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Bodyweight Preparing for the SF Bodyweight course

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guardian7

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I was please to hear that the bodyweight course is coming to town. I have taken the other two and both were really useful.

I have a month before the course. I am 50 years old and can't do a one arm pushup or full pistol yet.

What should I do to get the best out of the course?

Here is my plan so far.

1. GTG regular pushups
2. One arm pushups from walls and window ledges GTG.
3. Get up from my chair one one leg each time. Box one leg squats on my chair GTG.
4. Airborne lunge GTG practice when not sitting at work.
5. One arm pushup plank holds. hollow body holds, and KB bottom up press for tension practice.

Reread the Naked Warrior

Any other ideas? I have one month. Then I want to switch to a winter heavy weight program.
 
Which course are you attending?
If it is the one day course then you do not have to do anything specific to prepare as all the drills will be taught and practiced but nothing is tested. However if you are attending a certification then the OAPU, Pullup and Pistol are tested. You can test during the certification but you also have 6 month after the Cert to master all skills and strength then submit your testing via video to your lead Instructor.

I also have a free OAPU program under articles here on the STRONGFIRST site. Enter author Karen Smith in the search to find it.

if you still have questions please feel free to tag me in next post.
 
Which course are you attending?
If it is the one day course then you do not have to do anything specific to prepare as all the drills will be taught and practiced but nothing is tested. However if you are attending a certification then the OAPU, Pullup and Pistol are tested. You can test during the certification but you also have 6 month after the Cert to master all skills and strength then submit your testing via video to your lead Instructor.

I also have a free OAPU program under articles here on the STRONGFIRST site. Enter author Karen Smith in the search to find it.

if you still have questions please feel free to tag me in next post.

It is just the course, but if I read the background more I can concentrate on the details and questions. If I try out the progressions, I can discover difficulties, form questions, and seek more specific feedback. Also, I live abroad and most of the attendees are personal trainers or Strongfirst certified and 20 years or more younger than I am, even in courses! I don't want my baseline to be too much lower than the class.

For others. Here is the program Karen mentioned:
A 6-Week Program to Master the OA/OAOL Push-up | StrongFirst

I guess you get the assumption that high volume regular pushups automatically transfer to OAPU a lot. I remember now Pavel saying that is not true in Naked Warrior. It is the full body tension that carries over best to other lifts as I think you mentioned on a previous thread.

Thank you.
 
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@guardian7 , congratulations on signing up for the course. In addition to Naked Warrior and the OAPU program @Karen Smith mentioned, I’d also recommend her “one good rep” articles. Just go to Articles on the website and search for “one good rep,” and the results will include an article each on the pistol, push-up and pull-up. Great stuff.
 
@guardian7 , congratulations on signing up for the course. In addition to Naked Warrior and the OAPU program @Karen Smith mentioned, I’d also recommend her “one good rep” articles. Just go to Articles on the website and search for “one good rep,” and the results will include an article each on the pistol, push-up and pull-up. Great stuff.

Thanks. good suggestion. It is hard to get around the how many can you do mentality with bodyweight.
 
The OAP, work a lot on your mobility using ground force method/original strength stuff
 
The OAP, work a lot on your mobility using ground force method/original strength stuff

Thank you. I guess you mean for pistol? I am doing crawling, GTG getting off my chair with one leg and (almost) airborne lunges GTG right now. Pistol seems out of reach right now but I am going to the course for the principles, feedback, and progressions anyway.
 
Thank you. I guess you mean for pistol? I am doing crawling, GTG getting off my chair with one leg and (almost) airborne lunges GTG right now. Pistol seems out of reach right now but I am going to the course for the principles, feedback, and progressions anyway.

For all the skills, you want to find what is your ideal progression/regression and then just polish it.

Agree that you don't have to stress too much given it is the user course so just be a sponge and enjoy the lessons
 
I had a great SFB course. I think many people don't really realize the carryover from SFB to other skills. Karen Smith wrote about it and even advocated doing SFB first in the course series.

