Master the squat and hip mobility: LIVE TODAY

[Adurst]

Hi Joachim,

I should clarify...MR Sommer would have excellent other progressions, activities, etc for the skill/movement/technical aspects of gymnastics...and I'm sure a bunch of other stuff he has learned interfacing with the best coaches from around the world from many disciplines.

However...I/we are yet to see these programs.

As for other influences

- GMB is great stuff...the programing is very playful and integrates strength, with active flex, skill, balance and movement/flow

- look into calestetics heaps of very similar progressions and skills to GST

- ebook overcoming gravity

- strength project and their Tribble tutorials

- Breaking Muscle has a series called virtuosity and some other articles

- gymnasticscoaching.com and drills and skills

- beastskills and startbodyweight have some interesting material

- animal flow is another influence that has roots in body weight control

- yoga (I'm partial to Ashtanga...I like the constant movement and higher order strength, although shadow yoga has had a recent influence

And many more

Key is lots of novel movements!

With Ido Portal - YouTube all his students' submissions...you'll get a good idea of the exercises/progressions.

[JoachimG]

Thanks for the comprehensive list buddy! I recently finished reading Overcoming Gravity, great book with lots of great progressions and general knowledge on GST. However, what generally keeps me at Sommers material for the most part is the iM's tbh. I don't really push it though in terms of making sure I rush through the exercises like he prescribes. After all, it is strength training and having 10 sec breaks between, what I think is hard seems counter productive in my eyes.

I've tried searching for Ido's student submissions, anything in particular you search for to find it?

[Adurst]

Type "Ido Portal" into google.

Click search...then click the video tab.

Start watching...Rachel Grey is a good one, have some patience, by pageb3 your into gold ...but start playing detective, linking things together, watch a video...then view their channel of videos for more...I'm now following a few on Facebook and see their instagrams...Philip Chubb is one and Justin Goodhart (Wellrounded Athlete) is another. I think I saw kit is doing a podcast with Justin soon.

But there are heaps of great people to follow outside Ido Portal and his students...we just scratched the ice berg!

As for Sommer's IMs...great because most programs ignor this...and he's got lots!

I've got a whole body joint prep routine and some progressions up and down from where I am...some of these align with Sommers...but I choose to program as per Charles Poliquin...but that is a course in its yen right.

[Kit_L]

Adam, that's a great resource list. Do you want to write that up, maybe add links, and send to me; I can make it a sticky thread, if you like. Our program is inclusiveness, after all.

I am recording that podcast this Friday morning, our time. And I have an announcement this evening, around 17:00

[[DW]]

The secret announcement is that Kit's toe-nail has fallen off (see Fb image) and whoever guesses the answer to Kit's riddle gets to keep it.

[Craig]

I have a resource list here that i keep reasonably updated:

http://www.awarerelaxedconnected.com.au/resources

[Adurst]

The secret announcement is that Kit's toe-nail has fallen off (see Fb image) and whoever guesses the answer to Kit's riddle gets to keep it.

Lol...my coffee almost came out my nose.

Kit...I'd be happy to write that up in your new wiki...when we/you get around to setting but up

[Geotrismegistos]

@Adurst and @Craig: Fantastic resources. Thank you so much.

+1 vote for the sticky thread

[Sisyphus]

Quick query - during the transition to lunge to my right in the Yuri cossack (L6) I have a significant 'skip' or 'pop' in the front of my left hip as it turns out the straight leg. No pain or discomfort, just a pronounced deviation from an otherwise smooth and comfortable movement. Anyone know what that is and whether there anything practical to do about it?

[Craig]

Skips/clicks/pops without pain are typically due to imbalances in the hip. It isn't a problem if it isn't causing pain, it just means you need to explore your hips more and even them out. You could do this exploration via both stretching methods and fascial release (such as using a ball or a foam roller)

[undulating_fish]

A bit late to the party but I just wanted to give my feedback from a beginner perspective. Overall I really love the program and have been eagerly awaiting it since I first got the book. Thank you! I hate to criticise something I've found so useful but in the interest of making it even better, for me personally it would be more useful to have a "follow along" style where you hold contractions and final poses for longer. (This is already the case for some of the exercises more than others). As it is, it's a bit fiddly pausing/unpausing and rewinding all the time. It's just a lot to think about at once, so my preference is to be spoon-fed!

I sometimes have 20 min or so to do some stretches on my lunch break, and it would have been nice to just switch off and just follow instructions from a video on my phone. As it is, I have to use my brain a bit more The pdf notes are really useful though as I'd previously been making my own versions of these from your youtube videos, so it saves me some work.

On specific exercises - really feeling the calf stretches a lot more intensely than before, they're just fantastic. I don't get E2 (standing piriformis) at all, but I will keep trying. I just don't feel much, which seems wrong as I find all other piriformis stretches very challenging.

I felt that L6 (Yuri Cossack) was too advanced for me because I struggle with knee/foot/hip alignment even in basic movements, and I don't feel able to keep up with a dynamic movement using correct alignment - I was just all over the place. Not really a problem though - perhaps I'll revisit in 6 months.

