My guest this episode is Christopher Sommer (GymnasticBodies on Instagram/Facebook), former US national team gymnastics coach. He is also the founder of GymnasticBodies, a training system that I’m currently testing (and have no affiliation with). As a worldrenowned Olympic coach, Sommer is known for building his students into some of the strongest, most powerful athletes in the world.

During his extensive 40year coaching career, Coach Sommer took meticulous notes on his training techniques—his wins and failures—so that he could translate the best elements into a superior exercise system for both highlevel and beginner athletes. His four decades of careful observation led to the birth of Gymnastics Strength Training™ (or GST).

Connect with Christopher Sommer:
Like Christopher Sommer on Facebook:   / gymnasticbodies  
Follow Christopher Sommer on Twitter:   / gymnasticbodies  
Follow Christopher Sommer on Instagram:   / gymnasticbodies  

The Secrets of Gymnastic Strength Training
Show notes: http://fourhourworkweek.com/2016/05/0...

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About Tim Ferriss:
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an earlystage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4Hour Workweek, The 4Hour Body, The 4Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 200 million downloads and been selected for “Best of iTunes” three years running.

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Start [00:00]
How to define Gymnastics Strength Training™ (GST) [7:54]
Types of strength that most nongymnasts will not have [12:55]
Biggest mistakes made by those who selfteach handstands [16:30]
Top exercises for identifying weaknesses in strength and mobility [22:12]
The problem of focusing on muscular fatigue when training [35:07]
What is a pike pulse and why does it matter [44:26]
On kipping pullups [46:19]
Identifying solutions to pain [54:08]
The Jefferson curl [58:27]
Why weighted mobility work needs to be approached with a different level of intensity than conditioning work [1:03:31]
If someone is 35yearsold, a former athlete and never done gymnastics, what’s a good exercise and what should be avoided? [1:09:04]
35 joint mobility exercises for getting strong [1:14:52]
Preferred way to work on shoulder extension [1:21:37]
A good goal for those seeking to improve mobility [1:27:30]
Yoga handstands vs gymnastics handstands (aesthetics vs. gold medals) [1:30:34]
Who are some of the coaches who have impressed you the most? [1:37:39]
The story of Dmitry Bilozerchev and Alexander Alexandrov [1:38:01]
Differentiating immature athletes and mature athletes [1:47:05]
Training for success [1:50:34]
Describing the systematic approach to gymnastics strength training [1:53:41]
What exercises to avoid for the first 6 months of GST [2:02:11]
Breaking down the muscleup [2:05:34]
Understanding the purpose of using various grips [2:10:27]
How do you mentally prep your athletes for a big competition? [2:18:49]
What questions would Coach Sommer ask a gymnastic coach before sending his/her children off to train with them [2:29:38]
What questions would Coach Sommer ask a gymnastic coach who trains adults? [2:34:24]
Balancing stretching and training time [2:37:19]
When you think of the word successful, who is the first person to come to mind and why? [2:42:36]
Most gifted books [2:48:56]
Morning rituals [2:52:05]
What would you put on a billboard? [2:56:41]
An ask or a request for the audience [3:02:41]