Surprise Yourself With Strength on This Bodyweight Training Plan | StrongFirst

I could only do a negative full pistol (50 years old and not in the fitness industry) a "PR" and an assisted (raised low bench) with left arm extended OAP but I got clear progressions to work on. There are lots of progressions in the workshop. Karen will be glad to know that the instructor Woo Chae Yoon emphasized the one leg deadlift. I confirmed for myself that OAP and regular pushups are related but different beasts. I got a better sense of what tension is in attempting even the assisted OAP. The OAP itself doesn't seem that important, but it is such a great tool for understanding a lot of concepts as it is self limiting as Gray Cook mentions unlike other lifts you can fudge your way through. It was also great to see guys able to do the OAP and pistol to see what it looks like. Video is not the same. Not something I see in my peer group of college instructors too often! Wish I had started younger. Even if you understand concepts intellectually, it sticks more when doing practice with feedback and seeing others do them in person. I was also shocked how demanding max effort bodyweight work is. I haven't been as sore since my college soccer days 30 years ago!

Mobility was not as much of an issue as I though for pistols, so I will revisit that but the tactical pullup was much harder than I thought. I had trouble touching my chest to the bar, my only disappointment at the workshop. I got feedback at the SFL that my thoratic mobility made the low bar squat not an option. Would failure to properly touch your chest to the bar for the tactical pullup be more likely be a strength or mobility issue. I haven't been doing pullups lately. I forgot to ask at the workshop. I do a lot of writing on the computer for work.
 
Nice report @guardian7 Sounds like it was a great experience.

Btw, thinking about this:

I could only do a negative full pistol (50 years old and not in the fitness industry)

I was also over 50 when I got my first pistol, and my first OAOLPU, and first SFG. In fact was already over 50 when I found StrongFirst as a formerly but no longer fit desk jockey. All that to say that everyone is different, but I hope you don't think you didn't/won't do something just because you're over 50. You clearly were paying attention at the course and walked away with a lot. I suspect you'll be applying it and reporting on progress here before long. Looking forward to that.

Of course I wish I had started younger too. :)
 
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Love you post course report. Glad to see your thought from before attending and then again after. Also love that you noticed the major carryover that I often speak about.
Great work. Please stay in touch and keep me posted on your journey.

I had a great SFB course. I think many people don't really realize the carryover from SFB to other skills. Karen Smith wrote about it and even advocated doing SFB first in the course series.

Surprise Yourself With Strength on This Bodyweight Training Plan | StrongFirst

I could only do a negative full pistol (50 years old and not in the fitness industry) a "PR" and an assisted (raised low bench) with left arm extended OAP but I got clear progressions to work on. There are lots of progressions in the workshop. Karen will be glad to know that the instructor Woo Chae Yoon emphasized the one leg deadlift. I confirmed for myself that OAP and regular pushups are related but different beasts. I got a better sense of what tension is in attempting even the assisted OAP. The OAP itself doesn't seem that important, but it is such a great tool for understanding a lot of concepts as it is self limiting as Gray Cook mentions unlike other lifts you can fudge your way through. It was also great to see guys able to do the OAP and pistol to see what it looks like. Video is not the same. Not something I see in my peer group of college instructors too often! Wish I had started younger. Even if you understand concepts intellectually, it sticks more when doing practice with feedback and seeing others do them in person. I was also shocked how demanding max effort bodyweight work is. I haven't been as sore since my college soccer days 30 years ago!

Mobility was not as much of an issue as I though for pistols, so I will revisit that but the tactical pullup was much harder than I thought. I had trouble touching my chest to the bar, my only disappointment at the workshop. I got feedback at the SFL that my thoratic mobility made the low bar squat not an option. Would failure to properly touch your chest to the bar for the tactical pullup be more likely be a strength or mobility issue. I haven't been doing pullups lately. I forgot to ask at the workshop. I do a lot of writing on the computer for work.
 
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