E5A (seated piriformis) is way too hard for me to do, so I was glad to see E5B-D which all give a very strong stretch while giving me tangible feedback that I'm in the correct hip alignment. They just feel foolproof.

Regarding future programs, are there any plans to do something for postural correction? I'm thinking along the lines of combating typical desk worker problems such as upper back/shoulder issues. I guess that's outside the scope of gymnastics training, although it's something that I struggle with for my overhead squat.

[Geoff]

for me personally it would be more useful to have a "follow along" style where you hold contractions and final poses for longer. (This is already the case for some of the exercises more than others). As it is, it's a bit fiddly pausing/unpausing and rewinding all the time. It's just a lot to think about at once, so my preference is to be spoon-fed!

I think this was done on purpose. Before releasing the program, Kit wrote about strict sets of stretching in this post ( http://kitlaughlin.wordpress.com/2014/06/06/what-use-is-stretching/ ). One of the points in the article is, that awareness of all the sensations during the stretch is needed to help figure out how to relax further into the stretch. This is almost impossible while following a set timer.

[Craig]

Exactly what Geoff said. Spoon feeding in this case will do the opposite of what the programs are aiming at achieving, which is you getting to know your body more thoroughly so you can do each of the positions and more.

The best thing to do is when you have time, follow the videos, and when you are on your lunch break, attempt to remember how to do them on your own. It will be a struggle at first buy soon enough you will actual learn how and what to do, which will be a unique thing for your body

[Kit_L]

Dear undulating_fish wrote:

I hate to criticise something I've found so useful but in the interest of making it even better, for me personally it would be more useful to have a "follow along" style where you hold contractions and final poses for longer.

Sorry, that's not going to happen any time soon; you will need to train your computer to respond to voice commands ("Pause!"); NOTHING would be more boring that (say) watching me or the other presenters hold any stretch for the time we do when we are actually stretching ourselves!

I agree, this is a shortcoming of the medium. My suggestions are (now referring to your 20' lunchtime stretching sessions) is to, once you know the mechanics of any pose, use the PDF and check the Cues, then do three exercises only. Everyone's suggestions above are excellent, and we acknowledge that there is a HUGE amount to keep in mind when you first start.

BUT, and this is a massive but, once you know half-a-dozen exercises, you won't need to think about any of them: you will find yourself done on the floor (just an example) and your body will be going them, and you will be feeling, and adjusting, the effects. The body learns in a completely different way to the mind, in my experience.

And this is why we never provided handouts to beginners at the Uni. classes: after anyone has done a number of classes, they (all academics, who WANT handouts) were surprised to find that their bodies remembered what to do.

​Thanks for commuting here, too; it's very helpful. Re. Cossack squat (or any exercise you can't do today): try in a few week's time; you will be amazed how quickly the body changes.

[Adurst]

I don't think I've ever followed a program verbatim.

Even when I was sitting in a workshop directly in front of Kit.

It just not in my nature.

I some how always get side-tracked into feeling it out and exploring.

This isn't always (maybe often) in my benefit. In one case in said workshop...Kit had just explained a partner external shoulder rotation stretch. I proceeded to apply the stretch to Kit...and in front of the whole class he told me it was shit and I hadn't listened to his instruction...which was true...I zoned out...and when I returned I decided to wing it based on what other people appeared to be doing

[Kit_L]

We call this "checking out"! It's when what's happening in between one's ears is, somehow, more real than what's actually happening.

No problem, either. Miss O just laughed when I read your note to her; she said, "I remember that!".

cheers, k

[undulating_fish]

Ah, I see what you mean now - that is unfortunate but makes perfect sense.

I like the suggestion of just sticking to three stretches at once - that should make it more manageable. Thanks all!

[thecolin]

Anyway, for you consideration: If Coach Sommer has lots of great stuff that you could learn at his workshop, I suggest trying to dismiss the stuff that bothers you about him and go have a good time learning tons of great stuff. In other words try not to let somebody else's weaknesses frustraite you to the point that you miss out on things that would help you meet your goals.

Sorry to go back in time a bit here. But I just thought I'd add a comment.

The problem is that the relationship between coach/teacher and student is fundamentally a relationship of trust. Training to do these skills is a long term commitment that often doesn't produce immediate results, so you are generally walking blind when you're starting something new. If you don't have trust in the teacher on a personal level, it erodes trust in the training. If you can't trust the teacher, how can you trust that they have your best interests in mind?

I agree that you should take what you need and get the heck out. But training in a toxic environment taints everything, and sometimes it becomes difficult to separate the good from the bad.

[Tris]

Agree. The programs are just enough to take the cues and experiment with it - which, in my opinion, is what gaining ease of flexibility is all about.

[tigreton]

Hi all,

I understand the approach of teaching how to do your own programming vs. a follow-along, but people like me (not flexible...) would probably benefit from a boilerplate to start ("try this and then modify") as well as some guidance on how to test the progress.

In terms of exercise selection, it seems clear to me: limbering every day, stretching every 4 to 7 days.

But within those sessions for how long should I hold the contractions and the end positions? Some videos give clues, some don"t...

