will be achieved by following an explicit and concise
developmental series that is in turn divided into preparatory elements (PE) and specific
elements (SE) unique to that particular exercise.
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Clarity 1/14/2014
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Preparatory and Specific Elements
Way back in 2004 when I wrote my very first GST article, I greatly over-estimated the
strength levels of the average fitness enthusiast while at the same time greatly under-
estimating the inherent difficulties of beginning GST for the non-gymnast. The main
difficulty arose from the fact that the majority of the initial preparation that I used with my
youngest athletes was so basic and undemanding for actual gymnasts that I literally failed
to even qualify it as “training”.
Now however, after many years of working with thousands of non-gymnast GST
enthusiasts from around the world, I have learned that these first or ‘preparatory’ steps are
essential for adult fitness enthusiasts to successfully progress thru and master the more
demanding exercise ‘specific’ steps that come later.
For example, there are now 17 preparatory elements that must be mastered prior to
beginning the specific element work relevant to FL! What impact will these preparatory
steps have on your own training? The impact, as well as the results, is going to be
dramatic indeed.
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Clarity 1/14/2014
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Exercise Notation
As you work your way thru this GB Foundation One Course you will notice that each and
every exercise has its own individual notation (e.g. FL/PE1). These notations are very
important as they instantly inform you which of the seven primary fundamental GST and
where in that progression this particular exercise belongs. In addition this notation easily
fits into training templates and also allows you to exactly match integrated mobility
exercises with their preparatory element partner.
For example, the notation ‘FL/PE1’ means that this is preparatory element 1 of the front
lever series, while ‘FL/PE1>iM’ means that this is the integrated mobility exercise that is to
be performed in between the working sets of FL/PE1.
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Clarity 1/14/2014
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Integrated Mobility
The most prevalent issue that I have discovered in teaching GST to the adult fitness
population these last 6 years has been an extreme deficit of physical mobility; especially in
those individuals who work requires a lot of time spent at a desk. In some cases this lack
of mobility has been so extreme that it bordered on the pathological.
To combat this tendency of trying to avoid mobility work at all cost amongst the adult GB
GST students, an Integrated Mobility exercise has now been paired with each and every
one of the preparatory and specific element exercises throughout the Foundation Courses:
- FL Integrated Mobility focuses on the development of the gymnastic bridge.
- sPL Integrated Mobility focuses on the development of medial glute and hip strength.
- SL Integrated Mobility focuses on the development of oblique flexibility.
-MN Integrated Mobility focuses on the development of the gymnastics pike position
-SLS Integrated Mobility focuses on knee mobility and hamstring strength.
- HBP Integrated Mobility focuses on basic mobility of the shoulder girdle
- RC Integrated Mobility focuses on basic mobility of the lats.
Do not follow a programming template for integrated mobility. As integrated mobility is to
be performed as recovery in between working sets, simply perform the same number of
mobility sets as you performed for the working sets.
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Continuing Education 1/14/2014
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Continuing Education
GymnasticBodies.com Forum
The largest free forum in the world dedicated to GST
Great moderators and members waiting to answer your GST questions
Graduate Studies
“Foundation Two” is a private section of the GB Forum that is only open to F2 students.
Access to this private forum is included free with your purchase of F2.
GB Seminars
1/2 day, 2 day and 3 day GB Workshops and Seminars are available all around the world.
Learn in a hands-on environment with GB’s top team of instructors.
GB Certification Examinations available (additional testing fee will apply).
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