Gymnastic bodies seminar (date)

Were here for gymnastic strength training not gymnastic technical training
Poor programming and progressions
3 4 years to reach 80 percentage of your genetic strength potential
Plyometric elements in GST build the strength
Your body operates by a set schedule of adaptation 6 7 months for joint
injuries to heal 2 years for bone injuries to heal It take 10X as long for connective
tissue injuries to heal compared to muscle tissue
Theres no fluff. It works or it doesnt work.
Other coaches at my level dont interact with people at your level. Some
things that you do wrong will come back and bite you. Some things will just
cause you to spin your wheels.
Kipping muscle-ups are one of Gods bastard creations.
Basic level strength If rope climbing is not a staple in your training, youre
screwing up. Rope is the best thing for preparing elbows for rings If you cant
effortlessly climb the rope 7 times, youre not ready for ring training
Hollow back press is an indicator of intermediate level strength
Take your mobility seriously. Mobility needs to be addressed for the older
trainees
30 leg lifts followed immediately by 30 bent leg lifts
The premise of Crossfit is correct but the implementation is flawed.
Combination of gymnastics and weight lifting is the sweet spot.
Poor squat is often Achilles related and not hip
You can be too strong.
GST is going to take time.
We should never see Achilles tears and ruptures in an adult athletic population.
Ido Portal was our student from 2005 to 2011. The Ido Portal Method is
our method.
No one cares how long it takes for you to learn a skill. Can you perform that
skill? End of story.
There are similarities in coaching when youre at an Olympic level.
Foundation series can be finished in 1 to 2 years if youre focused
Mark Collins (physical therapist our of Australia)
Neutral spine is complete and utter bullshit. You need to flex and extend.
If you havent mastered knee mobility and single leg strength you have no
business putting a barbell on your back.
No short cuts
Handstand work is strength work
Mobility work should never be done as intensely as conditioning work. If
you do, youre going down.
Foundation is basic work.
If a muscle-up is your end goal. You have low standards.
5 pike presses from L-sit and 1 minute freestanding handstand are the prerequisites for 1 arm handstand training.

The stronger you get on your maximal strength, the more you need to balance that out with a high rep day.
The biggest error is too hard, too often.
I can peak an athlete once a year.
Calf raise Achilles conditioning Straight Toes out Toes in (femur interally
rotated, raise on ball of foot behind big toe, try to lift little toe off the floor)
Only reps with good form count
A good/high level coach can correct a bad habit while youre fatigued under
controlled circumstances for a specific goal. Crap builds on top of crap.
Wall runs done for technical purposes must be done as correctly as possible.
Wall runs for conditioning do not need to be as strict.
Wall re-balancing drills facing the wall, lower with bent elbows, push off of
the wall, push back up while freestanding, end with feet on wall before next rep
facing the wall, arch and break the shoulder, push off the wall, push back up
while freestanding, end with feet on wall before next rep
grinding rep = changing the quality of the movement or the tempo of the
movement
2x weekly conditioning leg lifts knee raises arch up hollow body rocks v-up
Jefferson curls for pike mobility
Back bending Bridge Walking down the wall
Pike and bridge are the 2 bare minimum stretches you need to work on
Bridge progression Arms straight Chest over arms Legs straight Feet flat
together on floor
day 2
If you cant do higher volume of lower intensity work, youre fd up.
Ring strength BARS (bent arm ring strength)
False grip
LARS
Everything that youve avoided in life is what you need to get strong in rings
(ie. elbow strain)
Rings is an intermediate course
Back lever work when youre not ready will tear your bicep tendon
Rings 1 mobility work with bungee cords
Manna in Foundation 1 prepares the shoulders for back lever work Shoulders
are retracted in manna
Rob Wolfs Paleo speech
Inflammation and auto immune problems are often related to gluten
You cant go strict low carb with hi intensity work (MMA, sprints, Crossfit)
Hi intensity = glycogen consuming
Seasonal allergies are tied to diet (auto immune); reduced with low carb /
paleo
Fizzy magnesium drink Fish oil Vitamin D
Movement
Bone strength, connective tissue strength and muscle strength must be balanced
Movement work is performed for blocks of time instead of sets and reps
2

Handstand walking Lead with feet when walking forward Lead with chest
when walking backward
Stretch series Achilles (kneeling with 1 leg down like a half shinbox) 1 min.
ea. side Calf (use the wall, toes of front foot on wall, rear leg extended) 2 min.
ea. side Hurdler 2 min. ea. side Hamstring (kneeling like hip flexor stretch
except you place your chest on your thigh and slide the lead leg forward to
increase the stretch) Piriformis (pigeon pose) Hip flexor with shin vertical on
wall (slide the lead leg forward to increase stretch) Standing hurdler stretch
with shin vertical on wall Front splits
You cant teach what you cant do/perform
Finish Foundation 2 before adding weight training
Knowledge, experience and intuition = high level coaching
Vet your source of information for everything
Every great coach is interested in learning real proven techniques
Cardio is a must for the older population
Change one variable at a time when trying something new
Sommer had some pretty disparaging remarks about the author of Elastic
Steel and Logan Christopher.
Everything works but not everything works for everybody. Sommer has different progressions for the skills that overlap with GMB. According to Coach
Sommer, character and willpower are the two determining factors in being successful with his Foundation program. If you cant complete Foundation in 1 or
2 years, you are lacking those two qualities and screwing around.
Sommer emphasizes hard work and discipline. Not once did I hear him say
anything about enjoying the journey and having fun. He did remind everyone frequently that he was an Olympic level coach and that even his youngest
students were in better condition than everyone in attendance.
I guess Im also in the dog house with Coach Sommer right now. I received
a message from Sommers webmaster stating that Sommer was uncomfortable
with me posting these same notes on the private Facebook page for the Chico
seminar members asking for help in filling in the blanks and making corrections.
Id better hurry up and finish backing up his online courses before Im denied
access and banned from his forum like Yuri Marmerstein.
The seminar was tailored for someone who has experience with their Foundation 1 and Handstand 1 programs. The 2 programs were included with your
tuition. If you paid last November like me, then you had some time to prepare.
Even with time to prepare, there were progressions that were too advanced
for me. My butt was firmly glued to the floor during the manna wall slide mobility exercise. My ability to walk on my hands is non-existent and I performed
bail outs across the gym instead. There was no instruction given on how to
correctly spot someone kicking up to a freestanding handstand. I was surprised
that no one got kicked in the face. Or they did and I didnt notice.