How many reps to start...?

It is pretty hard for a beginner to judge, if the end range is reached or he is just not pushing himself enough...

Additionally I have been playing with the force of the contraction, but I haven"t come to a verdict yet. Any tips?

Nevertheless I have to say that I like the program. It motivated me to stretch every day and my squat has already improved (basically doing only the limbering exercises).

And the price is fantastic!

[Jennifer]

Tigreton, someone more knowledgeable about your questions will come along and answer them. I just wanted to say that my stretching time is almost always done in the evening, and on the days where I have decision fatigue (which I'm sure you young people have no idea what I'm talking about, lol) I just do the "Sit for Meditation" or the "Unnumbered Lesson" class which are follow along. Have you seen those on the vimeo page? Totally worth it IMO.

[Richard Hamilton]

It's been almost a month doing this now and I'm feeling much better in the bottom of the squat. I still have a long way to go but noticeable things are starting to happen. The soreness felt in the Rollstretch squat is moving about and in areas that were particularly bad I've noticed that the calf stretches are easing at those spots and moving onto the next area of tension. I've also noticed an improvement in balance and the ability to get all of my foot in contact with the ground; previously I used to put a lot of my weight on the outside edge of my foot. This has helped with standing poses such as the reaching triangle and standing hip flexor stretches. This could also be because my glutes are firing better now; a lot of positions that were previously unpleasant and felt like they were pulling on connective tissue now feel viable as these muscles begin to work again.

On the side that I would consider stronger I've noticed some discomfort on the inside of my knee, nothing to worry about, just a heads up that I'm starting to undo 15yrs worth of compensation for my other leg.

This place is awesome and hopefully the small, frequent improvements will make a fairly noticeable change in a couple of years.

[Richard Hamilton]

Hi all,

I understand the approach of teaching how to do your own programming vs. a follow-along, but people like me (not flexible...) would probably benefit from a boilerplate to start ("try this and then modify") as well as some guidance on how to test the progress.

In terms of exercise selection, it seems clear to me: limbering every day, stretching every 4 to 7 days.

But within those sessions for how long should I hold the contractions and the end positions? Some videos give clues, some don"t...

How many reps to start...?

It is pretty hard for a beginner to judge, if the end range is reached or he is just not pushing himself enough...

Additionally I have been playing with the force of the contraction, but I haven"t come to a verdict yet. Any tips?

Nevertheless I have to say that I like the program. It motivated me to stretch every day and my squat has already improved (basically doing only the limbering exercises).

And the price is fantastic!

Like you, I'm not flexible; at all! Regular practise will help you identify where you need to be going with this stuff. Be in the moment and feel your way into the stretches, in time you'll know when you're getting to the end of your ROM. If it doesn't feel quite right it probably isn't, start over or leave it for another day. I've have a couple of small injuries in the past from trying to force stretches I thought my body wanted but actually didn't. I ended up just doing stuff and then found out that other people were doing the same thing after a while. C-R is a good starting point but you'll start to do things through instinct eventually. Try holding the contractions for 10 seconds or a couple of long breaths in and out. Some muscles benefit from a longer contraction that others. I think, generally speaking the larger muscles benefit from a longer or stronger contraction; calves benefit from longer I think. Try and work out your tightest areas, make those your focal point and do that stretch 2 or 3 times. If you think one side is tighter than the other then do extra on that side to reduce the asymmetry

We are all different so it's almost impossible to give a definitive number of reps and sets; play around and see how it goes. I've been doing 3-4x5 of the cossack and doing different variations for each set. I'll do 10 or 20 of the seated Fig4 between cossack sets or you could put some standing knee lifts in between those sets (I've been doing 3x60 of those; 60s in each position). The great thing about these programs is that they encourage us to explore our body and find what it needs. There is no ideal, just a continual chain of small refinements. I found that some anatomy knowledge helps along with a basic understanding of where the fascial lines run; You'll start to connect whats going on locally with muscles further up or down the chain with that.

Sorry I can't help you out more!

[Geoff]

After two weeks of MTS I have to say that I feel a lot more limber. Even though I probably am not a lot more flexible, my hip region does not feel as if though it was made of concrete anymore and almost every movement, e.g. standard stuff such as walking, standing up and running, feels so much lighter because of it! And it could be that I am incorrectly associating this improvement with the program, but it also seems like my upper body, (shoulders, and chest) is more relaxed overall. With this I might almost consider an eventual increase of flexibility as a bonus

A question I have about the 'master' programs is whether they can be done stand-alone or whether they should be combined with strength work. I was following the GB Foundation and Handstand programs, but stopped doing those among others due to wrist issues. So now I figured that I would have my wrist heal (I really hope my new physio can help me here) and gain some of the well desired flexibility by working the master programs daily. Would not pairing these 'master' programs with specific strength work give less desirable results? I am not too worried about losing some strength as it can be regained once I start strength work again and with the added flexibility it will probably be a lot more easy, however I do not know whether lack of strength work might hinder progress in flexibility.

[Craig]

You should be fine to work these programs on their own, although its always good to be including movement patterns as well! Moving helps everything